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Pressure Rises as Wal-Mart Vote Nears
Advocates of the bill at an Annapolis rally, including, from left, James Allen Jr. of the Alliance for Retired Americans, Tony Perez of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 400, Fred D. Mason of the AFL-CIO, Elbridge James of the Maryland NAACP and Del. Kumar P. Barve (D-Montgomery).
(By Susan Biddle -- The Washington Post)
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If it becomes law, they argued, the legislature almost certainly will expand the number of businesses to which it applies and increase the required spending on health care.
"We don't want the government getting involved, telling Wal-Mart what to do, and we don't want the government getting involved, telling us what to do," said Walt Clocker of Angel's Food Market, a family-owned business in Pasadena.
That view was countered at an event hosted by the Maryland Citizens' Health Initiative, an advocacy group that brought out several small-business leaders who favor the bill, including two appearing in a radio ad this week.
In the ad, Mark Derbyshire, the owner of a Harford County moving company, and Lisa Jackson, president of the Baltimore Minority Contractors Group, argue that when large companies do not spend their "fair share" on health care, the cost is picked up by taxpayers, including small businesses.
Wal-Mart has acknowledged that some of its employees and their families who do not qualify for health benefits are enrolled in Medicaid, the state program for the poor.
Wal-Mart Watch, a national, union-funded group that monitors Wal-Mart's business practices, released yesterday a list of 141 small businesses, primarily in competitive legislative districts in Maryland, that it said support an override.
Also yesterday, the attorney general's office, in a four-page letter to legislative leaders, dismissed the contention of a business group that the legislation violates federal law.
For lawmakers, all the competing arguments can be dizzying.
Health care advocates have presented Kullen with a poll suggesting that a significant majority of her district's constituents support the bill.
Kullen said last week that she is "certainly still listening to the debate" but is likely to stand by her vote in favor of the legislation. "I don't see this as anything other than trying to get Wal-Mart to do the right thing," she said.
Wal-Mart has bulked up its lobbying corps considerably, retaining at least a dozen Annapolis lobbyists, nine of whom have been hired since October. They are making some headway.
Del. Clarence Davis (D-Baltimore) voted for the bill last year. But given more time to think about it, "it did not seem right that we were targeting one particular company," he said.
Davis said he decided to switch sides after Wal-Mart representatives appeared before a meeting of the Black Legislative Caucus last year and detailed improvements in employee health benefits. "It appeared to me that Wal-Mart had gotten the message, and they were beginning to capitulate," Davis said.
Ehrlich urged lawmakers last week to capitulate.
"Unfortunately, Maryland's anti-jobs, anti-consumer lawmakers are putting our economic growth at risk and setting a dangerous precedent for the nation," he said.
