California Minimum Wage Initiative Cleared For Signatures

SACRAMENTO (AP) — A union-backed effort to raise California's minimum wage has been approved to start collecting signatures for a statewide ballot initiative.

The proposal would boost California's minimum wage by $1 an hour annually until it reaches $15 an hour in 2021. California's current $9-an-hour wage is set to increase to $10 next year.

Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced Monday that groups backing the measure can collect signatures.

The California effort is the latest in a nationwide movement. The cities of Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley have approved phased-in increases to eventually take their minimum wage to $15 an hour.

Los Angeles County has also adopted a similar plan.

Proponents of the California initiative will need 366,000 signatures by January 27th to qualify for the November 2016 ballot.

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