An Act To Index the State Minimum Wage to Inflation (~)
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 0192
Committee: Labor
Sponsors: TUTTLE, GERZOFSKY, BERRY, CLARK, DRISCOLL, PINGREE, PIOTTI, JACKSON
Amends: 26 MRSA §663, 26 MRSA §664

FIRST P~GULAR SESSION-2009 
Legislative Document 
No. 192 
H.P.157 
House of Representatives, January 21, 2009 
An Act To Index the State Minimum Wage to Inflation 
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Reference to the Committee on Labor suggested and ordered printed . 
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Presented by Representative TUTTLE of Sanford. 
Cosponsored by Senator GERZOFSKY of Cumberland and 
7Jl;U~ 1/1. 71ltU:1~{ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: BERRY of Bowdoinham, CLARK of Millinocket, DRISCOLL of Westbrook, 
Speaker PINGREE of North Haven, PIOTTI of Unity, Senator: JACKSON of Aroostook. 
Prim~J llli recycled p<1pL'1' 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 26 MRS A §663, sub-§15 is enacted to read: 
15. Consumer price index. "Consumer price index" means the Consumer Price 
Index for Urban Wage Eamers and Clerical Workers, CPI-W, for the Northeast Region, 
or successor index, as published by the United States Depaliment of Labor, Bureau of 
Labor Statistics. 
Sec. 2. 26 MRSA §663, sub-§16 is enacted to read: 
16. 
Inflation-adjusted mlDlmum hourly wage. 
"Inflation-adiusted mInlITIUm 
hourly wage" means the minimum hourly wage adjusted for increases in the consumer 
price index. The inflation-adjusted minimum hourly wage is calculated annually by the 
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Department of Labor in accordance with section 664, subsection I-A. 
Sec. 3. 26 MRSA §664, sub-§l, as amended by PL 2007, c. 640, §4, is fUliher 
amended to read: 
1. Minimum wage. The minimum hourly wage is u,.w $6.75 per hour. Starting 
October 1, 2006, the minimum hourly '",age is $6.75 per hour. Starting October I, 2007, 
the minimum hourly wage is $7.00 per hour. Starting October I, 2008, the minimum 
hourly wage is $7.25 per hour. Starting October I, 2009, the minimum hourly wage is 
$7.50 per hour. Starting January I, 2010 and on January 1 st of each year thereafter, the 
minimum hourly wage is the inflation-adjusted minimum hourly wage calculated in 
accordance with subsection I-A. If the highest federal minimum wage is increased in 
excess of the minimum wage in effect under this section, the minimum wage under this 
section is increased to the same amount, effective on the same date as the increase in the 
federal minimum wage, but in no case may the minimum wage exceed the minimum 
wage otherwise in effect under this section by more than $1 per hour. 
Sec. 4. 26 MRSA §664, sub-§l-A is enacted to read: 
I-A. Minimum wage; inflation adiustment. No later than November 1, 2009 and 
on November I st of each year thereafter, the Department of Labor shall calculate the 
inflation-adjusted minimum hourly wage for the following calendar year. 
The 
department shall specify by rule a methodology for calculation of the inflation-adjusted 
minimum hourly wage. The methodology must: 
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A. Use the consumer price index to calculate inflation; and 
B. 
Exclude from the calculation of iriflation any month in which the seasonally 
adjusted unemployment rate for the State exceeds the seasonally adjusted 
unemployment rate for the United States, as published by the United States 
Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. 
Each inflation-adjusted minimum hourly wage calculated under this subsection takes effect 
on January 1 st of the following year. The department shall adopt rules to implement this 
subsection. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in 
Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
Page I - 124LR0482(01 )-1 
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SUMMARY 
This bill provides for the state minimum hourly wage to be adjusted for inflation 
beginning January 1, 2010 and annually thereafter. The bill requires the Depaliment of 
Labor to calculate the inflation-adjusted minimum hourly wage based on changes in the 
consumer price index and to exclude from the calculation any month in which the State's 
unemployment rate exceeds the national unemployment rate.