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By Kim Dacey
WBAL TV, Nov 2, 2021

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Some council members in Howard County are introducing legislation Monday night to raise the minimum wage to make it the highest in the state. ... It’s a move that council members said would affect 40,000 workers in Howard County.

"Today in Howard County, one in four families struggles to put food on the table and over 13,000 households are severely burdened by the cost of housing. These residents are our neighbors, our friends, our coworkers, our family members," Councilwoman Christina Rigby said.

"As our county and residents heal from the devastating effects of COVID-19, we recognize the current minimum wage is not adequate for working families to live here in Howard County," Councilman Opel Jones said.

The bill would phase in the wage increase from the current minimum wage of $11.75 per hour to $16 per hour by Jan.1, 2025. Small businesses would get an extra year to implement the change. ...

Small business owner Brian England is in favor of the wage increase.

"It's a win, win situation. This is the way we raise everybody up, money goes round and round in a community and that's the best sort of money to have," England said. ...

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