When Maryland lawmakers floated the idea of raising the state’s minimum wage to $25 an hour , the proposal landed like a thunderclap across the state’s business community. For advocates, it’s a long-overdue correction — a bold attempt to bridge the widening gap between paychecks and the cost of living. For small and medium-sized business owners, it’s an existential question: can they survive it? A Push Rooted in Pain and Promise Maryland’s current minimum wage — $15 an hour s