Five years ago, Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment raising the minimum wage.
It’s currently $13 an hour but will reach $15 late next year.
Even that’s not a livable wage, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Living Wage Calculator. It estimates the average Floridian without a kid must make more than $23 hourly to meet basic needs.
But Florida lawmakers are pushing a bill that would allow some employers to pay below the required amount.
“An unintended consequence of Florida's constitutional minimum wage is that it cripples an employer's ability to provide unique opportunities for unskilled workers in the areas of pre-apprenticeship and education,” said Republican Rep. Ryan Chamberlin of Belleview.
He’s the sponsor of HB 541, which would allow interns and those in similar programs like work-studies and pre-apprenticeships to opt out of getting minimum wage for a year.
Workers would still have to be paid at least the federal minimum wage, which is set at $7.25 per hour.
In a party-line vote, the House Careers and Workforce Subcommittee backed the bill on Tuesday. It has one more stop before it reaches the House floor.
A similar Senate bill, SB 676, also passed a panel on Tuesday and also has a committee stop left.
Supporters say it would allow those new to a field to gain needed experience, leading to higher pay down the line.
“This bill allows the option for an employer to offer on-the-job training positions to completely inexperienced individuals in exchange for the value in learning a skill or trade that could enhance their long-term income earning future,” Chamberlin said.
The House legislation says that employers can’t “coerce” an employee to opt out or “condition an offer of employment on the employee's opting out.” If the employee is a minor, a parent or guardian must sign off on a minimum wage waiver.
Still, House Democrats on Tuesday questioned whether the change was constitutional and worried some might exploit the system.
“I do want to assume good faith among people,” said Democratic Rep. Mitch Rosenwald of Oakland Park. “But, in my experience, there are some pretty bad actors out there too.”
Jonathan Fielder, a Tampa electrician, told lawmakers on Tuesday that the usual salary offered in his profession already makes things hard.
“Remember Hurricane Milton, when thousands of residents were left without power? It was electricians, essential workers, who stepped up to restore power and keep Tampa Bay running,” said Fielder, who’s also a member of a local International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers labor union.
“We play a critical role in the daily functioning of our community, yet many of us cannot live where we work,” he said.
Rich Templin of the Florida AFL-CIO, a labor union federation, said companies could just claim something was an internship as a way to pay people less: “I do not believe that is the sponsor's intent, but that is what will happen if this bill passes as is,” he said.
But bill backers pushed back on that.
“In a labor shortage … people aren't going to give up making minimum wage just to get a job, because there are jobs out there,” said Rep. Chad Johnson, a Republican from Chiefland.
“It is in these special cases where they don't have the skill set or experience to really demand minimum wage, but they're willing to voluntarily give that up so that they can pursue that training and for that career,” he continued.
If the legislation passes and gets the OK from Gov. Ron DeSantis, it would take effect in July.
If you have any questions about the legislative session, you can ask the Your Florida team by clicking here.
This story was produced by WUSF as part of a statewide journalism initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
