Wal-Mart battle goes to court

This just in: Maryland's new law forcing Wal-Mart to spend more on employee health care is now the subject of a lawsuit.

The national Retail Industry Leaders Association filed the suit, which asserts that Maryland's law, and a similar one in Suffolk County, N.Y., violate federal law--specifically the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

The Maryland General Assembly passed the law last month over Republican Gov. Robert Ehrlich's veto. The law requires companies with more than 10,000 employees in Maryland to spend at least 8 percent of payroll on health care or contribute the difference to the state Medicaid fund.

In Maryland, Wal-Mart is the only known company that does not meet that standard.