“Poverty is at the root of many of the issues we are trying to tackle in our state; one way to begin decreasing poverty is to raise the minimum wage and change the cycle of surviving the good life to living the good life.”

“As a state that takes pride in shared prosperity and caring for our neighbors, we have a responsibility to ensure that every Nebraskan is paid a fair wage. Unfortunately, the current state minimum wage is failing too many of our friends and neighbors who are in a constant struggle to make ends meet.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Nebraska consistently ranks among the states with the highest number of people working multiple jobs. 42 percent of Nebraska families with low pay spend at least a third of their income on housing alone. The good life is out of reach for many middle and working-class Nebraskans. Gradually increasing the minimum wage is a step toward increasing opportunity for Nebraska families and achieving racial and gender pay equity across the state. When each of us has the opportunity to thrive, communities across our state thrive.”