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Thursday, August 3, 2006

How Will Cantwell Vote?

Posted by on August 3 at 10:15 AM

The Senate may be considering a bill this week to raise the minimum wage from from $5.15 to $7.25. (Washington state’s is already at $7.63.)

The GOP is sponsoring the bill. That may sound weird, but the bill is actually a trade off from the GOP to get rid of the estate tax.

Liberal groups that traditionally clamor to raise the minimum wage, like labor unions, are balking at the bill because they argue that getting rid of the estate tax is a sop to the rich that will gut social programs.

The bill is a tricky one for Senator Cantwell. Not only is she being tempted with a vote to raise the minimum wage, but the bill would also allow Washington residents to permanently deduct the state sales tax from federal tax returns. (This has been one of Cantwell’s big goals, and she’s passed legislation to extend the deduction…but never has she gotten it to be permanent.)

In another bone to Cantwell (she’s said to be a key swing vote on the estate tax) the bill also includes tax breaks for the timber industry & tax breaks for R&D at Microsoft.

However, on the negative side, the bill would also include a “tip credit” (or tip deduction) that would allow restaurants to include tips in wait staff wages as counting toward the minimum wage payment. That provision is anathema to labor.

The bill passed the House last weekend. Our delegation split along party lines with our three Republicans voting for it … and 6 Ds against.


CommentsRSS icon

She just announced she's against it.

Why isn't The Sranger covering Seattle's attack on tip jobs?

I just caught a short segment about it on local TV news last night that raised more questions than it answered.

Am I gonna have to start getting my drinks poured by illegal aliens because 'Merkins are gonna stop taking tip jobs due the "Shitty Work For Shitty Pay" scenario?

Doesn't federal law already allow restaurants to use tipped income to supplement the wage they pay? Uh... because if it doesn't I have about five years worth of back pay coming.

Dang, the other Will beat me to saying she 's voting against it.

Remember, Bushies hate middle class and lower income Americans.

Cantwell and Murray were the two Democrats that voted for CAFTA. Cantwell will vote for this bill as well. She is afterall Repuglite.

Central America trade: By a 30-54 vote, senators passed a bill (S 1307) to implement the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), which lowers barriers to trade between the Unites States and the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

A yes vote was to approve CAFTA.

Voting yes: Cantwell, Murray.

Horace, it's different from state to state. In WA they pay minimum wage plus tips. In my home state of MA they don't, and wait people get around 2 or 3 bucks an hour. This bill would make every state follow the latter rule.

Wow, feeling pretty stupid now, eh Danny?

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