Emmer wants to count worker tips in minimum wage

The Associated Press is reporting that GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer wants to factor tips into the hourly pay for minimum wage workers in restaurant and other gratuity-based jobs. Here's the story.

Minnesota is one of seven states that currently prohibits employers from paying workers less than minimum wage if they earn tips. The state has a minimum wage of $5.25 for small business and $6.15 for large businesses. Federal law allows states to drop the minimum wage to $2.13 an hour for employees who are tipped.

The Star Tribune also has its own story and quotes Emmer as saying the proposal is aimed at helping restaurants survive. The story includes the following quote:

"We want to make sure that everybody's successful. Not just the employees, but the people who want to enjoy our restaurants," Emmer said. "The employees can't survive -- they can't take home the money they want to -- if there aren't customers, and, more importantly, if the owners ... can't provide the jobs."

News of Emmer's proposal drew a swift reaction from the Minnesota DFL Party. DFL spokeswoman Kristin Sosanie issued the following statement.

“It was bad enough when Tom Emmer was just promising to cut thousands of jobs, but now he wants to cut wages too? That's appalling,” she said. “We need a governor who will fight to get Minnesotans back to work, not take money out of the pockets of middle class families and force them to worry even more about how they're going to pay the bills during these difficult times. If anyone needed any more proof of the extent to which Tom Emmer is out of touch with everyday Minnesotans, there it is.”