A concurrent resolution to create and enact a new section to article XI of the Constitution of North Dakota, relating to the minimum wage.
House Concurrent Resolution 3032 proposes a constitutional amendment to set North Dakota’s minimum wage at $9.25 per hour and to require annual cost-of-living adjustments beginning January 1, 2027. The adjustment would be tied to the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the 12-month period ending the previous August 1, rounded up to the nearest five cents, and could only move upward, not downward.
If approved by voters, the measure would add a new section to Article XI of the North Dakota Constitution and require the proposal to be submitted to the electorate at the 2026 general election. It also directs the secretary of state to publish the adjusted minimum wage rate each year by October 15, with the new rate taking effect the following January 1.
The resolution would amend the state constitution rather than change ordinary statute, making the minimum wage floor and its inflation indexing part of North Dakota’s highest legal authority. It would affect employers statewide by requiring payment of at least $9.25 per hour and by creating an automatic annual wage adjustment mechanism tied to federal inflation data. The secretary of state would also gain a new administrative duty to publish the updated rate each year.
Based on the available record, the bill appears to have had limited documented debate or recorded votes, and it ultimately failed on March 7, 2025. The measure’s structure suggests a policy goal of increasing worker pay and preserving purchasing power over time, which is typically supported by labor advocates and opposed or approached cautiously by some business interests. Because no committee transcripts or vote details are available, the overall sentiment can only be characterized as unresolved in the legislative record, with the final outcome indicating insufficient support for passage.
The main point of contention is likely the minimum wage increase itself and the automatic inflation indexing, which can be viewed by supporters as necessary to prevent wage erosion and by opponents as a cost increase for employers, especially small businesses. Another possible area of disagreement is the use of a constitutional amendment, which locks the policy into the constitution and limits future legislative flexibility. No specific member positions or committee arguments are available in the record, so the exact sources of opposition are not documented.