Dwight Bullard skipped breakfast, and he knew he wouldn't get dinner that day either. But in a way, that was a good thing – it meant he had enough money available to plunk down $8 for a meal at Wendy's.

The state senator from Miami called that meal the highlight of his week of living on minimum wage.

It was the third year in a row Bullard has participated in the Minimum Wage Challenge, in which lawmakers attempt to live on Florida's $8.05 per hour minimum wage, which translates to $17 a day after taxes and housing costs. It's also the third year in a row he's filed a bill to raise that wage.

In the previous two years, Bullard's bill has called for an increase to $10.10 per hour. Neither bill ever got a committee hearing. Bullard has greeted that failure with this year's model, which calls for an even more ambitious $15 per hour.

For state Rep. Dave Kerner, D-Lake Worth, the great fear of life on minimum wage came while behind the wheel. Kerner has a Dunkin Donuts habit. He likes to pull off on the way home sometimes, pick himself up something for the road.

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