Senator Colburn Reports From Annapolis (This Week)

ANNAPOLIS – Senator Richard F. Colburn (R. Eastern Shore) reported on events that are taking place in Annapolis. Senator Colburn stated, “This week marks the 45th day or the half-way point of the Maryland General Assembly Session. Most legislation for the 2014 Session has been introduced – about 2,535 bills (around 1,065 Senate Bills and almost 1,470 House Bills). On Monday, February 17th, the Senate Finance Committee met before an overflow of crowds testifying for and against a series of minimum wage bills. Governor O’Malley is using his final legislative session to push a bill that would call for increasing the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 by 2016. The bill also increases minimum wages for tipped employees from 50 percent to 70 percent of their wage. He believes it will strengthen the middle class and cause widespread economic growth.

During Monday’s hearing, legislators heard details of conflicting studies of how an increase would affect Maryland businesses. Several bills have been filed in the General Assembly with different provisions to raise the state’s minimum wage.

I have sponsored a bill that would give Eastern Shore counties the same right as Prince Georges and Montgomery Counties to control their own economic destiny. Senate Bill 166 (Labor and Employment – Minimum Wage – Establishment by Counties) would authorize a county to establish a minimum wage rate for employees working in the county. My bill is supported by the Maryland Association of Counties (MACO). This bill would give each county the authority and only the county government the ability to raise the minimum wage above that authorized by the Federal government. The bill requires employers in the State, as of October 1, 2014, to pay the greater of the federal minimum wage or the minimum wage established by each jurisdiction. I do not oppose raising the minimum wage. In fact, I think a review of the history of the wage suggests that it should be raised to approximately $8.40 an hour by the federal government. But the proposal to make Maryland’s minimum $10.10 by 2016 goes too far and would likely have significant negative effects on minority workers, high school students, college students, and unskilled employment levels. During the hearing I stated that I expect the majority of Democrats to enact the Governor’s increase, but I plead with the panel to exempt our region. I again quoted Senator President Mike Miller, “One size does not fit all”. The Eastern Shore continues to be in a recession. A minimum wage increase would be devastating to our Eastern Shore economy. I believe raising the minimum wage will cost the state jobs by forcing employers to lay people off. Small businesses in particular can afford to pay only a limited number of workers. According to a report released by the Maryland Foundation for Research and Economic Education, a minimum wage increase would hurt local economies. The state could actually lose about 11,502 jobs and result in a loss of $760 million in personal income by 2020. Senate President, Mike Miller, said he is hopeful the state can work out a compromise that allows areas with higher costs of living to have a different wage. The bills increasing the minimum wage are opposed by the Maryland Chamber of Commerce and the Restaurant Association of Maryland.

This week, action that took place on some of the bills I introduced is as follows:

Senate Bill 57 (Office of the State’s Attorney – Dorchester County – Authority to Appoint Criminal Investigators) passed the Senate on Wednesday, February 19. This bill will authorize the State’s Attorney for Dorchester County to appoint criminal investigators, subject to the approval of the Dorchester County Council. It would also authorize the State’s Attorney for Dorchester County to designate a chief investigator and assign other ranks and titles to other criminal investigators. It would provide that a criminal investigator who is appointed under the Act would serve at the pleasure of the State’s Attorney for Dorchester County.

Senate Bill 445 (Alcoholic Beverages – Micro-Breweries – Annual Production Limit) was heard in the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs (EHEA) Committee. This bill would increase to 60,000 the limit on the number of barrels of malt beverages that a micro-brewery may collectively brew, bottle, or contract for in a calendar year. This bill would enable Salisbury’s Evolution Brewery (EVO’s) to grow their business and meet their business plan.