SAINT PAUL – Tonight the Minnesota House of Representatives will be voting on HF 1027, the Tip Penalty bill authored by Rep. Pat Garfalo (R-Farmington). This bill, if enacted, would reduce wages for thousands of waiters, waitresses and other tipped employees across Minnesota.
Rep. Tim Mahoney (DFL-Saint Paul) issued the following statement:
“We shouldn’t be taking money out of the pockets of workers, especially those who rely on tips to survive. Two thirds of tipped employees are women, half of whom are over thirty and already working to support themselves on pay that’s less than what men earn. When you combine that with the fact that many of these women are working to support families, it doesn’t make any sense to single them out and take money out of their pockets.
“We shouldn’t be making it any harder for Minnesotans to earn a living wage. We reward people for hard work and make sure they have opportunities to get ahead. The tip penalty is bad for our economy and it’s bad for the people of Minnesota who are working and raising families.”