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Fourth & Long: Initiative 77 On the Verge of Being Repealed


This past June, voters in the District of Columbia approved a ballot measure, Initiative 77, that would have eliminated the two tier wage system and was set to raise the hourly pay rate for tipped workers in the city from its current rate of $3.33/hour up to $15/hour in the coming years.  The first wage hike was set to go into effect today, October 9th.  While Initiative 77 was approved with room to spare, opponents of the measure started to urge the D.C. Council to take steps to repeal it.  Critics of Initiative 77 had long argued that the wording of the measure was needlessly complex and poorly worded, not to mention the claim that businesses in the District would struggle to cover these rising labor costs.  As a result, not long after Initiative 77 was approved by voters, the D.C. Council began to confer and hold hearings on whether to repeal or delay the implementation of the wage hike.

Well lo and behold, last week, the D.C. Council held a vote and with an 8 - 5 vote against Initiative 77, came one step closer toward repealing the measure.  Next stop:  Mayor Muriel Bowser who will have the choice on whether to sign the repeal bill or reject it.  Those who have closely followed the matter have pointed out that Mayor Bowser has previously expressed her opposition to Initiative 77.  As a result, it is widely expected that the Mayor will sign the repeal bill.

It is worth noting that prior to the repeal of Initiative being approved by the D.C. Council, emergency legislation was passed to delay the implementation of Initiative 77 from today until next March.  In all likelihood, this is a stopgap to kick the can down the road while the D.C. Council continues to work to fully repeal the measure.

At the moment, the future of Initiative 77 looks cloudy at best.  Stay tuned.


 

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