AUGUSTA (AP) — Republicans are trying to overcome opposition from Democrats to place competing minimum wage proposals on the November state ballot.
The Democrat-controlled House on Thursday voted to send a citizen initiative to voters that would raise the state’s minimum wage to $12. Democrats also defeated a Republican motion that would have allowed for a competing ballot question that would raise the wage to $10.
Later in the day, Republicans on the labor committee used a bill held over from last year as a device to keep alive their push to place two competing minimum wage proposals on the November ballot.
The Senate will vote next week.
Progressive groups had gathered more than 75,000 valid signatures for the initiative, which would raise Maine’s $7.50 hourly minimum wage to $12 by 2020.
The Times Record Sustaining Sponsor
We believe a community must be informed to thrive. bowdoin.edu
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less