Wrangell Sentinel -

Supporters of a ballot initiative that would increase Alaska’s minimum wage, mandate paid sick leave and provide other worker protections submitted more than 40,000 petition signatures to the Alaska Division of Elections on Jan. 9, bringing their cause one step closer to a decision by voters.

The group, called Better Jobs for Alaska, brought boxes of signed petitions to a Division of Elections office in Anchorage.

The initiative proposes to hike the state’s minimum wage, currently at $11.73 an hour, to $13 an hour next year, $14 an hour in 2026 and $15 an hour in 2027. Thereafter, the...