S.J.R. 8

1

RESOLUTION SUBMITTING MINIMUM WAGE
2 QUESTION TO THE VOTERS
3 2006 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 to $7 per hour;
16 . directs the Lieutenant Governor to submit the question to the legal voters for a vote
17 in the regular general election held on November 7, 2006; and
18 . requires the Senate to take action after passage.
19 Special Clauses:
20 Making contingent the passage of this joint resolution on S.B. 131, Authorization of
21 Opinion Questions to Voters, taking effect.
22
23 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
24 WHEREAS, the state minimum wage is currently equal to the federal minimum wage
25 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 23% 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, the annual gross salary of a person working 40 hours a week at the current
34 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 $16,090;
39 WHEREAS, 16 states and the District of Columbia have minimum wage rates higher
40 than the federal minimum wage;
41 WHEREAS, approximately 2.8% of Utah's workers paid hourly rates are paid at or
42 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 25% of hourly paid American workers earning the
46 minimum wage are 16-19 years old;
47 WHEREAS, nationally, part-time workers in 2004 were much more likely than
48 full-time workers to be paid 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, an increase in the state minimum wage would require the Legislature to
52 act to allow a state minimum wage above the federal minimum wage or the federal minimum
53 wage would have to increase; and
54 WHEREAS, that the legal voters of this state should have an opportunity to express
55 their opinion on this very important policy issue:
56 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature directs the Lieutenant
57 Governor of Utah to submit the following nonbinding opinion question to the legal voters of
58 Utah for their approval or rejection at the regular general election held on November 7, 2006:

59 "1. The state minimum wage is currently equal to the federal minimum wage at $5.15
60 per hour.
61 2. The state minimum wage was last changed from $4.75 to $5.15 per hour in 1997.
62 3. The cost of living has increased by more than 23% based on the United States
63 consumer price index, for all items of all urban consumers, since the state minimum wage was
64 last changed.
65 4. The annual gross salary of a person working 40 hours a week at the current state
66 minimum wage is $10,712.
67 5. If the state minimum wage is increased to $7 per hour, the annual gross salary of a
68 person working 40 hours a week at $7 per hour is $14,560.
69 6. Approximately 2.8% of Utah's workers paid hourly rates are paid at or below the
70 minimum wage.
71 7. An increase in the state minimum wage would require the Legislature to act to allow
72 a state minimum wage above the federal minimum wage or the federal minimum wage would
73 have to increase.
74 8. Based upon the items listed above, the Legislature hereby submits to the legal voters
75 of Utah for their opinion the following question:
76 SHOULD UTAH INCREASE ITS MINIMUM WAGE TO $7 PER HOUR?
77 YES
78 NO".
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. 131, 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 November 7, 2006.
84 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this joint resolution is not considered to be passed
85 by the Legislature until S.B. 131, Authorization of Opinion Questions to Voters, takes effect.

Legislative Review Note
as of 1-10-06 1:44 PM

Based on a limited legal review, this legislation has not been determined to have a high
probability of being held unconstitutional.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel