**VIDEO RELEASE**
SMALL BUSINESSES WON’T SURVIVE IF BALLOT AMENDMENT 2 PASSES
Tallahassee, FL — Small businesses in Florida are fighting back against proposed Ballot Amendment 2 in November. In a new ad, small business owners, managers and employees talk about the crisis Ballot Amendment 2’s wage hike would cause across the state.
“If Amendment 2 were to pass, I’d feel devastated,” said Sandy Creek, a server and bartender at Crabby Bill’s in Pinellas County. “I worry about it now when I go home at night. Just the thought, when I heard about it, it scares me. It scares me that I’m not going to barely to make ends meet. Would I have to go get another part time job to put food on my table?”
Ballot Amendment 2 is a proposed amendment to the Florida constitution that would mandate Florida businesses pay a minimum wage of $15 an hour by 2026. Similar initiatives have been adopted in liberal cities across the United States, including Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago and Washington, D.C. This initiative has proven to kill jobs, cut hours and close businesses.
Nino Wardrip, general manager of Brick’s Smoked Meats in Sarasota, said, “If Amendment 2 were to pass, it would definitely put a lot of jobs in jeopardy here, from the servers to the cooks to the managers.”
The video will be used in multiple ad spots promoted statewide on digital and social media starting today to educate voters on the detrimental impacts of Ballot Amendment 2.
Recent reports demonstrate the catastrophic consequences of Ballot Amendment 2 on Florida jobs and businesses:
- An economic impact studyrevealed Florida has already lost 336,000 jobs due to COVID-19, and Ballot Amendment 2 will kill another 158,000 jobs.
- The National Taxpayers Union, a nonprofit that advocates for taxpayer interests at all levels of government, warned the amendment will devastatefamily-owned small businesses.
- AFlorida TaxWatch economic impact report said that businesses will pay an additional $7.3 billion a year to employ the same number of workers today at a $15 minimum wage.
On Monday, Sen. Joe Gruters, Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, and Florida House Speaker-designate Chris Sprowls announced their opposition to Ballot Amendment 2. Dozens of other local and statewide elected officials also oppose the amendment that would hurt local economies. For a full list of elected officials urging voters to vote NO on Ballot Amendment 2, visit https://www.amendment2hurtsyou.com/coalition.
Amendment 2 Hurts You is a campaign to raise awareness for the consequences of Ballot Amendment 2 on small businesses, workers and the economy.
Learn more about how Ballot Amendment 2 will devastate Florida:
Help save Florida jobs by voting no on Ballot Amendment 2 this November.
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Paid Political Advertisement by Save Florida Jobs Inc.
230 South Adams St., Ste 200
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