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Mayor Vincent Gray has vetoed the so-called living wage bill, which would have guaranteed employees of large retailers, like Wal-Mart, a minimum wage of $12.50 per hour.

In a letter delivered to Council Chairman Phil Mendelson today, Gray outlined his reasons for vetoing the Large Retailer Accountability Act in six bullets points: “The bill is not a true living-wage bill,” “the bill is a job killer,” “the bill would affect far more retailers than many supporters think,” “the bill doesn’t guarantee good-paying jobs for District residents,” “the bill does nothing to support underserved parts of the District” and “the bill will deal a huge blow to District development.”

“I am vetoing this legislation precisely because I believe in providing a living wage to as many District residents as possible – and this bill is not a true living-wage measure,” Gray said. “While the intentions of its supporters were good, this bill is simply a woefully inadequate and flawed vehicle for achieving the goal we all share.”

Gray said he will work with the Council to “pass a reasonable increase to the District’s minimum wage for all workers.”

Soon after the announcement, Wal-Mart spokesman Steven Restivo sent an email to D.C. reporters, saying “Mayor Gray has chosen jobs, economic development and common sense over special interests – and that’s good news for D.C. residents.”

“Now that this discriminatory legislation is behind us, we will move forward on our first stores in our nation’s capital,” he continued. Request for comment as to the specifics of said moving forward has yet to be returned. Restivo told DCist that this means plans are back on for stores, including one at Skyland Town Center, that would have been canceled because of the living wage bill.

The LRAA passed the D.C. Council in June 8-5, which led Wal-Mart to cancel plans for three stores in the city. The bill will now return to the Council, where the veto can be overridden with the support of nine members.