Florida amendment would halt min. wage increase for ex-felons
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. 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.
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I spent ten years in Florida and I loved almost every minute of it. Came back to to PA for a woman whom I married shortly after and not much later caught my charge. I’ve been kicking myself for leaving until reading this. To put it extremely politely, forget Florida. The politicians are backward inbred losers.
More PUNISMENT !!!!!!!
Is there work any less valuable?
Anything to kick men and women who are already down! Now we are heading toward wage discrimination at the hands of government?
Oddly enough, the law may actually give an advantage to felons. Imagine a crime-filled area where there are many ex-felons. This law may make the few who are not ex-felons difficult to employ as the company can save money by hiring felons. Perhaps non-felons will seek out a special permit as a ‘hard to hire’ person. Over time, more and more people will seek out the ‘hard to hire’ status. This will be a great way for employers to save money as the state of Florida can send a big “screw you” to the federal minimum wage law. After all, 20% of all black men will go to prison. Why should blacks make the same as whites? Florida has decided that people with disabilities (a ‘hard to hire’ status) do not deserve to be paid a federal minimum wage. Minimum wage for healthy white males can be $15 an hour, and $13 for everyone else. Perhaps once an employer learns that you have a spouse with a disability (and health care premiums for company may go up) you can apply for a ‘hard to employ’ status and continue working for less pay! God Bless America!
Even though I have been critical of this bill, you might be correct. In an interview yesterday, Brandes said that he has listed people in this bill for whom it can be difficult to get a job. Not giving them the required $15/hour wage would make them more likely to receive employment from companies that cannot (or will not) pay the increase. Maybe Brandes is on to something.
Not sure why FAC didn’t reference the actual bill. It is SJR 854:
https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2021/854
As usual, the phrasing is as vague as possible as it does not define “hard-to-hire” and does not state how much the “reduction” would be. This will not be a popular amendment. I doubt if the bill will even pass as there is no justification other than punishment.
How ironic the bill’s language starts out “All working Floridians are entitled to be paid a minimum wage that is sufficient to provide a decent and healthy life for them and their families…”
JZ
Some old guy named Thomas Jefferson once wrote some weird document that no one has ever heard of. It is called The Declaration of Indepence and reads in part :
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”
I seem to be lacking in a few of these areas.