By Erin Bamer
Omaha World Herald, Oct 23, 2022
LINCOLN — Karen Anthony has worked as a home health care provider for 40 years, and in that time she has never earned more than $12 an hour. Her wages aren’t enough to allow her to afford everyday essentials like a car or even groceries. ... Anthony shared her story at the Nebraska State Capitol this past week during a public hearing on a ballot initiative to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026. ...
Supporters also argue that increasing pay would encourage workers to put their money right back into the economy, ...
Julie Sonderup, whose family owns two Nebraska businesses, said after they decided to increase their wages to $15 an hour for all employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, it made a huge difference in her employees’ quality of life and improved their productivity and general attitudes.
“It has not hurt us at all,” Sonderup said during the recent hearing at the Capitol. ...