ROBERT L. EHRLICH, JR., Governor                            S.B. 250

In accordance with Article II, Section 17 of the Maryland Constitution, today I have
vetoed Senate Bill 250 - Labor and Employment - Equal Pay Commission.

Senate Bill 250 establishes an Equal Pay Commission for a period of two years, which
is to be staffed by the Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation. The
commission would study wage disparities and present preliminary and final reports
to the Governor and the General Assembly leadership by September 30, 2005 and
2006, respectively. The bill terminates September 30, 2006.

For a number of years, Maryland has been governed by the "Equal Pay for Equal
Work" Act which has its origin in the federal Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the 1964
Civil Rights Act. Section 3-304(a) of the Labor and Employment Article of the
Annotated Code of Maryland provides: "An employer may not discriminate between
employees in any occupation by paying a wage to employees of one sex at a rate less
than the rate paid to employees of the opposite sex if both employees work in the
same establishment and perform work of comparable character or work on the same
operation, in the same business, or of the same type." This law applies to employers of
men and women in a lawful enterprise and provides remedies to employees who are
discriminated against under this law.

The Division of Labor and Industry indicated in the fiscal note to Senate Bill 250 that
it has not received any complaints relative to the Equal Pay for Equal Work law in the
past ten years. As such, I am not convinced that this is a problem in need of a solution.
The time and resources necessary to create and staff new task forces and commissions
continue to trouble me. Under the State's current fiscal conditions, Senate Bill 250 is
an expenditure of time and resources that the State cannot afford to undertake.

For the above stated reasons, I have vetoed Senate Bill 250.

Yours very truly,
Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr.
Governor

Senate Bill No. 250

AN ACT concerning

Labor and Employment - Equal Pay Commission

FOR the purpose of establishing an Equal Pay Commission; providing for the
membership of the Commission; providing for the designation of the Chairman
of the Commission; providing for the staff of the Commission; providing for
certain reimbursement for members of the Commission; requiring the
Commission to study certain issues; requiring the Commission to report its
preliminary and final findings and recommendations to the Governor, the
President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Delegates on or before
certain dates; requiring the Commission's preliminary and final reports to
include certain findings and recommendations solutions; providing for the
termination of this Act; and generally relating to equal pay for equal work.

BY adding to

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