Demonstrators on Tuesday urged Maryland lawmakers to raise the state minimum wage to $25 an hour over several years and put an end to subminimum wages, including for tipped workers.
The rally in Annapolis marked the launch of the Maryland Living Wage for All campaign, which seeks to build support for legislation – and a potential 2026 ballot measure – to raise wages and eliminate subminimum wages for all workers.
The campaign is being organized by a coalition including One Fair Wage, SEIU 1199, CASA, the Maryland State Education Association, AFSCME Council 3, SEIU Local 500, the Maryland Center on Economic Policy, Progressive Maryland, and other organizations.
Maryland’s current statewide minimum wage is $15 per hour.
Employers of tipped workers must pay them at least $3.63 per hour, with their wage plus tips having to equal at least the state minimum wage rate.
Some Maryland local jurisdictions, including Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George’s counties, have adopted their own minimum wages higher than the state requirement.
The coalition on Tuesday also released a new statewide poll showing almost two-thirds (65%) of Marylanders support raising the state’s minimum wage to $25 per hour.
Meanwhile, just over one-third oppose the proposal, according to the poll conducted by Gonzales Research & Media Services.
“The size of the majority suggests that concerns about affordability, cost of living, and wage stagnation resonate broadly across the state,” Gonzales wrote. “Still, the one-third opposition indicates that many residents remain wary of potential economic impacts, such as higher prices or pressure on small businesses.”
The proposal was overwhelmingly popular among Democrats, with 87% supporting the increase.
Republicans, on the other hand, were largely against it, with 77% opposing the proposal.
Independents were more closely divided, though leaned toward supporting the proposal (59% in support).
A majority of both men and women are in favor of raising the minimum wage, though that support was considerably stronger among women (76%) than men (53%).
The minimum wage proposal also found approval among the majority of people of different races, with the most support among Black people (84%). Among white people, 56% are in favor of the proposal. Meanwhile, 65% of people of other races indicated their support.
How stupid.
We raise the min wage, which just increases the cost of everything we purchase, creating the need for another min wage increase…DUH!
Not only that but this vicious cycle of the need for increases in the min wage was created by Maryland Lawmakers in Annapolcircus, example-our gas tax, which is the 5th highest in the Nation, is automatically increased as a result of Legislation passed by our Lawmakers in 2012. To balance Maryland’s budget for FY25 and FY 26, our Maryland Lawmakers CREATED AND INCREASED 358 FEES AND TAXES!!
Read that again.
Doubled the fee for vehicle registration, a $5 tire purchase fee [… for what?], a $20 mattress purchase fee [ditto], etc, etc, etc.
The real problem is Annapolcircus; the spend and tax mentality of our Lawmakers.
Maryland has a Structural Deficit problem which is why did Moody’s lowered Maryland’s Bond Rating! Because we have a spend and tax mentality in Annapolcircus.
Want stuff to cost less, want stuff to be affordable, make BIG changes in Annapolcircus with your VOTE, come the mid-term elections!
When we raised the wage to $15, we thought that everything else would stay the same? Now they have caught up so what do we do? Insanity.