Rep. Delaney plans to push for minimum wage boost

Rep. John Delaney is planning to push for a minimum wage increase in Maryland.

On Monday, Delaney said that raising the minimum wage is one of the most direct ways to help working families succeed at the same time as improving Maryland’s economy.

The congressman says 19 states have a higher minimum wage than Maryland, and many of them have a lower cost of living.

Currently, Maryland’s minimum wage is $7.25 an hour; an effort to raise the minimum wage to $10 an hour by 2015 failed to pass in a Senate committee.

Supporters say low-wage workers are in need of a raise and that higher wages would increase consumer spending. Opponents believe it would drive up employer costs to create higher prices for consumers and cause layoffs.