Florida votes to raise its minimum wage to $15

Florida is projected to side with President Trump in the 2020 election — but it also supports a very progressive policy change.

With more than 10 million votes counted late Tuesday night, nearly two-thirds of voters have agreed with a constitutional amendment to raise Florida's minimum wage, The New York Times and The Associated Press project. The state's current minimum wage of $8.56 will rise to $10 by September 2021, and will grow another $1 per year until it hits $15 an hour in 2026.

Progressive groups and political candidates have made a $15 minimum wage a key part of their platforms, with former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) bringing it to a national level. Democrats officially adopted the $15 minimum wage as part of their 2020 platform thanks to Sanders' advocacy. No other Southern states have raised their minimum wages to $15, but Florida will be the eighth state in the U.S. to raise the wage.

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