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DAVID GOVERNOR HOGAN HAS NOT : SAID WHETHER HE WOULD VETO THE BILL. HE HAS MADE IT CLEAR HE DOES NOT LIKE IT. UNDER THE COMPROMISE, COMPANIES WITH FEWER THAN 15 EMPLOYEES FULLY PAY THE NEW WAGE. STARTING NEXT YEAR FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, THE CURRENT $10. MINIMUM WILL INCREMENTALLY INCREASE BY 60 CENTS EACH YEAR. FOR BUSINESSES WITH MORE THAN 15 EMPLOYEES, THE MINIMUM WILL INCREASE TO $11 IN JANUARY, THEN GO UP BY 75 CENTS A YEAR TO $14 IN 2024, THEN REACH $15 IN 202 THE SENATE VOTED 32-13 IN FAVOR OF ADOPTING THE COMPROMISE. BUT THE LEGISLATION DID SPARK A SHORT DEBATE. >> I HATE TO MAKE THIS ONLY THE BURDEN OF BUSINESSES. IF GOVERNMENT WANTS TO PARTICIPATE, LET’S FIND WAYS TO LOWER TAXES. LET’S FIND A WAY TO TRULY MAKE THE COST OF LIVING CHEAPER. >> THE MOST ISSUE IN THIS COUNTRY TODAY IS RAISING THE INCOMES OF WORKING PEOPLE. IT AFFECTS THEIR CHILDS EDUCATION. IT AFFECTS THEIR HEALTH. IT AFFECTS ALL OF OUR ABILITY TO LIVE A GOOD LIFE IN A PROSPEROUS SOCIETY. DAVID GOVERNOR HOGAN SHARPLY : CRITICIZES RAISING THE MINIMUM TO $15 AN HOUR. HE OFFERED A COMPROMISE OF RAISING IT TO $12.10 BY 2022. HE STOPS SHORT OF SAYING HE WOULD VETO THE BILL. GOV. HOGAN: WHICH WOULD COST THE STATE JOBS, MAKE US INCAPABLE OF COMPETING WITH OTHER STATES THE REGION AND WHICH COULD DEVESTATE OUR STATE’S ECONOMY. DAVID THE MEASURE ALLOWS TIPPED : EMPLOYEES TO EARN AS LITTLE AS $3.63 AN HOUR. WORKERS UNDER 18 WOULD BE PAID A TRAINING WAGE AND FARM WORKERS ARE EXEMPT. THE BILL ALSO PROVIDES A PAY INCREASE FOR WORKERS IN THE DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED FIELD. >> IN THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT WE EVENED IT OUT TO JUS 4% ACROSS-THE-BOARD. DAVID: IF THE GOVERNOR VETOS THE BILL, DEMOCRATS SAY THERE’S STILL ENOUGH TIME TO OVERRIDE IT BEFORE THE 90 DAY LEGISLATIVE SESSION

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The Maryland General Assembly voted to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour starting in 2025.The bill passed in the House of Delegates with a 93-41 vote and in the Senate with a 32-13 vote. The legislation now goes to Gov. Larry Hogan's desk. The House and Senate passed their versions of the legislation by veto-proof majorities.Hogan has not said whether he would veto the bill. He has made it clear, however that he doesn't like it.Under the compromise, companies with fewer than 15 employees will have until July 2026 to fully pay the new wage. Starting next year, the current $10.10 minimum will incrementally increase by 60 cents each year. The Senate voted 32-13 in favor of adopting the compromise. But the legislation did spark a short debate. "I hate to make this only the burden of businesses. If government wants to participate, let's find ways to lower taxes. Let's find a way to truly make the cost of living cheaper," said Sen. Stephen Hershey, R-Caroline, Cecil, Kent & Queen Anne's Counties and serves as the minority whip."The most issue in this country today is raising the incomes of working people. It affects their child's education. It affects their health. It affects all of our ability to live a good life in a prosperous society," said Sen. Jim Rosapepe, D-Anne Arundel and Prince George's counties.Hogan sharply criticizes raising the minimum to $15 an hour. He offered a compromise of raising it to $12.10 by 2022. He stops short of saying he would veto the bill. "Which would cost the state jobs, make us incapable of competing with other states in the region and which could devastate our state's economy," said Hogan. The measure allows tipped employees to earn as little as $3.63 an hour. Workers under 18 would be paid a training wage and farm workers are exempt. The bill also provides a pay increase for workers in the developmentally disabled field. "In the conference committee report we evened it out to just 4 percent across the board," said Sen. Delores Kelley, D-Baltimore County. If the governor vetoes the bill, Democrats say there's still enough time to override it before the 90 day legislative session ends.The minimum wage in Maryland will raise to $15 an hour starting Jan. 1, 2025. Small businesses with 14 or fewer employees will be permitted to wait until July 1, 2026 to establish the full $15 wage. Both the House and Senate made significant changes to the bills. The House delayed full implementation from 2023 to 2025. It also exempted some workers. The Senate version gives companies with fewer than 15 employees until 2028 to raise the minimum wage.Hogan previously said he would support a minimum wage increase, but not as much as the General Assembly proposed. On March 8, he proposed a $12.10 minimum wage with provisions. He also wanted lawmakers to wait to increase it until surrounding states raise their rates."I would like to offer a compromise to move this discussion forward. Despite my reservations about a dramatic increase in the minimum wage, I could support a reasonable, phased increase of the minimum wage by $2 to $12.10 by the year 2022 if it were amended to include the following provisions," Hogan wrote, in part.