Nebraska Bill to Scale Back Voter-Approved Minimum Wage Hikes Advances After Second Filibuster

LINCOLN — A bill aimed at scaling back Nebraska’s voter-approved minimum wage increases advanced to its final round of debate Wednesday after narrowly clearing a second filibuster. Lawmakers voted 33-16 to invoke cloture on Legislative Bill 258, introduced by Democratic Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln, marking it as her top legislative priority for the 2025 session. The bill would reduce future cost-of-living adjustments to 1.75% annually and freeze the minimum wage at $13.50 an hour for workers aged 14 and 15. It also sets a 90-day training wage at the same rate—more than double the current training wage of $5.45. An amendment from Sen. Stanley Clouse of Kearney, raising the cap from 1.5% to 1.75%, was adopted to provide predictability for businesses and workers. Raybould defended the bill as a way to support small businesses operating on tight margins, while critics, including fellow Democrats, accused her of undermining the will of voters, who approved a ballot initiative in 2022 to raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2026 with inflation-linked increases thereafter. Opponents argued the bill devalues youth labor and harms working families. Raybould maintained the bill remains within the Legislature’s constitutional authority to modify initiatives, while others suggested such changes should require voter approval through constitutional amendments.