Proposal reduced to secure passage

AUGUSTA (AP) – The Maine Senate reversed its earlier stand and narrowly approved a minimum wage increase Wednesday after supporters offered to reduce the size of the proposed raise by 50 cents an hour.

By an 18-17 party-line vote, senators adopted an amendment to increase the state’s minimum from the current $6.25 per hour to $6.50 per hour in two phases, rather than to $7 as the original bill proposed.

By doing so, supporters picked up three votes needed to pass the bill, which had been rejected earlier.

The bill returns to the House, which has endorsed the measure. Maine AFL-CIO President Edward Gorham, whose group is a leading supporter of the wage increase, said he was confident the House would adopt the bill as approved in the Senate.

The final vote followed a debate in which supporters made references to individuals who would benefit from a pay increase, however meager.

Sen. John Martin, D-Eagle Lake, spoke of a single mother, with three minimum-wage jobs, who refuses go sign up for government assistance programs.

“There’s got to be a better way,” said Martin. “If this is the way to do it, we ought to at least give it a try.”

Sen. Bruce Bryant, D-Dixfield, said that while businesses are being subsidized, low-wage earners are not getting enough pay to make a living.

“This is a small movement, but necessary,” said Bryant. “People need to know that work’s going to pay.”

Republican opponents said they were sympathetic to workers at the low end of the wage scale, but fear the state will send signals it is unfriendly to business if it increases the state’s minimum.

“So we increase the minimum wage. Where’s that money going to come from? Employee wages? Employee benefits?” asked Sen. Kenneth Blais, R-Litchfield.

Republican Sen. Kevin Shorey of Calais said that no matter how small the increase, the message to businesses will be “Maine raises the minimum wage again … Maine is hostile to businesses.”

The original bill sought to increase Maine’s minimum wage to $6.65 in October 2004 and then to $7 on Oct. 1, 2005. As amended in the Senate, it would instead increase the wage by 10 cents an hour in October and another 15 cents, to $6.50 an hour, in October 2005.

Democratic Sen. Beth Edmonds of Freeport, who called the increase “totally modest,” said the raise would benefit 15,000 workers and the added wages would be spent and circulated through the state’s economy.

“This is about how we value the work that people in our state do,” said Sen. Neria Douglass, D-Auburn. “Our minimum wage does not provide for the adults who are working poor.”

The minimum wage increase bill was carried over from last year’s session.

AP-ES-04-07-04 1626EDT