A proposal to carve an exemption in the state’s voter-approved minimum wage has resurfaced for the 2026 legislative session that begins in January.
Rep. Ryan Chamberlin, R-Belleview, on Friday filed a measure seeking to allow people to voluntarily accept pay below the minimum wage when employed in positions deemed a “work-study, internship, preapprenticeship, or other similar work-based learning opportunity.”
A similar effort advanced through several committees in both chambers before stalling during this year’s legislative session.
Proponents argued the proposal would help people gain skills through entry-level work experience that isn’t available at the state’s minimum wage.
Opponents countered that employers would simply redefine entry-level jobs as “internships.”
A 2020 state constitutional amendment required gradual increases in the minimum wage. It is $14 an hour and will go to $15 an hour on Sept. 30, 2026. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.
