A coalition of Maine business groups is asking the Legislature to immediately pass a measure raising the state’s minimum wage. But Democrats in Augusta say it’s a political attempt to short-circuit a ballot initiative this November, and they’re not buying it.
The business groups say they support an increase in the minimum wage from $7.50 to $8.50 this fall, with additional step increases until 2019, when the minimum wage reaches $10 an hour. They say the citizen initiated bill — which would raise the minimum wage to $12 by 2020 — goes too far and would hurt small businesses and cause some employers to reduce their workforce.
Curtis Picard of the Retail Association of Maine says the new emergency legislation creates a win-win situation.
“Our coalition has also been accused of only wanting to put forth a competing measure so that there is no minimum wage increase. That’s absolutely not true,” he says. “Pass our proposal, the minimum wage increase goes into effect, it’s the law of the land, and if the people feel different in November, that’s fine.”
But Senate Democratic Leader Justin Alfond of Portland doesn’t see it that way. He says the proposal should be seen as a competing measure and would therefore have to be put before the voters this fall all well, even if it’s approved as emergency legislation by a two-thirds vote.
“Looking at all of their press releases, it does appear that it is still a competing measure, and so I am not sure and I don’t think anyone is very clear that their emergency is in fact an emergency,” he says.
Alfond points out the the Legislature had several opportunities to pass an increase in the minimum wage last year, and all were blocked by Republicans at the urging of many in the business community, who are now supporting this latest proposal.
House Majority Leader Jeff McCabe, a Democrat from Skowhegan, also believes that if approved, the measure would have to be placed on the ballot.
“It seems very confusing that a bill that is being deemed an emergency will go effect in October,” he says. “That actually seems to me that it would probably be deemed a competing measure by the Legislature, possibly others.”
And McCabe says the effort may actually be an attempt to weaken support for the referendum question on the November ballot.
Peter Gore of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce says that’s not true, but he acknowledges that even if the Legislature passed their proposal, the groups will continue to oppose the November referendum because of its negative effect on business.
“Does it mean we would still have to put up a fight against the MPA proposal in November? Absolutely. But regardless of what happens it gives legislators the guarantee that if the ballot measure fails in November, a minimum wage increase in this state has taken place,” he says.
There are several bills before the Legislature that could be amended to allow a vote on the business group’s proposal.
Lawmakers are trying to complete their work, except for the handling vetoes from Gov. Paul LePage, by the end of the week.
