A pair of Ohio Democratic state Senators are trying to raise Ohio’s minimum wage to US$15 per hour. Proposed last month, Senate Bill 234 would raise the minimum wage by a dollar per hour each year until reaching $15 per hour in 2029starting at $12 on Jan. 1, 2026.

Ohio’s minimum wage is currently $10.70 per hour for non-tipped employees and $5.35 per hour for tipped employees. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. 

The bill would also eliminate the tipped employee minimum wage and require all employees to be paid the state’s minimum wage.

Lawmakers have until Friday, Jan. 29, to sign onto the legislation.

This is not the first time Sen. Kent Smith and Sen. Hearcel Craig have introduced a bill that would increase the minimum wage.

The duo introduced a bill during the last general assembly that would have raised the minimum wage up to $15 an hour in 2027, but it only was given time for sponsor testimony.  

Ohioans passed a constitutional amendment in 2006 that increases the state minimum wage every year based on the consumer price index. 

Ohio House Democrats have also introduced Ohio House Bill 34, which would increase the state’s minimum wage gradually per year too. Yet, SB 234 would get to $15 per hour one year before HB 34. 

According to a report by the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio and the National Low Income Housing Coalition, Ohioans need to be making at least $22.51 an hour working a full-time job to be able to afford a “modest” two-bedroom apartment.

Eleven states and Washington, D.C. have minimum wages of $15 or more, according to Paycom. As CMM previously reported, the minimum wage increased in 15 states and cities in July, including major cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

The New York City Health Department confirmed 108 cases of Legionnaires’ disease, five deaths, and 14 current hospitalizations as of Aug. 18. This is nearly double the number of cases reported in New York at the end of July.

Legionnaires’ disease is a bacterial lung infection, or pneumonia, caused by the bacteria Legionella pneumophila, which grows in warm water. Legionnaires’ disease causes flu-like symptoms and is treatable with antibiotics. However, if left untreated, it can result in shock and multi-organ failure. Complications from the disease are less likely the earlier treatment begins.

The update comes days after NYC’s Health Department proposed new regulations for the testing of cooling towers, which they suspect are linked to the outbreak.

Cooling towers are rooftop devices that release mist into the air as they cool large buildings. If the water inside becomes too warm, stagnant, or isn’t properly disinfected, Legionella bacteria can grow and infect people who inhale the mist.

Under New York City law, building owners are responsible for registering and maintaining their cooling towers, which are routinely inspected for compliance. The new proposal would set specific time periods for testing and require tests to be conducted by state-certified labs. It also details monetary penalties for noncompliance, though the posted documents didn’t specify amounts. Currently, building owners who fail to follow routine maintenance rules face fines of US$500 to $2,000.

The proposed changes to testing and fines, however, may come with the challenge of enforcement; city data shows that the city conducted a record low number of inspections in 2024, which was less than half the inspections of 2017, when the city first recorded inspection numbers.