Maryland gets statewide living wage

The New York Times reports:

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley signed the first statewide living wage bill in the United States yesterday, giving fresh momentum to a movement that seeks to raise wages through legislation.

Under the law, employers with state contracts will generally have to pay workers a minimum amount – $11.30 (U.S.) an hour in the Baltimore-Washington corridor and $8.50 an hour in the rural counties, where wages and prices are usually lower.

Equal protection under the law in Maryland? I think not.