By Alex Jackson
Capital Gazette, April 8, 2014
The Maryland General Assembly has sent Gov. Martin O'Malley legislation to hike the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour by 2018.
The House of Delegates voted 87-47 on Monday, the final day of the assembly's 90-day session, to concur with Senate changes to the bill. The Senate passed the bill on Saturday by a 34-13 vote.
Under the bill, Maryland's minimum wage would rise from $7.25 to $8 an hour on Jan. 1, 2015; to $8.25 on July 1, 2015; to $8.75 on July 1, 2016; to $9.25 on July 1, 2017; and to $10.10 on July 1, 2018. ...
Maryland becomes the second state this year to move toward a minimum wage of $10.10 an hour. Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy signed a measure into law in March to hike the state's minimum hourly rate from $8.70 to $10.10 over three years. ...
The measure headed to O'Malley differs a bit from the measure he rallied behind at the start of the 90-day session. ... The bill was stripped of a provision that would have indexed the wage to inflation after it hits $10.10. ... In addition, the state's minimum hourly rate won't hit $10.10 until 2018 under the bill headed to O'Malley. The governor wanted the rate to hit $10.10 in 2016. ...
Some businesses supported the hike from the moment it was proposed.
Annapolis' Snyder's Bootery, A Cook's Cafe and Potato Valley Cafe have signed a petition in support of an increase organized by Business For a Fair Minimum Wage, a group backing the push for a hike nationwide.
Staff Writer Tim Prudente contributed to this report
Copyright 2014 Capital Gazette