A federal judge struck down a Maryland law that would have forced Wal-Mart to spend at least 8 percent of its payrolls on health insurance for its employees, or pay the difference into a state Medicaid fund. While the law targeted all businesses in the state with more than 10,000 employees, Wal-Mart is the only business that currently fits those criteria. The judge ruled that the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act took precedence over the state law, rendering the latter null and void; the ruling may influence efforts by other states to pass similar laws.
See "Judge Gives Wal-Mart Reprieve on Benefits", Reed Abelson and Michael Barbaro, The New York Times, July 19, 2006