A coalition of Nevada businesses groups has filed a lawsuit to keep an initiative raising the minimum wage to $13 an hour off next November’s general-election ballot.
The suit argues that the measure should not be put to a popular vote because its scope is broader than a single issue. In addition to raising the minimum wage, the proposal would increase the damages businesses would pay in liability lawsuits.
“This initiative would change Nevada’s business climate and send the wrong image to employers who want to hire workers and create jobs,” Kristin McMillan, CEO of the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement released to local media.
A number of other local Chambers are part of the coalition, the Committee to Preserve Nevada Jobs.
Proponents of a wage increase for the union-rich state have not yet collected enough signatures to put a hike proposal on the ballot, but are working toward that goal.
They would like Nevada’s minimum wage, currently at $8.25 an hour, to rise in stages to $13 by 2024. They are also striving to discontinue the break that employers get if they offer health insurance. The minimum required wage for those businesses is $7.25.
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