Representative proposes ballot referendum to raise North Dakota minimum wage to $9.25 with annual COLA

Representative Lori Beth Hager introduced House Concurrent Resolution 30‑32 on behalf of workers she said are earning wages that leave them in or near poverty.

"I stand before you today to offer House Concurrent Resolution 30 32," Representative Lori Beth Hager told the House Industry, Business and Labor Committee, describing the measure as a proposal to raise North Dakota’s minimum wage from the federal level of $7.25 an hour to $9.25 an hour and to provide an annual cost‑of‑living adjustment tied to the consumer price index.

The nut graf: HCR 30‑32 would put a constitutional amendment on the 2026 general election ballot asking voters to increase the state minimum wage to $9.25 per hour beginning January 2027 and to authorize automatic January 1 adjustments thereafter based on the CPI. Supporters said the change would reduce poverty and help employers recruit and retain employees; opponents said the state’s tight labor market and rising wages without a statutory safety valve could push firms to automate or…