An Act To Protect Maine's Economy by Slowing the Rate at Which the State's Minimum Wage Will Increase and Establishing a Training and Youth Wage
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, the increases in the rate of the minimum wage scheduled to take effect over the next 4 years could have a detrimental effect on the economy of the State; and
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,
Sec. 1. 26 MRSA §664, sub-§1, as amended by IB 2015, c. 2, §1, is further amended to read:
Sec. 2. 26 MRSA §664, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:
(1) Eighty percent of the minimum wage in effect pursuant to subsection 1, rounded to the nearest 5 cents; and
(2) The minimum wage required by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act; and
(1) Eighty percent of the minimum wage in effect pursuant to subsection 1, rounded to the nearest 5 cents; and
(2) The minimum wage required by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.
Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation takes effect when approved.
SUMMARY
This bill affects the minimum wage by:
1. Reducing the minimum wage from $10 per hour to $9.50 per hour beginning June 1, 2018;
2. Reducing the amount by which the minimum hourly wage rates are scheduled to increase annually on January 1st from 2019 to 2021 from $1 per year to 50 cents per year, and decreasing from $12 to $11 the minimum hourly wage rate required to be paid in 2021;
3. Eliminating the cost-of-living adjustment to the minimum wage; and
4. Establishing a training minimum wage for employees 18 years of age or older and under 20 years of age for the first 90 days of employment and a youth minimum wage for employees under 18 years of age.