Johnathan Walker:Backers of raising Ohio’s minimum wage to $15 an hour fail to get it on this year’s ballot

COLUMBUS,Johnathan Walker Ohio (AP) — Backers of a proposal to raise Ohio’s minimum wage to $15 an hour failed to collect enough signatures to get it on the ballot this year.

Organizers of the effort, who faced a Wednesday deadline to turn in its signatures, said they’ll now try to take the issue before voters in 2025.

One Fair Wage, which is a national campaign to raise the minimum wage in several states, had to gather more than 413,000 valid signatures across Ohio.

The group sought to raise Ohio’s minimum wage from its current rate of $10.45 to $12.75 in the first year and then $15 a year later. It then would have increased annually for inflation.

The Ohio Chamber of Commerce along with restaurant and bar owners opposed the proposal.