The effort to put a minimum wage increase to $15 on the Florida ballot has moved that much closer to reality as advocates have submitted over 763,000 valid voter signatures already. Florida For a Fair Wage, the primary sponsor of the initiative, must to collect and submit at least 766,200 voter signatures by February to officially clear the signature hurdle – a task they will certainly complete soon. Under Florida law, the petitioners must also win the approval of the state supreme court for the language of any ballot question before it can be certified by the Secretary of State. Attorney John Morgan and his firm essentially comprise Florida For A Fair Wage and they are bankrolling the effort, so one can assume that the language will ultimately pass muster. The proposal will increase the Florida minimum wage (currently $8.46/hour) to $10/hour by September 2021 and a $1/hour increase annually thereafter until it reaches $15 per hour in September 2026. The existing Florida Minimum Wage law requires an annual calculation of a minimum wage by the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) on September 30. DEO has announced a 1.12% increase or $.10 per hour effective January 1, 2020 increasing the current wage to $8.56/hour. The minimum for tipped employees will rise to $5.54 an hour with the turn of the New Year as well.