Baltimore City Council approves bill to raise minimum wage News
Baltimore City Council approves bill to raise minimum wage

The Baltimore City Council [official website] voted 11-3 Monday to approve a bill [materials] that would increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2022. Maryland’s current minimum wage [materials] is $8.75 and is slated to increase to $10.10 by 2018. The proposed bill would increase Baltimore’s minimum wage with Maryland’s until 2018 then continue to rise to $11.25 in 2019, $12.50 in 2020, $13.75 in 2021, and $15.00 in 2022. Employees under the age of 21 are exempt from the wage increase in this bill. Additionally, the bill has an exemption for small businesses (fewer than 50 employees and annual gross income of $400,000 or less), which gives them until 2026 to meet the minimum wage requirement. The proposed bill will now be considered [Baltimore Sun report] by Mayor Catherine Pugh [mayoral website], who has not indicated whether she will sign the bill into law. If the bill is vetoed by Pugh, 12 votes would be needed to override the veto.

The US has not seen [Reuters report] an increase in federal minimum wage since 2009, which has led many states, and now cities, to raise their minimum wages. Last week the Arizona Supreme Court upheld [JURIST report] a state law raising the minimum wage to $12 per hour by 2020. Also in March, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled [JURIST report] that St. Louis may raise its minimum wage next year. In January the Supreme Court of Missouri [official website] ruled [JURIST report] that the Kansas City Board of Commissioners must place a minimum wage proposal on their upcoming ballot. That same month, the Kentucky Legislature passed [JURIST report] the right-to-work legislation. In November voters in Arizona, Colorado, Maine, and Washington all approved minimum wage increase initiatives [JURIST report], while South Dakota voters rejected a measure to lower the minimum wage.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Last hanging of a woman in the UK

On July 13, 1955, Ruth Ellis became the last woman to be hanged in Britain after being convicted of murder. Learn more about the hanging and trial of Ruth Ellis.

Continental Congress passes Northwest Ordinance

On July 13, 1787, the Continental Congress, operating under the Articles of Confederation, passed the Northwest Ordinance. Considered to be the most important piece of legislation passed under the Articles of Confederation, the Northwest Ordinance created and organized the Northwest Territory, which would become the states of Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio, as well as part of Minnesota. Learn more about the Northwest Territory.