According to The Miriam Webster Dictionary, the definition of minimum wage is “the lowest wage paid or permitted to be paid for worked performed.” Traditionally, setting a minimum wage has been one way that federal and state governments have attempted to reduce income inequalitiesinequality and alleviate poverty among low-income workers. Increasing the minimum wage has been a recent issue of political and social debate in Miami Dade County and throughout the United States. This is not a new issue, by any means, but has gained importance in recent months because of the devastating effect that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on the economy. The current minimum wage in Florida is $8.56 per hour (currently higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour), but is still not high enough to live in a city like Miami where itthe cost of living can be very expensive to liveexpensive. Recently, Floridians voted for an amendment to raise the minimum wage in the state to an ambitious $15 per hour by 2026. I voted for this increase because I believe that, once implemented, it will provide a broad range of benefits among for low-income earners, including reducing income inequity, increasing the overall health of residents, and decreasing the infant mortality rate.