As reported in the Baltimore Sun, the House of Delegates gave preliminary approval Wednesday to legislation that would raise Maryland’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10, rejecting many of the amendments offered by opponents.

The action clears the way for a final House vote on the measure Friday. Votes on amendments indicated that proponents of the increase — a top priority of Gov. Martin O’Malley — have more than enough votes to pass the bill and send it to the Senate.

And as reported by the Washington Post, the Governor said that he is disappointed that the House of Delegates dropped a provision from his minimum-wage bill that called for automatic increases based on inflation and said he will lobby the Senate to restore it.

O’Malley’s bill, which faces a final vote in the House on Friday, would gradually raise Maryland’s minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $10.10 by 2017. The provision struck by the House would have made additional increases automatic after that.

“I was disappointed,” O’Malley said. “We’ll keep pushing. They at least left $10.10 in. They didn’t split the loaf that way.”

For more information, see the full story from the Baltimore Sun, the full story from the Washington Post, and our previous posts on Conduit Street, Administration Minimum Wage Bill: $10.10 By 2016, O’Malley Rallies to Raise Maryland’s Minimum Wage, Statewide Minimum Wage Bill Could Affect New Local Laws.