Author: JAIMIE DING and SOPHIE AUSTIN / AP

California voters will have the opportunity to decide whether the state should increase its hourly minimum wage to $18 by 2026, potentially making it the highest statewide minimum wage in the country. This move would bring California on par with Hawaii, where workers are set to earn a minimum of $18 per hour by 2028. If Proposition 32 is passed, the minimum wage for employers with at least 26 employees would increase to $17 for the rest of 2024, ultimately reaching $18 per hour in January 2025. Proponents argue that this increase will help low-wage workers support their families in…