Annapolis
(March 3, 2014) –
Jessica Cooper of the National Federation of Independent Business
(NFIB) made the following statement this evening in response to the House
Economic Matters Committee’s approval of a bill to increase the minimum wage by
nearly 40 percent.
“The Committee
tonight exempted Six Flags and some other employers from a substantial
mandatory increase in labor costs. Where
is the fairness or the economic wisdom in giving special treatment to only a
handful of employers?
“What the Committee
did this evening is to take a bad idea and make it confusing. Based on what rationale is it sensible to
exempt amusement parks but not other types of businesses? On what basis do they think this will hurt
non-seasonal businesses less than seasonal businesses?
“Raising the
minimum wage will inflate wages all the way up the scale and make it much
costlier and riskier to create jobs in Maryland than it is in Virginia,
Pennsylvania, Delaware and many other states.
Our competitive position will be severely compromised.
“We are pleased
that the Committee removed the automatic inflator, which would have increased the
minimum wage every year based on inflation and which would have been difficult
for small employers to anticipate. But
the best course for Maryland is to scrap this bill altogether and focus on
initiatives that encourage business growth, job creation and prosperity.”
For
more information about NFIB please visit www.nfib.com.