A state House bill would retain the lower minimum wage of just under four dollars an hour for tipped workers.
If the bill doesn't pass, within about five years, a new law will require restaurants to pay tipped workers the regular minimum wage.
Democratic Representative Nate Shannon introduced the bill. He says some restaurants could close if the law goes into effect and workers could lose their jobs.
Shannon says his office tried to find workers in favor of the law --
“Not one has reached out to us, because they don't want this. I, when I was in college, I was a server for many years, I would not have done that job for minimum wage, I made more than $15 an hour and that was years ago."
Hundreds of waiters and bartenders rallied at the state Capitol in September against the new law.
The labor group One Fair Wage opposes Shannon's bill. It says restaurant workers deserve a regular minimum wage plus tips.
