Raising the minimum wage: A little money goes a long way January 14, 2014 — by by Megana Iyer In September 2013, California lawmakers passed a bill to raise the minimum wage to $10 per hour by 2016 from the current $8 minimum wage. This change will make the state’s minimum wage the highest in the country. Lawmakers plan to raise the wage to $9 per hour by July 2014 and bring the total to $10 by 2016. read more »