BOISE, Idaho — A democratic lawmaker from Boise is hoping to repeal a law passed in 2016 that forbids cities from enacting their own ordinances on certain hot-button issues, including setting a minimum wage.
House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel introduced legislation on Monday that would effectively repeal the law, and allow cities to set their own minimum wage. As it stands now, cities cannot enact a minimum wage that is higher than the state minimum wage.
Idaho's minimum wage has been set at $7.25 per hour for more than a decade.
In December, Idahoans for a Fair Wage announced they had topped 20,000 signatures in their effort to put a minimum wage increase on statewide ballots in November.
The group needs just over 55,000 signatures by April 30 in order to make the general election ballot.
If it makes the ballot and is approved by voters, the initiative would raise Idaho's minimum wage to $8.75 an hour on June 1, 2021, then raise it another dollar a year for the next two years and hit $12 an hour on June 1, 2024.
Any further increases would be tied to the Consumer Price Index.
A second bill introduced by Rubel on Monday would let cities enact plastic bag bans, something that is currently not allowed by state law.
