LAS VEGAS — It’s a taxing question that might just tip the Silver State’s voting results in Donald Trump’s favor come Election Day. Since the former president’s June 9 declaration of “No Tax on Tips” during a well-attended outdoor rally in Sin City, the idea has caught on with workers in several tip-reliant occupations, from brothels to beauty parlors. Food and drink servers, unionized or not, also approve.
But it’s a long trip from the serving floor to the enactment of legislation. Despite an impressive lineup of backers — some of whom have no kind words for the ex-prez — the notion still faces formidable odds. Among supporters are the Silver State’s two US Senators, Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, who’ve signed on as the sole Democrat co-sponsor s of the “No Tax on Tips Act” introduced in June by Texas GOP Sen.
Ted Cruz. In the House, Nevada Reps. Steven Horsford and Susie Lee are the only Democrats to co-sponsor Rep.
Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) measure that mirrors the Cruz bill. Progress appears slow: The Cruz bill, S.
4 621, was assigned in June to the Senate Finance committee. H.R.
8941, the Donalds bill, was sent to the House Ways and Means panel. But neither measure has been scheduled for hearings. Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer of the Culinary Workers Union Local 226, would love to see the taxman barred from the tip jar.
Pappageorge told The Post that between 18,000 and 20,000 of his local’s 60,000 members are tipped employees. .