Backers of a proposal to boost Ohio's minimum wage can now start collecting signatures for their ballot effort.
The state's Ballot Board certified the proposed constitutional amendment as a single issue on Friday. That means supporters can begin gathering the roughly 306,000 petition signatures needed to place the issue before voters.
The proposal seeks to increase the minimum wage for non-tipped workers to $10 an hour on Jan. 1, 2017. That amount would then increase in 50-cent increments each year until it reaches $12 an hour in 2021. It would then be adjusted annually for inflation.
Tipped employees would get $6 an hour beginning Jan. 1, 2017, with other increases thereafter.
Current minimum wage is $8.10 an hour for non-tipped workers, and $4.05 an hour for tipped employees.