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$15 MINIMUM WAGE FOR STATE WORKERS NOW?
Senate President Wilton Simpson led the charge last year to increase the minimum wage for state workers to $13 an hour. This year, the Trilby Republican wants to boost it to $15 per hour starting Oct. 1 — four years ahead of when the minimum wage will reach $15 for all workers.
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The move would cost $1 billion in state funds and affect thousands of state workers and even more contractors. More exact estimates of how many workers would see a raise weren’t immediately available.
Under Simpson’s plan, it would also affect workers for vendors for the state in the education and health care sectors, including all K-12 school personnel and nursing home workers.
Simpson said low-paid workers providing critical services need a raise, especially as inflation increases the cost of living.
“Look at what inflation is doing to all earners, but especially these low-wage earners,” Simpson told Florida Politics. “You’re talking about someone that drives your kids to school on a bus every day and they’re making $10, $11, $12 an hour.”
“We have the cash this year to do it, so there’s no excuses,” he added. “If we don’t do it this year, it’s because we didn’t have the courage to do it.”
Simpson acknowledged he likely wouldn’t be moving as “aggressively” on hiking the minimum wage for state workers if it wasn’t for the constitutional amendment passed by voters in 2020 that will boost the wage floor to $15 per hour by 2026. Doing it four years ahead of schedule will ensure the state can absorb the increased costs, he said.
Amendment 2 increased the state minimum wage, which previously stood at $8.65 per hour, to $10 on Sept. 30. Each year on Sept. 30, the minimum wage will increase by $1 until 2026, when it hits $15 per hour. The minimum wage will be tied to inflation after that.
The Senate plan will go beyond a simple hike to $15 per hour, though. State workers and contractors making between $15 and $25 per hour could also see targeted raises to boost their pay, although it will likely be up to the heads of state agencies to develop a plan to allot those funds.
The move comes as several state agencies are struggling to retain and recruit workers, especially for positions with arduous work and low pay compared to similar positions in related fields.
WHAT’S DRIVING BUYER DEMAND IN FLORIDA?
What trends should consumers, Realtors and policymakers watch for when it comes to Florida real estate over the next year? Drivers for homebuyer demand include demographic shifts, changes in consumer housing preferences – like location, size and lot size, still-low mortgage rates and rapidly rising rental prices, Florida Realtors Chief Economist Dr. Brad O’Connor told more than 300 Realtors during the 2022 Florida Real Estate Trends summit last week.
“The biggest wave of millennials are now in their mid-30s and they’ll be in prime homebuying years for some time to come,” O’Connor said. “And who are they buying from? The Gen Xers – and there are a lot more millennials than Gen Xers. And, here in Florida, retirees are a pretty big deal – combined with the millennials, that puts pressure on the market here.”
Analysts are waiting to see what will happen with inflation and how that will impact interest rates long term, O’Connor added, noting that some predictions call for the 30-year fixed rate mortgage to be as high as 4.5% by the end of the year. “That’s what we experienced a few years ago, and if that happens, while it will certainly impact buyer demand and financing, we’ll see the market change and return to similar conditions,” he said.
Homebuilding and supply will also be a factor to watch when it comes to buyer demand.
“It’s a long-run problem; we have a long way to go when it comes to building,” O’Connor noted. “We need construction workers. Builders continue to face constraints, but have been building at the fastest pace in recent memory. However, high prices and low rates of starter home construction will remain a challenge.”
HOUSE LOOKS TO BOOST LAW OFFICER RECRUITMENT
Bonuses of up to $5,000 that Gov. Ron DeSantis has sought to entice law-enforcement officers to Florida are moving through the House as part of a broader package focused on people who don badges.
The House Appropriations Committee voted unanimously Jan. 31, to approve the measure (HB 3), which supporters say could help understaffed law-enforcement agencies and improve the morale of current officers.
The proposal, sponsored by Rep. Tom Leek, R-Ormond Beach, would establish a bonus program to provide one-time payments of up to $5,000 to newly employed law-enforcement officers in the state, along with bonuses for officers who adopt children. It also would set up a Florida Law Enforcement Academy Scholarship Program to cover basic training tuition.
“This bill is a small sacrifice to show our appreciation,” Leek said.
Democrats lawmakers praised the package but requested more training for officers.
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The communities were recognized by both the John Burns Real Estate Consulting list of 2021 Top 50 MasterPlanned Communities, and the RCLCO Real Estate Consulting list of the 50 Top-Selling Master-Planned Communities of 2021.
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crossword
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©2022 Universal Uclick ACROSS
1 Actress Elisabeth 5 Missions, for short 8 You may wave at one downtown 11 Bourbon barrels 16 Flower in many wedding bouquets 17 “Salt ___ Acid Heat” (Nosrat cookbook) 18 Goes boating 20 Animal in a crash, informally 21 Online party notice 22 *Cold, citrusy cocktails 25 *Muppets’ program 27 Water color in a watercolor 28 Text to a late guest 29 Folding craft 30 The word, so to speak 31 Like mackerel or salmon 33 Tax ID 34 Meal ___ (Home Chef delivery) 35 Spacious car 39 Like “mackerel” or “salmon,” at times 43 Forlorn 46 **Styling spots 48 French farewell 51 **DC journalist 54 Grammy Hall of Famer James 55 Animation technique in which movements are recorded, for short 56 “Grey’s Anatomy” actress Drew 57 Old photo tint 60 Solidify 61 Lines before your lines, say 62 Internet interruption 63 Chairside tricep exercise 65 Begin something, or a hint to an arrangement formed by each pair of starred clues’ answers 73 Sloth, but not opossum 74 Loathsome 75 Hunk of marble 77 Fire residue 80 “Bear” that’s not a bear 84 Age of Reason philosopher John 85 Commence 86 Spiced brew 88 ***How someone may “live” in your head 90 Nuisances 91 ***Move that Simone Biles is known for 94 Answered a 21-Across 97 ___ disease (glutenrelated condition) 98 Its bone goes on a Seder plate 101 Before, to a bard 102 Carly ___ Jepsen 105 Put in an overhead bin 107 Finale 109 Rhyming descriptor for Obama 111 Things you may pay not to see 114 Name hidden in “reliever” 116 ****Splotches on an apron 118 ****Luxury retailer based in New York City 121 Nail care brand 122 Kid’s wheels 123 Very impressed 124 “Science Friday” network 125 High chair? 126 Like an art film, often 127 Inquire 128 “You bet!” 129 Beach trip reminders
DOWN
1 Cuts off 2 Kind of sauce in Peking duck 3 Remove a label from, on social media 4 Mascara and such 5 Like most company retreats 6 Combed line 7 Reason for a raincheck 8 Lacks the ability to 9 Assist 10 Be loose-lipped 11 2021 film inspired by the “101 Dalmatians” villain 12 Tuna type 13 Father horse 14 Make socks 15 Renowned right fielder Sammy 16 Colombian coins 18 Ominous words from a teacher 19 Isolate, in businessspeak 23 No. 1 Olympian 24 One-liners 26 Qatari leader 32 Eggnog season 36 UPS alternative 37 Some batteries 38 Cat’s life count 40 Begins attracting flies, say 41 Poker buy-in 42 Exam with logic games 43 Wild animals 44 They’re comfier than heels 45 Bat mitzvah reading 47 Gym unit 48 Theater chain 49 Nickname that drops “las” 50 Slushy treat 52 “Othello” plotter 53 Howling pup’s mom 56 Seek damages 58 Date to beware 59 Meringue “ingredient” 62 “What bad news!” 64 Added to one’s online presence 66 ___Tok 67 Stench 68 More kind 69 Takes a hit? 70 Shade 71 “Tragically” 72 Pub projectile 76 “Butter” K-pop band 77 “Highway to Hell” rockers 78 Sneaker, say 79 Schlep 81 Dadaist Jean 82 Gifted garlands 83 Egyptian key of life 85 Internet quickness check 87 Avian mascot of the Harvard Lampoon 89 Drink popular in China 92 Library penalty 93 Reason for a meat recall 95 Cosmetic tooth coverings 96 Positives 99 Chutzpah 100 Joint often injured by runners 102 ___ d’etre 103 Prenatal procedures, for short 104 Stand for art 106 Hot spot connection 108 Actor Glover 110 Believer in Jah 111 Italian wine center 112 “Rats!” 113 Lose traction in the rain 115 Active stratovolcano 116 Rubberneck 117 Condo caretaker, casually 119 Hit the bunny slope 120 Possesses
celebrity cipher
By Luis Campos
Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.
“EP PJASY HMVA PM YNMH LR OMV KMLV MHI YPMVK JIW YNMH LR OMV PNS WVSJT JIW UEYEMI KML NJUS OMV KMLVYSCO.” – ASVVK HJYNEIXPMI
“BY B’S FCZW B IOAH IV ZIXW VCI VY IUVCFPO. XA BHPO SBAH BZ ILO HOKBP’Z TPXWJUVCAH.” – PBZX SXUBO TUOZPOW
“E’OH WHFEWHV D BSPYGH SU FENHI. EF’I KWHDF, ZHBDPIH LSP BDJ XPIF IDL, ‘SC, E’N ISWWL. E’N WHFEWHV.’” – ZEGG NPWWDL
Puzzle One Clue: X equals G
Puzzle Two Clue: K equals V
© 2022 NEA, Inc. Puzzle Three Clue: K equals G
sudoku
Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.
