Proposed legislation will “preserve economic security and opportunities for Maine workers”
Augusta, Maine (Friday, March 11, 2011)—The Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP) today urged the Maine Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development to support L.D. 447 and L.D. 457, bills to raise Maine’s minimum wage and index it to inflation. MECEP also released a fact sheet entitled “Making Work Pay: Maine’s Minimum Wage” which makes a strong case that Maine workers, Maine businesses and Maine’s economy all benefit from a minimum wage that keeps pace with the cost of living.
“By modestly raising the minimum wage and indexing it to inflation, these bills help working families tackle the increasing costs of living, in turn providing long-term stability for Maine’s working families and the state’s overall economy,” Economist Garrett Martin, MECEP’s Associate Director, stated in prepared testimony. “(I)t is critically important for policymakers to implement policies that preserve economic security and opportunities for Maine workers, especially in periods of distressed economic activity. L.D. 447 and L.D. 457 represent two reasonable steps that policymakers can take to enhance achieving these outcomes.”
To read Martin’s testimony, click here.
Also read MECEP’s fact sheet, “Making Work Pay: Maine’s Minimum Wage.”
