Measure to increase California minimum wage to $18 eligible for 2024 general election ballot

LOS ANGELES - A statewide initiative to raise California's minimum wage to $18 per hour is eligible to land on the Nov. 5, 2024 general election ballot, according to the Secretary of State's office. 

The California Living Wage Act- spearheaded by tech entrepreneur and investor Joe Sanberg - gathered more than 685,000 valid signatures last week to qualify for the next presidential election. It missed the deadline for the June 30 qualification cutoff that would have placed it on the ballot for the election this fall.

The Secretary of State will certify the initiative for the ballot in June 2024 unless it is withdrawn by the proponent. 

Sanberg has previously said an $18 minimum wage would give $6,240 more per year to more than five million California workers. 

The state's minimum wage is currently $15 an hour for most employees and $14 at businesses with 25 or fewer employees. 

The minimum wage rate in Los Angeles increased to $16.04 earlier this month.