A $30 minimum wage? It could be coming, California

“$30 by 30!” isn’t yet a familiar political rallying cry. But it might become one. That’s because liberals, emboldened by recent polling and electoral successes, are pushing hard for big metropolitan areas like Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area to set a $30-an-hour minimum wage by the year 2030.

A coalition of labor and left-leaning activists announced Tuesday in L.A. that they hope to have the county Board of Supervisors take up a proposal to mandate the higher wage soon, phasing the increase in over roughly five years for businesses operating in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County.

That would be a heady increase over the current $17.28 minimum hourly wage. It would mirror the increase that the Los Angeles City Council approved in May for hotel and airport workers, which will be phased in by 2028. That proposal already survived a challenge by a coalition of hotel and business interests, which failed by a September deadline to gather enough signatures to put a measure on the ballot striking down the pumped up wages.

Such proposals seem destined to spread in a time when public polling shows that the cost of living remains the top concern of Americans. The Living Wage for All Coalition said it’s beginning to organize for wage increases in San Francisco and Alameda counties. And New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani plans to push a $30-an-hour wage after he takes office January 1.

Who opposes the $30-an-hour wage?

Businesses opposed to the wage hikes say the increases will force employers to cut employees and to raise prices, adding to the spiral of inflation. They predict that some restaurants and other narrow-margin operators will be forced out of business.

Both supporters and opponents of the higher minimum wage in Los Angeles cite the 2028 Summer Olympics as an event that should broadly benefit the community.

The labor groups say they want the higher wages in place so that working-class people benefit from the influx of visitors and revenue. Opponents say the higher wages could be counterproductive. An alliance of airlines and hoteliers opposing the city’s $30 wage said: “It’s clear that the ordinance will jeopardize jobs, push hotels to the brink of closure, severely cut tax revenue the city desperately needs, and leave the city grossly unprepared for the 2028 Olympic Games.” (The alliance has not taken a position on the county measure.)

Organizers who gathered outside the L.A. County Hall of Administration Tuesday said that the real economic crisis in the city today is among low-wage workers who can barely pay their bills. The Living Wage for All group said that high rents have taken a particularly heavy toll. Citing U.S. Census and Zillow data, the group said that nearly 75% of restaurant workers pay more than half of their income in rent.

“That means folks have to decide between paying the rent and buying good food or saving money for a rainy day,” said Estuardo Mazariegos, co-director of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) in Los Angeles. “We want to make sure that, in the fifth largest economy in the world, folks don’t have to work two or three jobs to have a good standard of living.”

The $30-an-hour wage would become the highest minimum wage in America. Several cities in the state of Washington, including Seattle, currently stand atop the minimum wage ranks, at more than $20 an hour. The state of California’s minimum wage of $17 is more than double the national benchmark of $7.25.

A pollster who works with Democrats said that 64% of L.A. voters surveyed about the issue said that the minimum wage was a “medium to high” priority to them, compared to other issues. The same survey found that 58% favored a $30 wage, while 26% opposed it, with 16% not sure.

Today’s top stories

Epstein abuse survivor Haley Robson holds up a photo of her younger self during a news conference on the Epstein Files Transparency Act outside the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday.

(Heather Diehl / Getty Images)

Congress votes to release the Epstein files

• The House and Senate both voted almost unanimously demanding the Justice Department to release the Epstein files.
• The bill now moves to President Trump who, since resuming office, has opposed releasing the files. Though he recently backtracked and encouraged House Republicans to support the bill and said he would sign it if it ultimately passed.
• But caveats in the bill could provide Trump with loopholes to keep records related to him concealed.

O.J. Simpson’s estate agrees to pay in wrongful death suit

• O.J. Simpson’s estate has agreed to pay millions to Ron Goldman’s family three decades after Simpson was found not guilty in the infamous murder trial.
• This multimillion-dollar claim stems from a wrongful death suit the Goldman family won against Simpson in 1997.

Higher education under Trump

• The University of California regents are voting this week on tuition increases, facing heavy opposition from students. The UC system is under financial strain due to Trump administration cuts, lower state funding and growing inflation, and recently sought a $130-million state loan.
• The Trump administration is also accelerating the dismantling of the Education Department by transferring billions in grant programs to other federal agencies.

More L.A. rain is on the way

• Light rain is predicted to continue throughout the week in L.A. County with a slight reprieve on Wednesday.
• Another storm is set to hit SoCal Thursday, but warmer weather is to follow.
• The stormy conditions are a continuation from the weekend when L.A. saw four straight days of rain.

What else is going on

• Federal judges have blocked Texas from using its newly redrawn congressional map for 2026, threatening GOP control of the House.
• Why this Arizona town has become an unexpected magnet for Californians.
• The new LAFD chief criticized what he called media efforts to “smear” firefighters who responded to the worst wildfire in city history.
• A man has been found guilty in the 2024 stabbing death of a woman on the L.A. Metro.
• Keanu Reeves wrote a heartfelt thanks to agents after his “John Wick” Rolex watch was recovered in Chile.

Commentary and opinions

• Why are beef prices so high? Blame tariffs, drought and a disgusting parasite, argues columnist Michael Hiltzik.
• Justice has no expiration date. That’s why 2020 election fraud still matters, writes columnist Mark Z. Barabak.
• Megyn Kelly was trying to seize a moment — news and culture critic Lorraine Ali asks why anyone is still listening to her.
• ICE is grabbing U.S. citizens and in turn, defying its own rules and the Constitution, argues guest contributor Raul A. Reyes.
• Joshua trees survived despite being loathed. Now they’re beloved and at risk, writes guest contributor Barret Baumgart.

This morning’s must reads

Review

A California sex ‘cult’ became a Netflix hit. This new book unpacks even darker secrets

‘Empire of Orgasm’ chronicles the descent of a Bay Area-based wellness company that promised sexual liberation but ultimately morphed into a manipulative enterprise.

Nov. 18, 2025

Other must reads

• Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson chase a dream in “Song Sung Blue,” the year’s stealth Oscar contender.
• Why the Dodgers are already thinking about the endurance test that awaits them in their 2026 three-peat bid.
• Kim Kardashian’s Skims is now worth $5 billion: how the apparel company got there.

For your downtime

Culver City’s Fat + Flour cafe serves classic pies, cookies and biscuits from baker Nicole Rucker.

(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)

Going out

• Food: Escape the baking chaos and pick up holiday pies at these 16 L.A. bakeries.
• Museums: Explore these 22 must-see artworks at the Huntington.
• Holiday events: Take in live entertainment, group activities and lots of good eats at the Venice Fest on Nov. 22.

Staying in

• Television: Get holiday season-ready with these 22 TV holiday specials, movies and cultural events.
• Recipe: Here’s a recipe for Olive Oil Cake With Candied Fennel.
• ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.

Question of the day: What’s one special dish your family makes for Thanksgiving?

Liz Freeman said, “My grandmother always made Pink Salad, an old-school congealed salad she served in the same red Pyrex bowl since the 1950s. When she passed away a few years ago, the only thing I asked for was that bowl. Now I’ve taken over Pink Salad duties, and every Thanksgiving I relive those wonderful memories as I whip up the same tangy, fluffy, maraschino-cherry concoction.”

Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.

And finally ... your photo of the day

The Saroyan Stairs, declared a historic cultural monument by the city of Los Angeles in 1991, in L.A.’s Beachwood Canyon.

(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

Today’s great photo is from Times staff photographer Myung J. Chun of The Saroyan Stairs, which are in an area where proposed “zone zero” rules would require all plant materials to be removed within five feet of a home or other structure in hopes of saving homes in high fire hazard severity zones.

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
June Hsu, editorial fellow
Andrew Campa, weekend reporter
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.