WASHINGTON – Several Maryland lawmakers are looking to raise the state’s minimum wage.
The Maryland minimum wage is $7.25, which is the federal minimum. State Sen. Jamie Raskin says he’ll push to phase in a statewide increase to $10.10, “probably over three years.”
Small business owner Meghan Murphy at Takoma Park’s Capital City Cheesecake says some of her employees are already in that range, and a phase-in for all is doable as long as “they’re giving us room to gradually increase that, and not overwhelm us.”
Montgomery County Council member Mark Elrich wants to go further: He’s proposing a county minimum wage of $11.50 an hour.
He says that if D.C. and Prince George’s County go along, businesses won’t go racing for the door.
Opponents have said raising the wage could cost jobs as businesses struggle to the meet the expense of the proposed increases.
WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP on Twitter.
