State of Florida Senator Jeff Brandes (R) has proposed an amendment to the state constitution that would exclude criminals and other people receiving the minimum wage hike approved last year by Florida.
The proposed amendment Wednesday would leave inmates, those convicted of a crime, minors under the age of 21 and employees “difficult to hire” out of the minimum wage hike and give them a “reduced minimum wage,” click Orlando reported Thursday.
Florida voters passed an amendment in November that would raise the minimum wage to $ 15 an hour in 2026. The state’s minimum wage would rise to $ 10 in September and then rise one dollar each year thereafter until 2026.
The amendment proposed by Brandes does not say what the “reduced minimum wage” would be set for or who falls into “difficult to hire” workers.
If the legislature approves the amendment in March, it would go to the polls for the people of Florida to vote in 2022. If 60 percent of citizens vote to pass the amendment, it would be added to the Florida constitution.
It is unclear how many people the proposal would affect, but raising the minimum wage will affect 2.5 million workers in the state.
Click Orlando reported that there are 1.5 million Florida residents with felony convictions.
A federal minimum wage of $ 15 is also being sought, but opponents say it would affect small businesses that are already struggling during the coronavirus pandemic.