For Immediate Release: Wednesday, February 10, 2013
Contact: Donte Donald or Dan Crawford, news@epi.org 202-775-8810

EPI experts testify before Maryland House and Senate committees

Today, EPI Economic Analyst David Cooper testified before the Maryland House Economic Matters Committee in favor of HB 1204, the Maryland Wage and Hour Law. HB 1204 would raise the state minimum wage to $10 by 2015 and index it the consumer price index in 2016. A $10-an-hour minimum wage would mean a raise for 536,000 Maryland workers, or about one-fifth of all workers in the state. It would lead to $778 million in additional wages, generate $492 million in new economic activity, and create about 4,300 jobs.

Meanwhile, EPI Health Policy Research Director Elise Gould testified in front of the House Economic Matters Committee and the Senate Finance Committee in favor of the Maryland Earned Sick and Safe Leave Act, which would allow workers to earn paid sick days. Paid sick leave is essential to helping workers care for themselves and their families, with little to no costs to businesses. Both businesses and the people of Maryland will gain from a more productive and healthier workforce.