Associated Press and News Service of Florida

A petition drive to ask voters to gradually increase Florida's minimum wage to $15 an hour has enough signatures to make the November 2020 ballot.

The Department of State website shows the ballot has gathered slightly more than the 766,200 registered voter signatures needed to get a proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot.

The effort is headed by trial lawyer John Morgan, who also led the successful effort to put legal use of medical marijuana into the state constitution.

The measure calls for raising the current minimum wage from $8.46 an hour to $10 in September 2021 with $1 an hour increases annually until it reaches $15 in 2026.

The state Supreme Court still needs to approve the ballot language.

The news came a day after Gov. Ron DeSantis questioned the proposal, warning about effects on the restaurant industry.

DeSantis focused on the minimum wage proposal as he railed against policy-oriented constitutional amendments that he said put “handcuffs” on future legislation, as he opened an Associated Industries of Florida conference at the Augustus B. Turnbull III Florida State Conference Center in Tallahassee.

DeSantis, speaking in a closed-door meeting that his office streamed live on Facebook, pointed to part of the proposed minimum-wage amendment that would increase the amount of wages that restaurants would have to cover for tipped employees. He said it is “going to cause big, big upheavals for the restaurant industry. It just will.”

“When you put that in the Constitution, we can’t just go back and say, ‘Oh, let’s tweak it, let’s do that,’ ” DeSantis continued. “You literally would have to go back and do another constitutional amendment.”

DeSantis has been a critic of the amendment process, which he argued Monday is a “cottage industry” for consultants and a “game” for the wealthy.

“If you’re going to amend the Constitution it should be provisions similar to what we’ve seen with the federal Constitution,” DeSantis said. “Term limits, which we have. Two-thirds (legislative majority) to raise taxes. Structural changes or things where you are protecting individual rights.”

Orlando attorney John Morgan, who chairs and has largely bankrolled the political committee Florida For A Fair Wage, strongly disagreed with DeSantis’ assessment of the process. Morgan’s committee was on the verge Monday of submitting enough petition signatures to the state to get the minimum-wage measure on the November 2020 ballot, though it also needs the Florida Supreme Court to sign off on the proposal’s wording.

“Had voters not weighed in (by passing a constitutional amendment) we would not have medical marijuana. The pharmaceutical industry would have ensured that. Felons would not have the right to vote,” Morgan said in an email. “He (DeSantis) has a chance to have a fair minimum wage enacted in the next session. If it was fair, maybe I could agree. If it is eyewash I will know. If it is fair, I will drop my initiative.”

Morgan also disputed DeSantis’ assessment of amendment backers.

“This is not a game to me. It is a matter of morality and dignity,” Morgan said. “Our democracy gives power to the people. Special interests don’t like that. Tell the governor to tell me what he would propose. So far it is zero. He is a very smart guy. Show us something real.”

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