Louisiana Living wages: What Happened and What Comes Next
Louisiana workers deserve wages that reflect the cost of living in their communities. My Turn To Speak is advocating for practical solutions that help people build financial stability while supporting locally owned businesses. This page explains the minimum-wage proposals considered in 2026, November voting information, and the work ahead.
What Was SB230?
Senate Bill 230 was a proposal introduced by Senator Regina Ashford Barrow during Louisiana’s 2026 Regular Legislative Session. It proposed a constitutional amendment establishing a statewide minimum wage of $10.25 per hour beginning January 1, 2027, with annual inflation adjustments.
The original proposal included exceptions involving tipped employees, family members and employees with disabilities. It proposed submitting the amendment to voters on November 3, 2026. However, that required legislative approval first. Writing an election date into the bill did not put it on the ballot.
What Happened in 2026?
April 9 — A separate proposal did not advance. The House Labor and Industrial Relations Committee rejected a motion to advance HB353, Representative Tammy Phelps’s proposal for a $12 minimum wage beginning in 2027 and $15 beginning in 2029. Five members voted in favor and seven against.
May 20 — SB230 changed committees. The Senate recalled SB230 from the Labor and Industrial Relations Committee and referred it to the Local and Municipal Affairs Committee.
May 21 — The motion to advance SB230 failed. The Local and Municipal Affairs Committee rejected a motion to report SB230 with amendments. Two members voted in favor and three against. This was a committee vote, not a vote of the full Senate.
June 1 — The legislative session ended. Neither SB230 nor HB353 passed. Neither proposal established a new minimum wage.
What’s on the November Ballot?
The November 3, 2026 election includes the U.S. Senate general election, the open U.S. Representative primary, and other contests applicable to your location. SB230’s minimum-wage amendment is not on this ballot. Our campaign’s $25 Baton Rouge wage goal is also not a ballot measure.
Voters will also consider ten statewide constitutional amendments concerning subjects including property taxes, post-conviction bail, gubernatorial term limits, retirement-system liabilities, drinking-water service lines and property expropriation.
Review your individual sample ballot to see the candidates and questions you will vote on. For candidates’ positions on wages, healthcare and economic development, consult their statements and ask them directly.
Important Voting Dates
October 5: Deadline to register in person, by mail or through an Office of Motor Vehicles location. October 13: Deadline to register online. October 20–27: Early voting, excluding Sunday, October 25. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. November 3: Election Day. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. All voting hours shown are Central Time.
Our Campaign Goals
My Turn To Speak supports a $25 starting minimum wage for Baton Rouge, with automatic annual inflation adjustments. Our goal is for working people to afford everyday necessities and have room for modest savings, time away and a vacation. We also support giving every Louisiana city and parish the authority to establish a minimum wage based on its community’s living costs. This includes Monroe, Lafayette, New Orleans, Shreveport, Alexandria, Gonzales and communities throughout the state. We are advocating for locally informed wage standards rather than one $25 rate statewide.
What Comes Next?
The MIT Living Wage Calculator provides a starting point for understanding basic living costs. Its estimates vary by parish or metropolitan area and household type. Local research should build on those estimates and consider financial needs beyond basic expenses. Workers and small businesses both need a workable plan. We advocate for major businesses benefiting from Louisiana’s resources and public support to contribute fairly toward stronger wages, small-business support and community well-being. We also support developing a sustainable plan that makes healthcare available to everyone.
Making a living wage possible requires a funding plan that supports workers and locally owned businesses together. My Turn To Speak advocates for Louisiana to negotiate contributions from major businesses receiving public incentives or benefiting from the state’s resources, with dedicated funding to help small businesses cover higher wages and health insurance costs.
Our goal is a $25 starting minimum wage for Baton Rouge, with automatic annual inflation adjustments, and local wage-setting authority for every Louisiana city and parish, informed by the MIT Living Wage Calculator and local research. Establishing that authority requires a change in Louisiana law. Small businesses should have reliable financial support as those standards take effect.
We advocate for public business agreements to identify what companies will contribute, how those contributions will support residents and small businesses, and how the public can verify that commitments are fulfilled. Existing incentives and agreements should also be reviewed for lawful opportunities to secure a stronger community return.
We are exploring research from LSU’s Center for Economics, Business & Policy Research and Invest in Louisiana to help determine how this could work: how much funding is needed, what businesses could contribute, which funds can legally be used, and how support could be sustained. The aim is to develop a concrete proposal for higher wages and healthcare access for everyone, with major businesses helping finance the solution.
Last updated: October 3, 2026
CONNECT AND UNITE TO GET INVOLVED
Contact your Louisiana state representative, state senator and the governor. Explain what it costs to live in your community and ask what specific steps they will support toward local wage-setting authority, sustainable small-business assistance, accountable business agreements and healthcare access.
Share your experience as a worker, resident or business owner. Ask for a written response so you can follow the proposal, funding and next steps.
Check Your Ballot and Voting Location
Use the state voter portal to confirm your registration, find your polling place and review your sample ballot.