**PRESS RELEASE**
FLORIDA FARMS, RETAILERS, HOMEBUILDERS AND CONVENIENCE STORES, AMONG OTHER SMALL BUSINESSES, URGE VOTERS TO OPPOSE BALLOT AMENDMENT 2
Tallahassee, FL — Organizations representing small businesses across Florida, including builders, gas stations and convenience stores, farms and retail stores, join Florida’s restaurants and hotels in urging voters to oppose Ballot Amendment 2, a constitutional mandate that would raise Florida’s minimum wage to $15 an hour.
“As the General Election nears, businesses across all industries are growing increasingly concerned about the devastating consequences Ballot Amendment 2 will have on jobs across the state,” said Carol Dover, president and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. “From farms to retail stores, this policy experiment will impact all types of small businesses and the jobs they provide for Florida families.”
Joining the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association in opposition to Ballot Amendment 2 is:
- Associated Industries of Florida
- Florida Chamber of Commerce
- Florida Home Builders Association
- Florida Petroleum Marketers Association, Inc.
- Florida Farm Bureau
- Floridia Retail Federation
- National Federation of Independent Business
“The Florida Home Builders Association stands with small businesses in opposition to Amendment 2,” said Rusty Payton, executive director of the FHBA. “As we begin to rebound from a worldwide pandemic and high unemployment, putting more strain on already depleted payrolls is not the solution for an economic recovery. Further, for every $1,000 increase in the median new home price, 10,274 Florida Households are priced out of the marketplace. Now is not the time to increase costs, VOTE NO ON 2.”
These business leaders are the latest to voice opposition to Ballot Amendment 2 among a growing list of businesses, workers and leaders across Florida. The devastation of Ballot Amendment 2 will be far-reaching for the state of Florida, destroying the road to recovery from COVID-19 for small businesses and workers. If passed, Florida would be the first state in the nation to incorporate an exponential increase in the minimum wage in its state constitution.
Earlier this month, the campaign released an economic impact study report, revealing the true devastation Ballot Amendment 2 would place on Florida.
- COVID-19 has already destroyed 336,000 direct and hotel-supported jobs and led to hundreds of thousands of job losses and billions in sales.
- By 2026, 158,000 jobs will be lost because of a $15 minimum wage.
- If Florida passes Ballot Amendment 2, the report, based on data from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), shows that the hardest-hit workers include tipped workers, women and teenagers, although all age groups, including seniors over the age of 65, will be negatively impacted.
To read the full report, click here.
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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