The Senate Finance Committee on Friday night watered down Gov. Wes Moore’s bill to expedite full implementation of the state’s $15-an-hour minimum wage.
The panel stripped provisions in the new governor’s legislation that would have increased the minimum wage annually and tied it to the Consumer Price Index. Senators also decided to delay boosting the state’s minimum wage to $15 wage from October, as Moore (D) had envisioned, until Jan. 1, 2024.
Accelerating the state’s minimum wage has been a top priority of Moore’s and was among the most controversial of the nine bills his administration has introduced in this legislative session. The Senate panel’s vote is by no means the last word on the legislation, and it was not immediately clear Friday night if the governor will accept the committee amendments as a compromise.
The administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday night.
The Fight for $15 Maryland Coalition released a statement Friday night applauded the Senate committee for moving the bill and said accelerating the minimum wage increase would help about 175,000 low-wage workers in the state.
“But we are disappointed that the committee stripped out a key piece of the bill — tying the minimum wage to future increases in inflation. Having the wage automatically adjust with the cost of living would ensure that low-wage workers can maintain their purchasing power. History has shown that Maryland lawmakers are slow to act on wage increases,...
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