Students voice support, worry over min wage


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On Thursday, the California State Assembly passed a bill that will raise the minimum wage, if approved by the California state senate.

Assemblyman Luis Alejo (D-Watsonville) proposed the bill, which will raise the minimum hourly wage from $8 to $8.25 in the next year and to $9.25 by the year 2016.

This bill would let “our families provide for their children, pay their bills and give them dignity and respect,” Alejo said, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Those against the bill argued that those who held minimum wage positions were often young adults or those using the job as a transition to a better one.

Peter Nordahl-Hansen, a rising senior majoring in critical studies and a student worker at the School of Cinematic Arts, thinks that the raise should only benefit those in need.

“I think in a fair and perfect system, the raise of the minimum wage should apply to everyone within its jurisdiction, regardless if you are a student or full-time worker,” Nordahl-Hansen said.

Most Republicans oppose to the bill and many business leaders feel that raising the minimum wage would force them to cut jobs.

Nicholas Orchanian, a rising junior majoring in chemistry, thinks the government already has too much control over the people’s everyday lives.

“Though their intentions are certainly for the best, any government interference in business could have drastic consequences, particularly in our current, unstable economy,” Orchanian said.

Alejo said he believes that the rising costs of living in the state make it difficult to keep the current wage rate.

“The last time the minimum wage was increased in California, gas was at $3.25 a gallon,” Alejo said, according to CBS Los Angeles. “I don’t know about you, but I haven’t seen gas prices at that level for a very long time.”

Jake Curry, a class of ’13 alumnus who majored in health promotion and disease prevention, said increasing of the minimum wage could have a negative effect on the cost of living.

“I guess the question is: Will the increase in minimum wage cause an increase in consumer consumption?” Curry said. “Because if not, we may be getting ourselves into trouble by increasing it.”

The state senate must now vote on the measure.