Poll: Most Floridians like the idea of raising minimum wage to $15 | Thumb up

Treasure Coast Newspapers Editorial Board | Treasure Coast Newspapers

If the polling is any indication, Floridians who make minimum wage could be in line for a raise.

On Dec. 19 the Florida Supreme Court decided that a constitutional amendment that would raise the state's minimum wage to $15 an hour could be placed on the November 2020 ballot. And while business groups and the state's tourism industry are expected to argue that such a pay hike could lead to the elimination of jobs, early polling suggests a solid majority of Floridians like the idea just fine.

A series of polls by the St. Leo University Polling Institute show 63.2 percent of respondents said they "strongly" or "somewhat" favored raising the minimum wage to $15 by 2026. Another 26.2 percent were strongly or somewhat opposed, while 10.6 percent weren't sure.

Pollsters warned these numbers could swing, perhaps dramatically, as campaigns for and against the measure are ramped up. But pollsters say young people in particular seem to favor the hike, seeing it as integral to their financial future.