State Senator Beth Edmonds


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Maine State Senate Passes Minimum Wage Bill Increase

AUGUSTA- March 7, 2003 - The Senate Wednesday gave conditional approval to an amended version of a bill that would raise the state minimum wage to $6.50 in two phases. The vote followed party lines with 18 Democrats voting in favor of the final version of the bill and 17 Republicans voting against it. Since the bill's increase differs slightly from an earlier version approved by the House, the House must now accept this amended version.

During the floor debate, Democratic proponents of the bill cited examples of constituents from their districts working 2-3 part-time jobs at minimum wage trying to make ends meet.

"This will raise Maine's minimum wage 25 cents in two steps--a gain of $10 a week. This is hardly going to be a burden on the business community," said Senator Pamela Hatch (D-Somerset County), sponsor of the bill.

"There are currently 15,000 Maine people earning between $6.25 and $6.65. This wage increase is totally appropriate and a modest amount of money that will ultimately go directly into our state's economy," said Senator Beth Edmonds (D-Cumberland County).

Senator Stephen S. Stanley (D-Penobscot County) offered another reason why raising Maine's minimum wage is important. "Maine can improve its tax situation by improving its livable wage. Low wages are part of what is driving our tax problem. The higher the wages, the lower the tax burden. This is a small step forward to address this problem."

LD 673, "An Act to Increase Maine's Minimum Wage," was carried over from last year, and was amended on the Senate floor. An earlier version of the bill sought to increase the current state minimum wage of $6.25 an hour to $6.65 on Oct. 1, 2004 and to $7 a year later. The Legislature's debate on the bill occurs while Congress has again refused to bring a minimum wage bill to a vote. Congress last voted a minimum wag increase in 1996, and the Republican majority in both houses has blocked consideration of any bill on the floor for the past two years.

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