WASHINGTON (AP) — An effort to require Wal-Mart and other large retailers to pay their employees a “living wage” of at least $12.50 an hour met its end Tuesday when the D.C. Council failed to override Mayor Vincent Gray’s veto.

The bill put Washington at the center of a national debate over compensation for low-wage workers — and whether some large companies should be required to pay more. Supporters said Wal-Mart can afford to pay higher wages, while opponents said the bill unfairly singled out certain businesses and would have a chilling effect on economic development.