Watervliet, MI – State Rep. Pauline Wendzel is calling on Michigan Democrats to end their summer vacation and return to Lansing to save Michigan’s restaurants after a tone-deaf State Supreme Court issued a ruling that will disrupt the livelihoods of thousands of Michigan restaurant workers and small business owners.

“Today, Democrats on the Supreme Court issued a ruling that that strikes an existential blow to Michigan’s restaurant industry and the nearly 500,000 workers they employ,” Rep. Wendzel said. “While Democrats are out on the campaign trail, servers and bartenders are still hard at work but might find themselves in the unemployment line soon if Democrats don’t return to work and help House Republicans save Michigan jobs.”

According to Save MI Tips, nearly 79% of servers fear losing their jobs if the tip credit is eliminated while 83% of servers want to keep the current tipping system in place.  Under this ruling, 40% of restaurants across Michigan could go out of business when the tip credit skyrockets, thousands of workers will be laid off, and the cost of enjoying a meal with your family at a local restaurant will skyrocket.

“The job of the Court is to interpret the laws as written, not write their own,” Rep. Wendzel said. “The Legislature needs to return immediately to fix this problem, save thousands of Michigan jobs, and ensure the cost of daily life doesn’t get any more expensive for our families who are struggling under inflation caused by the Biden/Harris Administration.

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