Democrats, Republicans Compromise on Minimum Wage Hike

“Maine Democrats have lined up to support a Republican’s bill to tweak the voter-approved minimum wage hike, while the parties are at odds over a measure to eliminate a new tax on the state’s highest earners. Supporters are cheering a legislative committee’s 11-2 vote Wednesday to recommend the minimum wage bill, which would once again allow employees to pay less than minimum wage to workers who make up the difference in tips. Democratic Rep. Ryan Fecteau, House chairman of the Legislature’s labor, commerce, research and economic development committee, said the ‘compromise’ bill protects the ‘hard fought’ wage increase and that his amendment would create new worker safeguards. He said the committee heard testimony from ‘hundreds of servers’ worried about the impact of requiring restaurants to pay tipped workers minimum wage.”