In San Francisco, voters must decide whether to pass Proposition L, a measure that would impose an $8.50-per-hour minimum wage on all employers in the city. The state's hourly minimum wage is currently $6.75, and the minimum required under federal law is $5.15.
The supporters of the new minimum wage claim that the wage increase is justified by the high cost of living in San Francisco. Critics argue that given the economic recession, the measure comes at a bad time. They also that it would primarily benefit food servers who already earn well above the minimum wage when tips are counted.