Florida Lawmakers to Live on $17 a Day

At least 18 Florida lawmakers say they'll take the "Minimum Wage Challenge" this week to show the need for a minimum wage hike to $15 an hour. From Monday to Friday, each of the lawmakers, who are mostly Democrats, will live on just $17 a day—the remains of an $8.05-an-hour paycheck after the costs of taxes, childcare, and housing, reports the AP. They'll also go grocery shopping with a minimum wage worker to see how they cope.

State Sen. Dwight Bullard, who has filed bill SB6 to raise Florida's current minimum wage to $15 an hour, says he'll be among those taking part. "I'd like my colleagues to see that supporting this bill to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour is the right thing to do for Florida's working families who struggle every day just to make ends meet," he says, per Fox 35. State Rep. Victor Torres has also filed similar legislation. (More Florida stories.)