Economics

Sen. Leno Proposes Minimum Wage Hike

Published

11 years ago

January 21, 2015

Senator Mark Leno has introduced legislation designed to help lift California’s low-wage earners out of poverty.

Senate Bill 3 – to raise the state’s minimum wage to $11 an hour in 2016 and $13 in 2017 – comes on the heels of the passage of minimum wage ballot measures in four politically conservative states, Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska and South Dakota.

The bill is jointly authored by Senator Connie M. Leyva, D-Chino.

“Hard working, full-time employees across California are forced to live in poverty and rely on public assistance just to put food on the table for their families,” said Senator Leno, D-San Francisco.

Senator Mark Leno

“This income inequality crisis, which disproportionately impacts women and children, is detrimental to our communities and the economy,” he said. “It is time to accelerate the minimum wage and give low-income workers the respect they deserve for a job well done.”

California has the highest poverty rate in the nation. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that nearly a quarter of the state’s 38 million residents live in poverty.

An employee working full-time earning $9 an hour brings home just $18,000 annually before taxes, which is just 75 percent of the federal poverty line for a family of four.

As a result, many cities have taken the matter into their own hands, raising local minimum wages either by government action or at the ballot box. Voters in San Francisco recently approved a gradual minimum wage hike that tops out at $15 in 2018, while Oakland voters approved a $12.25 minimum wage.

In addition, the City of Los Angeles has approved a minimum hourly wage of $15.37 for its hotel workers.

“The cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco have led the way by raising the minimum wage for its workers and making sure their hard work is rewarded with fair pay,” said Senate President pro Tem Kevin de León, principal co-author of SB 3.

Research from the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment at UC Berkeley indicates that higher wages reduce turnover and improve work performance and have no negative effect on the number of jobs available.

“Increasing the minimum wage as proposed by Senator Leno is long overdue,” said Michael Herald, legislative advocate with the Western Center on Law & Poverty. “Poverty is not just about income and wages. It is about ensuring that infant children get the nourishment and environment that will allow them to be self-sufficient as adults. Research shows that children who go hungry or homeless are more likely to go to jail, less likely to graduate and will earn less as adults.”

Women are also especially impacted by the minimum wage. About six in 10 minimum wage workers in California are women, according to the National Women’s Law Center.

“Raising the minimum wage in California is a women’s issue,” said Surina Khan, CEO of the Women’s Foundation of California, which supports the bill.

“Women, and in particular single mothers, hold a disproportionate share of minimum wage jobs and disproportionately live in poverty: sixty-four percent of minimum wage workers are women and of these, 60 percent are supporting families. SB 3 increases California’s current minimum wage of $9 per hour in two steps, to $11 in 2016 and $13 in 2017. Beginning in 2019, the minimum wage would be adjusted annually to the rate of inflation.

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Related Topics:California minimum wage increase Senate Bill 3 Senator Connie M. Leyva Senator Mark Leno state politics

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Oakland Post: Week of July 1 – 7, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of July 1 – 7, 2026

Published

4 days ago

July 5, 2026

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NPRC Joins National Grand Jury Proceedings Seeking Accountability, Constitutional Restoration

Organizers state that testimony will explore historical and political developments that they believe have contributed to the expansion of corporate influence over public institutions and governmental decision-making. Participants are expected to discuss concerns regarding constitutional governance, individual liberties, property rights, and the protection of vulnerable populations, including seniors and persons with disabilities.

Published

2 weeks ago

June 26, 2026

Oakland Post

Photo by Billie Powers.

Special to The Post

The National Probate Reform Coalition (NPRC) has joined Toll and Roll and a growing coalition of advocacy organizations, victims, whistleblowers, and citizen groups in support of a nationally broadcast People’s Grand Jury proceeding scheduled for July 1 and July 7.

Organizers describe the event as a public forum designed to examine allegations of government abuse, judicial misconduct, legislative failures, and the erosion of constitutional protections affecting millions of Americans.

The proceedings will feature testimony from victims, families, advocates, and organizations from across the country who contend they have experienced harm through government actions, institutional neglect, and failures of oversight.

According to organizers, the People’s Grand Jury will focus on concerns involving probate courts, guardianships, conservatorships, child welfare systems, property rights, civil liberties, and what participants view as a growing disconnect between government institutions and the constitutional rights of the people they are sworn to serve.

NPRC is participating because many of the issues being examined mirror the concerns raised by advocates, victims, and families who have participated in its monthly town halls. For years, families have reported cases involving exploitation of elders, questionable guardianships, estate depletion, denial of due process, and a lack of meaningful oversight within probate court systems.

“This proceeding gives victims and advocates an opportunity to place their experiences on the public record,” said Tanya Dennis, lead facilitator of NPRC. “For too long, families have struggled to have their voices heard regarding elder abuse, probate exploitation, and government inaction. This forum allows those stories to be shared before a national audience.”

In keeping with principles of transparency and fairness, invitations have been extended to legislators, members of the judiciary, law enforcement representatives, and other public officials who may wish to respond to concerns raised during the proceedings or defend actions taken by their respective institutions.

One of the primary outcomes sought by organizers is public consideration and support for the People’s Remedy and Restoration Act, a proposed legislative framework that advocates believe would strengthen oversight, increase accountability, provide remedies for victims of governmental abuse, and restore constitutional protections.

The proceedings are expected to be broadcast nationally, providing citizens throughout the United States an opportunity to observe testimony, review evidence presented, and participate in an ongoing conversation regarding government accountability and the protection of individual rights.

Advocates hope the hearings will encourage meaningful dialogue, legislative reform, and renewed public engagement in the democratic process.

Individuals, organizations, public officials, and members of the media interested in attending or obtaining access information may contact the organizers at tollandroll2025@gmail.com.

As Americans continue to debate the future of constitutional governance, judicial accountability, and the protection of vulnerable citizens, the July proceedings are expected to serve as a significant forum for public testimony and civic engagement. For more information, go to https://tollandroll.com