Maine Democrats deal blow to competing minimum wage effort
Source: Bangor Daily News
AUGUSTA, Maine Democrats in the Maine House of Representatives on Thursday dealt a crucial blow to business groups looking to undercut a ballot initiative from progressive groups to raise the states hourly minimum wage to $12.
The House voted 78-69 with only one Republican, Rep. Kevin Battle of South Portland, joining majority Democrats except one, Rep. Martin Grohman of Biddeford against a motion to send the citizens initiative, backed by the Maine Peoples Alliance and labor unions, to a legislative committee before going to Maine voters in November.
The bill faces action in the Republican-controlled Senate, but if the House stays consistent in a future vote, the question will go to voters without the competing measure that groups including the Maine State Chamber of Commerce have lobbied for.
This is the right thing to do, said Matt Schlobohm, executive director of the Maine AFL-CIO, which supports the citizens initiative. Maine voters have spoken, and the Legislature did the right thing by respecting the will of the voters.
<more>
Read more: http://bangordailynews.com/2016/03/17/politics/state-house/maine-democrats-deal-blow-to-competing-minimum-wage-effort/