Staff Reports
Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
Republican Rep. Tommy Gregory is going all in to defeat Amendment 2, which would raise the state minimum wage to $15 by 2026.
Gregory announced Tuesday that he had formed a political committee, More Jobs and Better Wages PC, to fight against the proposal, which detractors say will force businesses to raise prices or cut staff to make ends meet.
“The dangers of enshrining a $15 minimum wage in our state’s constitution cannot be overstated. More than half a million jobs for young people, seniors, and others looking to gain new skills at any point in their lives will be in jeopardy. Business owners will face skyrocketing labor costs that will force many to close their doors for good, putting even more people out of work,” Gregory said.
“it is imperative that Florida voters understand that voting Yes on Amendment 2 is a vote for increasing consumer costs and hardship for Florida senior citizens on fixed incomes. A mandated minimum wage may sound good at first, but it will end up hurting the very workers it purports to help. More Jobs and Better Wages PC will be working diligently to educate as many voters as possible ahead of the election. Florida’s future depends on voters’ ability to see through Amendment 2’s facile promises.”
Amendment 2 is sponsored by political committee Florida For A Fair Wage and heavily backed by Orlando attorney John Morgan. So far, it has raised and spent more than $5 million pushing the proposal.
Gregory’s stance mirrors that of Florida’s major business interests, which have come out strong against the ballot proposal in recent weeks. Florida Chamber of Commerce President Mark Wilson has said the amendment is “bad for Florida and worse for Floridians” and last week the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association released a tool calculating the amendment’s impact on businesses’ payroll costs.
Amendment 2 will be on the November ballot and will require 60% voter approval to pass.
Coronavirus Numbers
Positive cases:
— 679,776 FL residents (+2,414 since Monday)
— 8,133 Non-FL residents (+56 since Monday)
Origin:
— 5,495 Travel related
— 243,548 Contact with a confirmed case
— 5,774 Both
— 424,959 Under investigation
Hospitalizations:
— 42,771 in FL
Deaths:
— 13,579 in FL
Evening Reads
“Unfathomable’: U.S. death toll from coronavirus hits 200,000” via The Associated Press
“The hidden reason Donald Trump’s ‘October surprise’ will likely fail” via Greg Sergeant of The Washington Post
“When Joe Biden’s in town, but it’s hard to tell” via Mark Leibovich of The New York Times
“Mitt Romney supports voting on Trump’s Supreme Court pick, all but ensuring approval” via ABC News
“The Senate races the Supreme Court fight may (or may not) affect” via Nathaniel Rakich of FiveThirtyEight
“Matt Gaetz calls on Mitch McConnell to prove his ‘utility’ with Supreme Court nomination” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics
“Barbara Lagoa’s fast-track career included one of the shortest stints on the Florida Supreme Court in history” via Michael Moline of The Florida Phoenix
“Gov. Ron DeSantis calls on lawmakers to pass his crackdown on protests in November” via Gray Rohrer of the Orlando Sentinel
“Gov. DeSantis defends agencies’ response to COVID-19” via Jim Turner of News Service of Florida
“Mike Bloomberg raises $16 million to allow former felons to vote in Florida” via Michael Scherer of The Washington Post
“In Florida school reopening lawsuit, sides find little agreement” via Jeffrey S. Solochek of the Tampa Bay Times
“Muckraker’s fight to unseal FBI files on Jeffrey Epstein kept alive by judge” via Kevin G. Hall of the Miami Herald
“Former ‘Wife Swap’ MAGA couple stokes immigrant fears with noncitizen ballot question” via Frank Cerabino of the Palm Beach Post
“Florida sends thousands of voter registration invites — to already registered voters” via Jeff Schweers of the Tallahassee Democrat
“Halloween: CDC recommends avoiding trick-or-treating” via Hannah Yasharoff of USA TODAY
Quote of the Day
“Let’s be extremely clear about something — this is a blatant overreach from the Governor and Republicans who are actively undermining the Constitution. We will not go down without a fight.” — Rep. Shevrin Jones, on proposed legislation to crack down on protests.
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