At its June 16 meeting, the Omaha City Council heard testimony about an ordinance addressing the minimum wage that should be paid to young workers. The ordinance would create a new chapter of the Omaha Municipal Code to address the matter.
Speakers noted that Nebraska voters in 2022 approved a measure that would increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour by this year, but the Nebraska Legislature voted in its last legislative session to let employers pay 13- and 14-year-olds $13.50 an hour. LB 258 also allowed employers to pay 16- to 19-year-olds at the lower rate for a 90-day training period.
Clarence King, chair of the Douglas County Democratic Party, said the 2022 vote for the higher minimum wage was greater than 70% in favor in Omaha. Council Chairman Danny Begley read the “in favor” voting results for each council district, which ranged from 63% in two districts to 86% and a high of 89% in two others.
The council ultimately voted 7-0 to lay over the vote on the ordinance until July 14.
See full Documenters notes here.
