Politics & Government

Lawmaker Proposes 'Minimum Training Wage'

WUWF

Published September 30, 2021 at 4:42 PM EDT

A "We are hiring" sign is paired with a pandemic-themed sign in the window of a store in Miami. Restaurants and other in-person businesses are looking to hire more workers at a time when some are wary of returning to work or are busy with caregiving.

With Florida’s minimum wage increasing Thursday to $10 an hour — and eventually to $15 an hour — a Senate Republican has filed a proposal that would allow employers to pay a lower “training” wage.

Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, on Wednesday, filed the proposed constitutional amendment (SJR 382) for consideration during the legislative session that will start in January. It calls for allowing the Legislature to establish a “minimum training wage” that employers could pay to workers for six months after they are hired.

If lawmakers approve Brandes’ proposal, it would go on the November 2022 ballot. As a constitutional amendment, it would require approval from 60% of voters. Voters in 2020 approved a constitutional amendment that will gradually raise the minimum wage from the current $8.65 an hour to $15 an hour. The first installment will take effect Thursday when the minimum wage goes to $10 an hour. It will then increase by $1 an hour every year until it is $15 on Sept. 30, 2026.