Read Article A Superior Court justice said Wednesday he will rule soon on the legality of a new Portland ordinance that requires hazard pay for minimum wage workers during declared emergencies. But Justice Thomas Warren also said he expects the case to be appealed to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court no matter what he decides. More than 60 percent of voters in November supported a minimum wage proposal that will gradually increase that rate from $12 to $15 an hour by 2025. That initiative also included a provision that increases the minimum wage by 50 percent for people who report to Portland workplaces during declared emergencies, such as the ongoing statewide coronavirus emergency. Right now, those workers would receive at least $18 an hour under the new rule.