The Imperial Dominion of the South's Legislature

[Adam Griffin]

     Just saying, I'm not interested in creating a minimum hours requirement, though I suppose that is a lesser problem than that presented by the existence of dry counties. Any chance we can strike the minimum from the bill?

I would argue that without a minimum, any jurisdiction could bypass the requirement of no longer being dry by implementing an alcohol sales period of one hour or so per day. That would effectively keep such jurisdictions "dry" in actuality.

     But we could say then that jurisdictions cannot legislate hours of legal sales. My problem is that the bill as written requires a restaurant with a bar to sell alcohol during these hours. Perhaps they want to start selling alcohol at 9 PM instead of 8 PM. Well, they don't get to do that unless they want to shut down for the hour of 8-9 PM. That just isn't cool, if you ask me.

Can I interpret this to mean that you wish to allow an alcohol sales time-frame that is not regulated by local, state or regional government - rather, determined by private entities?

Furthermore, does this get us into amendment territory?

[Associate Justice PiT]

     Just saying, I'm not interested in creating a minimum hours requirement, though I suppose that is a lesser problem than that presented by the existence of dry counties. Any chance we can strike the minimum from the bill?

I would argue that without a minimum, any jurisdiction could bypass the requirement of no longer being dry by implementing an alcohol sales period of one hour or so per day. That would effectively keep such jurisdictions "dry" in actuality.

     But we could say then that jurisdictions cannot legislate hours of legal sales. My problem is that the bill as written requires a restaurant with a bar to sell alcohol during these hours. Perhaps they want to start selling alcohol at 9 PM instead of 8 PM. Well, they don't get to do that unless they want to shut down for the hour of 8-9 PM. That just isn't cool, if you ask me.

Can I interpret this to mean that you wish to allow an alcohol sales time-frame that is not regulated by local, state or regional government - rather, determined by private entities?

Furthermore, does this get us into amendment territory?

     Pretty much. I think that such decisions as the circumstances of selling a certain product to legal buyers thereof should be left to the sellers. I'm not sure why that would require an amendment, though.

[Adam Griffin]

     Pretty much. I think that such decisions as the circumstances of selling a certain product to legal buyers thereof should be left to the sellers. I'm not sure why that would require an amendment, though.

You should have just said so!

I offer a heavily-amended version of my initial proposal:

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[Associate Justice PiT]

     My apologies. Communicating oneself properly through type can be quite difficult. No matter how much practice you get, there are sometimes when you just can't make your point well enough.

[Donerail]

Well then. Concerns addressed.

[Adam Griffin]

Seeing as how it appears a supermajority of Legislators' wishes have been considered, I bring the amended version to the floor for a vote.


Please cast your ballots in the affirmative, negative or an abstention.

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[Adam Griffin]

AYE

[Wisconsin+17]

NAY!

[Donerail]

Abstain.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Aye

[Zanas]

I'll vote Aye on this.

I'm sorry I've been a bit busy IRL.

I'll just say the government can, must, and do tell private entities and people what they should do and how they should do it all the time. It's no big deal. I would have been comfortable with the unamended version of this.

[Adam Griffin]

By a vote of 3-1-1, the Blue Law Cessation and Alcohol Standardization Act passes the Imperial Legislature and awaits the Emperor's decision.

[Adam Griffin]

Based on the previously agreed-upon queue, the next order of business pertains to the Tips and Commission Independence Act.

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Let debate commence.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     I don't know why, but talking about business administration rights makes me transform into Super Libertarian. I'm glad that we were able to reach an agreement there.



     On the Blue Law Cessation and Alcohol Standardization Act: by the powers vested in me as Emperor of this region, I thus sign it into law.

     Be it resolved, X Emperor PiT

[Wisconsin+17]

Since I don't believe in a minimum wage, I don't see why tips should be included in one. Support.

[Zanas]

I am wholly in favor of that bill. We could well be developing on several other kinds of income that should not be counted in the minimum wage count, but this bill is for tips and commissions and should stay like this.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Of course. The beauty of tipped positions is the fun of hiding that income from the IRS.

[Adam Griffin]

Does the Co-Speaker have any opinions on this legislation?

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Slow week here in the ole legislature.

[Wisconsin+17]

After elections in a few days, we should recess for the new year.

[Donerail]

This won't help. Hiring workers isn't any different from buying any other product, and if pizza costs more, you will buy less pizza. If workers cost more to put on the payroll, fewer workers will be hired, and the people who'd get fired (if it raises prices that drastically) aren't the CEOs, it's the poorly-educated or inexperienced or young people this law purportedly helps. You're pricing the people at the bottom out of the market. It does no good to have a higher wage if in the process the people end up with no jobs with which to be earning that wage.

And quite simply, if this is such a great idea, why not raise it to $20 an hour? $50? $200? $1000000? Employers do not have the arbitrary power to set wages. Employers can't simply smile and comply, because wages are not a function of employer whims. You are in competition with other employers for the right to purchase the labor of qualified persons. Quite simply, the markets are affected by supply and demand, the supply of workers and the demand for what they ultimately do supply. Raising the minimum wage must logically reduce the level of that employment: there has been no increase in demand or reduction in supply, there has just been a requirement to pay more than the market value for labor. That means that employers aren't making money off of the transaction, as the government doesn't set prices for what the employer sells, the market does.. If the employer has to raise prices to offset the minimum wage cost, sales volume and profitability decline. Industries that hire the most number of unskilled workers become less profitable, so their size and employment levels are reduced.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     I would point out that some time ago, the federal government jacked the minimum wage up to $12/hour. With that, businesses are really suffering around here. However, a more recent bill allows us to reduce miimum wage as low as $10.50/hour again....

[Wisconsin+17]

I agree with Sjoyce, but I don't see how this bill raises the minimum wage. If we are going to have a minimum wage then it should apply to all the workers, not just some. If we have an exemption for a certain class of workers, ie, servers, then aren't we effectively saying that there should be no minimum wage whatesoever? Why should we exempt tips, and not, say a certain percentage of the wage of everyone?

[Adam Griffin]

I agree with Sjoyce, but I don't see how this bill raises the minimum wage. If we are going to have a minimum wage then it should apply to all the workers, not just some. If we have an exemption for a certain class of workers, ie, servers, then aren't we effectively saying that there should be no minimum wage whatesoever? Why should we exempt tips, and not, say a certain percentage of the wage of everyone?

More or less I agree with the Legislator here. This bill is attempting to close a loophole that has existed in the region due to no clarification on our part. Under current law, employees who earn tips or commission can be effectively stiffed by their employers if their tips and commission are higher than their required minimum wage.

I think the argument for eliminating "variable" minimum wages that usually impact waiters and the like can and should be looked at too, but we're running short on time left in this legislative session.

[Wisconsin+17]

I move this be brought forth for a vote.