California Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation Monday to raise the statewide minimum wage to $15-per-hour, the highest in the U.S. While admitting a $15 minimum wage made no economic sense, he said it made “moral” sense.
Brown signed a statewide increase to $10-per-hour less than two-and-a-half years ago. and opposed a new increase to $15 until pressure from unions caused him to relent. (Union contributions to moderate Democrats also helped.)
“Economically, minimum wages may not make sense,” Brown said, according to the Sacramento Bee. But “[m]orally and socially and politically, they [minimum wages] make every sense because it binds the community together and makes sure that parents can take care of their kids in a much more satisfactory way.”
The governor made no comment on what parents who cannot find jobs are meant to do to take care of their children.
The call for a $15 minimum wage is expected to resound nationwide. Already, Democrats are making it a theme of their political campaigns. On Sunday, former president Bill Clinton praised California for enacting the measure.
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