State Reps. Dontavius L. Jarrells (D-Columbus) and Ismail Mohamed (D-Columbus) today urged fellow lawmakers to sign onto their legislation that would increase Ohio’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2028.

In their co-sponsor request memos, the Democratic lawmakers said that raising wages for working Ohioans will bring more economic security and stability to millions of Ohioans living paycheck to paycheck and boost the long-term health of the state’s economy.

“While I am grateful that voters in Ohio passed the Ohio Minimum Wage Increase Initiative, here’s the unfortunate truth—$10.10 does not go far enough to support our working families. At its current level, our minimum wage does not offset the pain inflicted by inflation,” said Rep. Jarrells. “Our legislation cuts workers in on the deal and puts money back into our local economies. Simply put, raising the minimum wage ensures that no family has to work two to three jobs just to make ends meet. That’s an Ohio that works for all of us.”

The bill is similar to a Florida ballot measure that passed in November of 2020 with more than 60 percent of the statewide vote. Under the Ohio proposal, the minimum wage would increase to $10 on Jan. 1, 2024, then increase by $1 per hour each year until Jan. 1, 2028 when it reaches $15 per hour. After that, it would be indexed to inflation.

“Raising Ohio’s minimum wage is not only an investment in Ohio’s economy but an investment in Ohioans,” said Rep. Mohamed. “Worker productivity has been continually increasing, and it’s time we recognize and more adequately compensate the workers who are often the backbone of society.”

A 2019 Policy Matters Ohio report found that increasing Ohio’s minimum wage to $15 would lift wages for some 2 million Ohio workers, nearly 37 percent of the wage-earning workforce, with the average affected worker taking home an additional $4,252 annually. Proponents of the wage increase say it better aligns wages to increased productivity, which since 1979, has risen six times faster than hourly compensation for the typical U.S. worker.

Lawmakers have until Friday, Feb. 24 to sign onto the legislation.