S.J.R. 6

1

RESOLUTION SUBMITTING MINIMUM WAGE
2 QUESTION TO VOTERS
3 2007 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Chief Sponsor: Ed Mayne
6 House Sponsor: ____________
7
8 LONG TITLE
9 General Description:
10 This joint resolution submits a nonbinding statewide opinion question to the legal
11 voters.
12 Highlighted Provisions:
13 This resolution:
14 . submits a nonbinding statewide opinion question to the legal voters on whether or
15 not the state minimum wage should be raised;
16 . directs the Lieutenant Governor to submit the question to the legal voters for a vote
17 in the next regular general election with some exceptions; and
18 . requires the Senate to take action after passage.
19 Special Clauses:
20 The passage of this joint resolution is contingent on S.B. 105, Authorization of Opinion
21 Questions to Voters, taking effect.
22
23 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
24 WHEREAS, as of January 1, 2007, the state minimum wage is equal to the federal
25 minimum wage at $5.15 per hour;
26 WHEREAS, the state minimum wage was last changed from $4.75 to $5.15 per hour in
27 1997;

28 WHEREAS, the cost of living has increased by more than 25% based on the United
29 States consumer price index, for all items of all urban consumers, since the state minimum
30 wage was last changed;
31 WHEREAS, due to inflation, the purchasing power of the minimum wage is lower
32 today than it was when last raised in 1997;
33 WHEREAS, as of January 1, 2007, the annual gross salary of a person working 40
34 hours a week at the state minimum wage is $10,712;
35 WHEREAS, if the state minimum wage is increased to $7 per hour, the annual gross
36 salary of a person working 40 hours a week at $7 is $14,560;
37 WHEREAS, the poverty level income for a family of three determined by the United
38 States Department of Health and Human Services is $16,600;
39 WHEREAS, as of January 1, 2007, 29 states and the District of Columbia have
40 minimum wage rates higher than the federal minimum wage;
41 WHEREAS, the United States Census Bureau approximates that 2.4% of Utah's
42 workers paid hourly rates are paid at or below the minimum wage;
43 WHEREAS, an increase in the minimum wage to $7 per hour could annually increase
44 the costs to an employer paying minimum wage to a full-time employee by at least $3,848;
45 WHEREAS, only approximately 26% of hourly paid American workers earning the
46 minimum wage are 16-19 years old;
47 WHEREAS, part-time workers are much more likely than full-time workers to be paid
48 the minimum wage or less;
49 WHEREAS, the adequacy of the income paid Utah's workers has societal affects such
50 as affecting the number of individuals requiring state or federal assistance;
51 WHEREAS, as of January 1, 2007, an increase in the state minimum wage may require
52 the Legislature to act to allow a state minimum wage above the federal minimum wage; and
53 WHEREAS, that the legal voters of this state should have an opportunity to express
54 their opinion on this very important policy issue:
55 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature directs the Lieutenant
56 Governor of Utah to submit the following nonbinding opinion question to the legal voters of
57 Utah for their approval or rejection at the next regular general election:
58 "1. As of January 1, 2007, the state minimum wage is equal to the federal minimum

59 wage at $5.15 per hour.
60 2. The state minimum wage was last changed from $4.75 to $5.15 per hour in 1997.
61 3. The cost of living has increased by more than 25% based on the United States
62 consumer price index, for all items of all urban consumers, since the state minimum wage was
63 last changed.
64 4. As of January 1, 2007, the annual gross salary of a person working 40 hours a week
65 at the state minimum wage is $10,712.
66 5. If the state minimum wage is increased to $7 per hour, the annual gross salary of a
67 person working 40 hours a week at $7 per hour is $14,560.
68 6. The United States Census Bureau approximates that 2.4% of Utah's workers paid
69 hourly rates are paid at or below the minimum wage.
70 7. As of January 1, 2007, an increase in the state minimum wage may require the
71 Legislature to act to allow a state minimum wage above the federal minimum wage.
72 8. Based upon the items listed above, the Legislature hereby submits to the legal voters
73 of Utah for their opinion the following question:
74 SHOULD UTAH INCREASE ITS MINIMUM WAGE TO $7 PER HOUR?
75 YES
76 NO".
77 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this joint resolution is not considered to be passed
78 by the Legislature until S.B. 105, Authorization of Opinion Questions to Voters, takes effect.
79 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, after passage by both houses of the Legislature, as
80 provided in Utah Code Section 36-16-102 , enacted in S.B. 105, Authorization of Opinion
81 Questions to Voters, the Senate submit this resolution to the Lieutenant Governor and instruct
82 the Lieutenant Governor that the opinion question specified in this joint resolution be
83 submitted to the legal voters on the next regular general election.
84 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that if the federal minimum wage increases above $7
85 per hour before October 6, 2008, the Lieutenant Governor may not submit the opinion question
86 to the legal voters.

Legislative Review Note
as of 1-2-07 1:07 PM

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel