PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida State Senator Jeff Brandes introduced an amendment this past week that would reduce the eventual $15 minimum wage rate for ex-felons and workers under 21.
Floridians voted back in November to gradually increase in the state’s minimum wage from $8.56 an hour to $15 an hour by 2026. Supporters of the amendment had said it is impossible to live on the current minimum wage given the state’s cost of living.
Brandes, a Republican senator from Pinellas County, proposed a change to that amendment Wednesday. If passed, it would reduce the minimum wage rate for prisoners in the state correctional system, employees convicted of a felony, employees younger than 21, and “hard-to-hire” employees.
If Florida lawmakers approve the amendment, it would be on the ballot for Florida voters to decide in 2022.
