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Most lawn and landscape businesses already pay their workers more than the minimum hourly wage, but how do increases like the one in Maryland affect you? Visit the Lawn & Landscape Online Message Board to share your thoughts. Here are some discussion questions to get you going: |
The Maryland state legislature voted today to increase the state minimum wage by a full $1 to $6.15 per hour. Businesses must start paying the new minimum wage within 30 days.
The vote overrides Gov. Robert Ehrlich’s veto of the bill passed last year. The Maryland state Senate voted 30 to 17 to increase the minimum wage. The House of Deleages voted 91 to 48 in favor of the bill last week.
Maryland is now the 18th state, plus Washington, D.C., to set a minimum wage above the federal guideline of $5.15. The other 17 states are Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. Four of these states (Connecticut, Hawaii, New York and Vermont) are all poised to increase their state minimum wages effective Jan. 1, 2007, all above the $7 mark.
Maryland businesses are concerned that the increase will hurt business by increasing costs, while supporters say the bill will help the working poor.
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