Governor LePage May Veto Bill to Increase Maine’s Minimum Wage

Will Governor Paul LePage make the decision to veto the bill to increase the minimum wage in the state of Maine to $9.00 per hour?

Sources say the Governor hasn’t said for sure that he plans to kill the bill if it lands on his desk in the near future, but he has given some indication that increasing the minimum wage may not be the most logical step to stimulate the state's economy.

"You can't have the highest minimum wage in the country when your economy is in the tank," said LePage.

The bill, which serves to incrementally increase the minimum wage from $7.50 to $9.00 per hour by 2016, received final house approval on Tuesday, but now it must pass before the Senate and then LePage before it can become a law.

However, it is no secret that the LePage administration has had some issues with the bill since its inception, but only time will tell if the prejudice against its purpose will cause it to be vetoed if the Senate gives the bill the go ahead.

Maine’s minimum wage has remained idle at $7.50 since 2009, which is still more than the national average.