State Rep. Mike Harris joined colleagues for a press conference on Friday, where Republican members announced they will not vote on any more bills until House Democrats prioritize policies to save the jobs and incomes of tipped restaurant servers and bartenders.

Without legislative intervention, the hospitality industry faces mass layoffs and business closures early in 2025. But instead of focusing on this pressing issue, Democrats continue to prioritize leftist policies like letting criminals out of jail, giving driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants, and raising fees across the state.

“The Democrat majority is leaving servers and bartenders without the solution they need to save their tips,” said Harris, R-Waterford. “Restaurant workers put food on our tables, and the tips they earn put food on their own tables. These hard-working Michiganders need their representatives to put in the work and bring back the tipped wage. I hope my Democrat colleagues will stop playing games so we can work together to support our restaurant workers.”

A recent survey by the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association illustrates the dire consequences of letting the radical changes in the 2018 proposals stand:

• 66% of restaurant owners say they would be forced to lay off employees.
• 20% would be forced to shut their doors.
• 42% would be forced to cut operating hours.
• More than 92% of restaurants would be forced to hike prices, with many anticipating increases of 20% to 25% by early 2025.

Another survey found that 82% of Michigan restaurant servers wanted to keep the tipping system in place, and 79% worried about losing their job with the tip credit eliminated.