$15 Now Oregon

Labor groups submitted 2,000 petition signatures Tuesday for a ballot measure to raise Oregon's minimum wage to $15.

(Ian K. Kullgren/staff)

SALEM -- Labor groups pushing for a $15 minimum wage submitted 2,000 petition signatures for a ballot measure Tuesday, teeing up a fight for the 2016 elections.

The move came a day after House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, said it's unlikely the Legislature will take up her proposal to raise the minimum wage to $13 before adjourning for the year. Speaking on the front steps of the Capitol, labor groups blamed powerful business interests for blocking that bill and others.

"Even though they killed the bill, they cannot kill this process," said Kristi Wright, the statewide organizing director for $15 Now Oregon.

The group's proposed ballot measure would raise the statewide minimum to $11.50 in 2017, to $13.25 in 2018 and finally to $15 in 2019.

Democrats introduced more than a dozen proposals at the start of the session to increase wages to between $10 and $15, but none had enough support to make it out of committee. Lawmakers still could revisit the proposals in the monthlong session starting in February 2016.

Kotek's proposal would have repealed a pre-emption on local wage raises approved in 2001, clearing the way for Portland and other cities to pass greater increases.

Seattle and Los Angeles recently approved $15 minimums, but the concept has never been tested on a statewide level. Oregon has the second-highest statewide minimum wage at $9.25 an hour, behind Washington's $9.47.

Kotek said Monday that she thinks a ballot measure would pass.

"I think there's a high likelihood that if it goes to the ballot, Oregonians will vote for a higher minimum wage," Kotek said.

The groups must gather 88,184 signatures by July 2016 to get their proposal on the November 2016 ballot.

-- Ian K. Kullgren

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