Maine Governor John Baldacci signed a new state minimum wage into law on Thursday, providing a modest increase in the state’s minimum wage to $7.50 by October 1, 2009. Importantly, the new law also closes loopholes that previously excluded various categories of low-wage workers from minimum wage or overtime coverage. Maine’s minimum wage now covers [...]
Policy “plate tectonics”: Funding new investments in education
April 17, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Plate tectonics aren’t particularly easy to see – but we can feel the results, which can literally move mountains. Such is the case with the debate over education funding in Washington State. The Daily News and the Columbian have editorials within a week of each other calling for more investment in education. Neither mentions two [...]
Maine, Iowa move to boost, protect minimum wage. Most businesses won’t even notice.
April 16, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Legislators in Maine and Iowa are taking new steps to improve and protect wages for workers. And most businesses may not even notice the difference. The Maine House and Senate approved a bill raising the state’s $7 hourly minimum wage by a half dollar (though additional votes are set on the measure in both legislative [...]
New Jersey ready for family leave. Business lobbyists…not so much.
April 15, 2008 By Leave a Comment
New Jersey is set to become the third state in the nation (after California and Washington) to provide workers with paid family leave benefits, after a huge grassroots push. Despite the fact that New Jersey’s program (summary) has no direct cost to employers, numerous protections for business, and that the benefits of paid family leave [...]
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