AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Republican lawmakers are pushing a bill to hike the minimum wage this summer, but Democrats say it's a ploy to undermine a more ambitious minimum wage increase on the November state ballot.

The Legislature will vote Friday when they meet to take up a growing number of vetoes by Republican Gov. Paul LePage.

The bill would raise the minimum wage from $7.50 to $8.50 and eventually to $10. The bill has an "emergency" preamble, which would allow it to become law in July if it wins the support of two-thirds of the Legislature.

Many Democrats who have long fought to increase the minimum wage plan to vote it down.

Maine voters in November will vote on a citizen-initiated referendum that would ramp up the minimum wage to $12.