Mark Robokoff, owner of AK Bark Pet Store, speaks in support of Ballot Measure 1 on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024.
If passed, Ballot Measure 1 would raise the minimum wage from $11.73 to $13 July 1, 2025, $14 in 2026 and $15 in 2027. Annual cost of living adjustments would begin January 2028. Green said offering higher pay and paid time off makes workers happy, and when workers are happy, they’re more productive.
Thea Agnew Bemben is the co-owner of Agnew Beck Consulting. Her employees also make more than $15 an hour and have sick leave. But she said working-age people are a pillar of the state’s business economy and thinks the measure could help retain them.