Beutler to Veto Living Wage Exemption
Nov 20, 09:25 AM CST
Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler announced this morning that he will use his veto power for the first time to protect the wages of Lincoln residents working for non-profit organizations.
City Councilman Jon Camp proposed an exemption to a city ordinance, on the books since March of 2004 that requires companies with at least 10 employees who have city contracts worth $25,000 or more to pay full-time employees a minimum hourly salary. Camp seeks to exempt non-profit groups from the law.
According to the Lincoln Journal Star, Beutler announced the coming veto this morning at city hall:
“The living wage is simple justice and fairness for our working poor,” Beutler said in a news release. “Government works best when it rewards work – not when it forces people onto the welfare rolls. The best anti-poverty program ever devised is a fair wage for a hard day’s work.”
A study conducted by the Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest in the summer of 2006 found that the living wage ordinance “has not caused an increase in service payments or contract costs for the government.”
Beutler said he plans to veto the Council action as soon as the proceedings of Monday’s meeting are delivered to his office. The city clerk has 48 hours after adjournment to forward council action to the mayor.
– by Eric Fought | Send this to a friend
