to State - "effectively force the company to boost spending on employee health benefits")
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/16/AR2005111602518.htmlWal-Mart Girds for Battle on Md. Bill
Benefits Measure Spurs a Buildup Of Lobbying Force
By John Wagner
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 17, 2005; A01
Preparing for a showdown with organized labor in the Maryland legislature, Wal-Mart has deployed at least a dozen Annapolis lobbyists and is making strong overtures to black lawmakers, including a $10,000 donation to help them pay for a recent conference.<snip>
Wal-Mart is the only known business that would be affected by the bill, which would require companies with more than 10,000 workers to spend at least 8 percent of their payrolls on health benefits or contribute to the state's health insurance program for the poor.<snip>
<snip>Advocates of the bill said they feel buoyed by a recently leaked internal Wal-Mart document in which a company executive said that "our critics are correct in some of their observations. Specifically, our coverage is expensive for low-income families, and Wal-Mart has a significant percentage of associates and their children on public assistance."
The retailer, which held a fundraiser for Ehrlich last year, has said its expansion of health care options for employees includes a more affordable "value plan" in some markets. It is not clear whether that option and other changes would affect Wal-Mart's status under the Maryland legislation.<snip>