(The Center Square) – Battle lines are being drawn at the Illinois statehouse over whether to get rid of a lower minimum wage for tipped workers statewide.
While some are advocating for tipped workers to get the minimum wage with tips on top, a legislator who also owns restaurants says such a move would be devastating to the economy.
Advocates from the group One Fair Wage organized a rally outside of the Illinois statehouse Tuesday as legislators were returning.
State Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez, D-Cicero, explained why she supports the effort.
“Eliminating the sub-minimum wage is the right thing to do for workers, it’s the right thing to do for businesses and it’s the right thing to do for the state economy,” Hernandez said.
State Rep. Mike Coffey, R-Springfield, who owns several restaurants, said while there may be good intentions for such a move, if passed into law, it would hurt consumers, employers and employees across the board.
“It’ll create unemployment. It will be hazardous to the business community, especially the restaurant community where you’ll see many of them go out of business, so it’s just not good,” Coffey told The Center Square.