Indianapolis Passes $13 Minimum Wage for Government Employees

Indianapolis adopted a $13-per-hour “living wage” for all city and county employees, raising the pay for hundreds of workers.

The joint council between the City of Indianapolis and Marion County, Ind., approved the measure Aug. 14, clearing the way for pay raises for 357 workers and combating what the city ordinance called “sub-poverty wages” that it says are “associated with increased family instability, crime, and poor physical and mental health.” The Indiana state minimum wage is $7.25.

While Indianapolis isn’t the first city to pass a “living wage” ordinance, the move places it among other large Midwestern local governments that ...