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National Restaurant Association: 5 Reasons Restaurateurs MUST Vote in November
October 28, 2014
The National Restaurant Association encourages restaurateurs to vote!
The results of this year’s midterm elections will be a determining factor in the direction of federal and state policies that impact restaurants. Here are five reasons restaurant operators need to turn out in force for the November 2014 elections:
- Vote no on mandates: Voters in four states will vote on ballot measures that will decide whether the state’s starting wage increases. Massachusetts voters will decide whether a paid-leave mandate—which would allow employees to take leave in one-and two-hour blocks—will become law. A strong turnout by restaurant and business owners can help defeat these potentially job-killing measures.
- Change the health care law. The outcome of the midterm elections will likely play a big part in determining whether much-needed changes will be made to the health care law. The House of Representatives has already passed a bill to change the law’s definition of full-time from 30 hours a week to a length in line with accepted business practices, but the Senate has yet to act. Changing the full-time definition is a critical element in preserving employee flexibility. Voting for candidates who support the change can help make it a reality.
- Maintain opportunities and economic growth. A bill that would have raised the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 and the cash wage for tipped employees from $2.13 to $7.07 failed in the Senate earlier this year, in part due to advocacy by restaurateurs who spoke to the need to maintain the economic recovery. The outcome of the midterm elections will help determine whether the bill resurfaces.
- Restore tax certainty for restaurants. Dysfunction in Congress has reached such a point that even bills once thought of as routine, like the renewal of key tax extenders that provide certainty for business, have gone unpassed. Cast your vote for candidates who support renewing pro-restaurant tax policies like the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, the 15-year depreciation schedule for restaurant improvements/new construction, and the enhanced charitable deduction for contributions of food inventory for all taxpayers. The NRA supports making all three permanent. Your vote can help decide whether it happens.
- Renew the discussion on immigration reform. Efforts at immigration reform have stalled since bipartisan legislation passed the Senate in July 2013, but reform still remains a hot topic of debate among candidates. Comprehensive immigration reform will ensure that restaurants have access to the workforce they need to keep up with demand and growth opportunities.
