Maryland To Raise Minimum Wage to $10.10 an Hour—But Only After Foot-Dragging From Some Dems

[marmar]

(In These Times) Maryland is on the verge of becoming the second state, after Connecticut, to heed President Barack Obama’s call for a new national minimum wage of $10.10 an hour.

Lawmakers moved in a special weekend session to pass a measure hiking the state’s minimum to $10.10 an hour, up sharply from the current minimum of $7.25. The Maryland Senate passed the bill on April 5, and the House of Delegates gave its approval around midday on April 7, just hours before the year’s legislative session ended.

Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) is expected to sign the bill into law promptly. In January, he called the wage hike his top legislative priority for the year.

The victory for low-wage workers, however, has left some progressive groups frustrated and a little angry. The reason? They say the most potent attempts to kill, dilute or delay the bill came from Democratic Party legislators who publicly proclaim their support for the working poor, yet worked behind the scenes to undermine the new minimum wage law. Democrats enjoy large majorities in both houses of the legislature.

“Maryland is a Democratic state, but not necessarily a progressive one,” says Pat Lippold, political director for hospital workers union 1199SEIU, a division of the Service Employees International Union, which helped push for the bill. ......................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/16523/maryland_poised_to_raise_minimum_wage_to_10.10_an_hourbut_only_after_resist

[Tommy_Carcetti]

1. I love O'Malley. Terrific governor.

Unfortunately for him, if Hillary runs, it will suck out all the oxygen for an O'Malley campaign. But on the chance Hillary doesn't run, I hope he rises to the top of the field. And even if Hillary does run (and win), I hope he's made a part of the administration in some way.

[yeoman6987]

3. I am not impressed!

It does not happen fully until July 2018. By then ten bucks will be what seven bucks is today. If they were serious, they would make it for July 2014.

[enlightenment]

2. Lippold's comment is a good summary

of the unfortunate nature of our de facto two-party system.