Legislature Approves $15 Minimum Wage Bill

Governor Brown to Sign the Bill on April 4

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Gov. Brown speaks during a press conference announcing a minimum wage agreement on March 28. AP Photo: Rich Pedroncelli

On March 31, both the Assembly and the State Senate voted to approve SB 3 by Senator Mark Leno (D-SF) to raise minimum wage in California to $15 by 2022 for businesses with 26 employees or more and 2023 for businesses with 25 or fewer employees.

SB 3 passed the Assembly by a vote of 48-26 with 5 legislators not voting. Ag Council thanks the following Democrat members who either opposed or did not vote for SB 3: Assemblyman Adam Gray (D-Merced), Assemblyman Tom Daly (D-Anaheim) and Assemblyman Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield). We also thank the Republican Caucus of legislators for opposing SB 3.

The Senate approved SB 3 on a partisan vote of 26-12 with Democrats voting in favor and Republicans opposing the bill.

By approving SB 3, California is the first state in the nation to raise minimum wage to $15 an hour. Governor Jerry Brown plans to sign SB 3 into law on Monday, April 4 in Los Angeles.

Ag Council, in addition to a coalition of ag and business groups, opposed SB 3. Read the coalition letter HERE.

As background, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) recently qualified a measure for the November ballot to mandate a $15 minimum wage in California. Shortly thereafter, union representatives and Governor Brown held discussions and then announced a $15 minimum wage agreement on March 28. That agreement led to the passage of SB 3 by the Legislature on March 31. As part of the agreement, the SEIU is expected to withdraw their measure from the November ballot once SB 3 is signed into law.

Click HERE to read a fact sheet on the governor’s website about the scheduled minimum wage increases, as well as other provisions in the bill. To read the governor’s statement regarding the measure, click HERE.

Take Action – Oppose the Ag Overtime Wage Measure

With passage of the minimum wage bill, we urge you to reach out to your legislators NOW by using the link below to oppose the bill to phase-in new ag overtime wage requirements. The measure, opposed by Ag Council and others, is scheduled for consideration in the Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment on April 6.

The bill, AB 2757 by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego), repeals the current overtime wage requirement in California for agricultural workers, which pays overtime after 10 hours of work in a day, and phases in a new overtime wage law for agricultural workers over the course of four years culminating in a requirement to pay overtime after eight hours in one day or 40 hours in a week by the year 2020.

TAKE ACTION — Join Ag Council in opposing AB 2757 by emailing a letter to your legislator. Click HERE to easily send a letter.

Ag Council Provides Comments on Draft Groundwater Regulations

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Photo courtesy of the Water Education Foundation

On April 1, Ag Council provided written comments to the Department of Water Resources regarding the Draft Groundwater Sustainability Plan Emergency Regulations.  In particular, Ag Council is concerned about some areas where additional obligations are placed upon local areas that could increase costs and impact the timelines of the regulation.

To read the detailed letter, click HERE.