State Issue 2 is a proposed constitutional amendment initiated by the Ohio AFL-CIO. If passed, it will raise the minimum wage from its present rate of $5.15/hour to $6.85/hour, effective in January 2007. It would also mandate annual increases based on the rate of inflation.

Labor unions and other proponents want Ohioans to think this proposal is only about raising Ohio’s hourly minimum wage rate.

Opponents say the truth about this proposal is that it's not just about raising the wage. They claim the AFL-CIO is attempting to perform an end-run around the Ohio legislature by packing the amendment with other items from its policy wish list.

In addition to raising the minimum wage and indexing it for inflation, State Issue 2 would also:

• Expose the personal and private pay records and home addresses of Ohio employees.
  The amendment reads, “An employer shall maintain a record of the name, address, occupation, pay rate, hours worked for each day worked and each amount paid an employee. Such information shall be provided without charge to an employee or person acting on behalf of an employee upon request.” The amendment does not require an employee’s permission for such disclosure and doesn’t specify who is authorized to act on behalf of an employee. Many companies use Social Security numbers as unique employee identifiers. Unless an employer spends the time and money required to redact the number from the records, this could open the door to public disclosure of personal information that could lead to identity theft. Furthermore, disclosing employees’ pay records could reveal confidential company information that would be of value to an employer’s competitors and to union organizers.
• Impose onerous, new recordkeeping requirements on Ohio employers.
  The amendment makes no distinction between those who employ minimum-wage workers and those who do not. In fact, the recordkeeping requirement mentioned above would extend to both hourly and salaried employees. Employers will also be required to provide records without charge, and there are no limits to the number of requests that may be made. This could make compliance expensive and time-consuming while also making it possible for activist organizations or disgruntled individuals to harass businesses with relentless requests for records.
  
• Increase the cost of government.
  State and local government s employ thousands of people in Ohio and would be subject to the same burdensome mandates and compliance costs as private employers, and taxpayers will have to pick up the tab.

Both proponents and opponents have put forth arguments regarding the impact State Issue 2 would have on Ohio's economy. Proponents tout a study by Policy Matters Ohio showing that businesses in states with a higher minimum wage grew faster than those in states at or below the lower, federal wage rate. Opponents cite a study published by the Employment Policies Institute that determined nearly 12,000 jobs would be lost in Ohio if State Issue 2 passes.

In deciding how to vote on State Issue 2, voters have to decide more than just whether or not to raise the state’s minimum wage. We have to decide if doing so truly helps low income Ohioans. We have to decide if a proposal of this complexity, specificity and ambiguity belongs in the Ohio Constitution. We have to decide if, at a time when Ohio’s economy is still recovering and leaders are trying to make Ohio a more attractive place to do business, it makes sense to burden employers with higher costs and more regulations. And we have to decide if the potential benefits outweigh the potential invasion of our personal privacy.

Official Arguments
By law, the five-member, non-partisan Ohio Ballot Board designates a group of individuals to prepare and file arguments in support of or in opposition to each proposed constitutional amendment. Click below to read the official arguments regarding State Issue 2:

Ballot Language
Read exactly what’s printed on the ballot regarding Issue 2:

Full Text of Proposed Amendment

Groups urging a “NO” vote on State Issue 2 include: Ohio Chamber of Commerce Mid Central Ohio Restaurant Association National Federation of Independent Business/Ohio Ohio Council of Retail Merchants Ohio Equipment Distributors Association Ohio Farm Bureau Federation Ohio Grocers Association Ohio Hospital Association Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association Ohio Manufacturers' Association Ohio Restaurant Association Ohio Society of CPAs Ohio State Medical Association Ohio Trucking Association Ohio Wholesale Marketers Association Groups urging a “YES” vote on State Issue 2 include: Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now Ohio AFL-CIO