Advocates hit roadblock as they push to override Pugh veto of $15 minimum wage
Advocates for low-wage workers are ramping up pressure on the Baltimore City Council to override Mayor Catherine Pugh's veto of a $15 minimum wage bill, but their cause has run into a roadblock.
Due to a little-known provision in city law, council members would need to hold a special meeting within the next two weeks to attempt to override Pugh's veto. City Council President Bernard C. "Jack" Young, who has the power to schedule such a meeting, has declined to do so even though he supported the minimum wage bill.
Ricarra Jones, chairwoman of the Fight for $15 Baltimore Coalition, said the group is running radio advertisements, calling council members daily, opining on social media and preparing to rally Monday.
"We feel like it's dirty backdoor politics, and the residents of Baltimore are going to be the ones who suffer from the games we feel like people are playing," Jones said. "Jack Young has the power to call for a veto override. … He was a co-sponsor of this bill. We want him to see it all the way through."
Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-minimum-wage-override-20170402-story.html