By Doug Cunningham

Maryland’s governor is about to sign the nation’s first state law requiring contractors to pay workers a living wage. After an energetic campaign by labor, civil rights activists and religious leaders the state legislature passed the law requiring service contractors doing business with the state of Maryland $11.30 an hour in urban areas and $8.50 an hour in rural areas. The legislature passed a living wage law in 2004 but it was vetoed by the then-Republican governor. A Democrat replaced him so the living wage law will not be blocked.