SB149 would have established a state minimum wage starting at $10 per hour beginning January 1, 2024, with increases set to $12 per hour in 2026 and $14 per hour in 2028.
The Senate failed to pass SB149 on May 30, 2023, by a vote of 13 to 25. State minimum wage laws are anti-constitutional, discriminatory acts of government theft. They forcibly deny the property rights of both employers and employees by violating their freedom of association, preventing individuals from entering into contracts voluntarily according to their own terms. As dishonest and manipulative tactics to control labor in the economy, they create an unequal balance of wealth confiscation and redistribution, hindering the best workers from getting the best jobs at the best prices. The Bill of Rights and 14th Amendment were intended to protect against undue deprivations or disparagements of a person’s “property,” guaranteeing “equal protection of the laws” for all Americans.