With President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address calling for an overall increase in the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, budget negotiations in the Florida Legislature opened this week with a move to increase that minimum wage.
So far, and in a least certain categories, the Florida House has agreed to an initiative by Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson, who has pushed the $15 an hour for state workers.
That would include raises for employees in health and human services jobs, such as nursing homes, Medicaid providers, disability centers and other health-related venues.
The negotiations come as the 2022 legislative session is winding down and lawmakers must finalize Florida’s state budget within the next week. It’s clear that the overall state budget will be more than $100-billion.
But a sticking point in the state budget has been over the $15 an hour wage, compared to a state House proposal to increase salaries by 5.38 percent for the overall state workforce to address rising inflation.
As members of the House met to discuss the health and human services budget, Health Care Appropriations chair Bryan Avila said Tuesday that the House has agreed to the Senate’s offer on the minimum wage increases related to health programs. Avila, a Republican representing part of Miami-Dade County, didn’t offer any specific details during the meeting.
“The House agrees to the Senate position on minimum wage increases to $15 an hour,” Avila said at a budget...
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