Jacob Ogles
Enough Florida voters support a minimum wage hike to pass a proposed constitutional amendment. But another measure creating a top two open primary hasn’t fared so well, according to a new poll.
A new survey of registered voters by St. Pete Polls shows nearly 64% support a constitutional amendment lifting the minimum wage to $10 and then raising it $1 a year for the next five years. Only a little more than 24% of voters plan to vote ‘No’ while 12% remain undecided.
That’s more than enough support to surpass the 60% threshold for passing amendments to Florida’s constitution.
But the same can’t be said for an open primary push. St. Pete Polls asked voters for their opinion on a top two open primary and explained how that would work. Only a little more than 35% of respondents said they could support that change. Meanwhile, more than 44% are opposed.
Even with more than 20% of voters undecided, the results leave no room for the amendment to pass.
Pollsters report a 1.4% margin of error.
A proposed amendment for a $15 wage has already cleared the Florida Supreme Court and will appear as Amendment 2. Financial support behind the amendment remains somewhat tepid.
Still, the newest poll results show the measure in strong standing before any significant campaigning.
The amendment enjoys its strongest support among Democrats, more than 76% of whom plan to vote yes. There’s also strong support among independent voters, who polled at 68% support. It also wins support from 49% of Republicans.
While the measure may fall just short of passage if only North Florida voters turned out, more than 60% of voters in all markets from the I-4 corridor south plan to vote for the amendment.
The Florida Supreme Court cleared the way for the top two primary overhaul to appear on the ballot in November as Amendment 3. That amendment just made it through the court process in March.
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, all issue fundraising in Florida has been slow.
One comment
GetReal
May 28, 2020 at 12:03 pm
Another minimum age hike sounds good to many people. i still remember when the minimum wage was 50 cents. Did that work? Back then, people who worked for minimum wages, were kids about 16 to 18, or those who took summer jobs during school breaks.
Minimum wage was never intended to be a “living wage,” as too many are talking about now. Where and when this happened is the big question and why did minimum wage rise from 50 cents, to where is going now, to $15 an hour. Mostly, it is used by the left, as a political stunt to get votes, by making think they are for the “little” guy.
If common sense is used, the $15 minimum wage will not do much for the minimum wage worker for very long. Once the $15 goes into effect, those who are making $15 will want more, and those making more will want even more, and so on.
In a few years, all the wage increases, will cause inflation (as it always does), and the person making the $15 minimum wage, will no longer be able to afford to live on that minimum wage, will need more and the beat goes on.
What I am saying is common sense, mixed with economics 101. Inflation is not a factor right now, but it will be in a few years, and most of it will be caused by the higher and higher prices, due to the higher labor costs. Inflation helps very few people and this push for an ever higher minimum wage is nothing more than a way to get votes…nothing more.
Our education system is failing us, by not teaching people more about this subject… and many other subjects that are useful but not taught.
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