Policymakers across the country are confronting the unfortunate—and predictable—economic results of prohibiting restaurants from paying servers a lower base wage supplemented by tips.
The mayor characterized it as a victory against corporate greed. Meanwhile, 65 percent of affected drivers were underpaid by $1 or less, and the average underpayment was $7.70.
A lawsuit alleges New York City's Rent Guidelines Board broke the law by arbitrarily predetermining the outcome.
I've been working in law and public policy for over 15 years, and even I had a hard time making sense of Chicago's permit rules for food vendors.
A challenge to the federal prohibition on home distilling could give the Supreme Court a chance to rein in Congress’ Commerce Clause power.
A federal judge temporarily blocked it from taking effect. But the legal fight is ongoing.
The misleadingly named "Delivery Protection Act" would require companies like Amazon and FedEx to directly hire employees for last-mile delivery, rather than contracting this service out to subcontractors.
California notoriously fought to do the same, which led to a slew of exemptions and job declines.
Food-related taxes are rising in popularity, though they hurt restaurants and customers—and may even fail as a revenue-raising tool.
Standard minimum wage and overtime laws now apply to the state's goat herders, whose animals clear brush and reduce fire danger. The costs are unsustainable.
The legislation would eliminate the tip credit for restaurant workers and other tipped employees—which has not worked out well in the past.
It's a temporary reprieve for a sector that has been struggling for years. But the fight is just getting started.
Zohran Mamdani's administration has not studied how New York City's government-backed grocery stores will affect nearby mom-and-pop outlets, which operate on thin profit margins.
It is in part an attempt to treat gig workers as full-scale employees rather than independent contractors. Drivers and riders will pay the price.
The economic fallout of the law has been significant. Is it even legal?
The surprising move saves taxpayers from a steep bill—for now.
The GOP wants to be the party of labor. The Faster Labor Contracts Act isn't the way to do that.
Democratic state lawmakers want to give tax carveouts to certain restaurants. The real problem is New Jersey's tax code itself.
The restrictions are often framed as a crime prevention measure. But the fine print points to a different motivation: adding union jobs.
The proposal would eliminate the tipped-wage credit and send labor costs skyrocketing in an industry notorious for its tight margins.
Republicans and Democrats preach about food affordability. Yet their policies continue to make it worse.
Act 10 saved taxpayers billions and helped government run more efficiently. Fifteen years later, a questionable legal challenge may doom it.
The government's new rule reverses a Biden-era anti-contracting directive and returns to a more contractor-friendly posture. But will this tug of war ever end?
While eliminating the tipped wage may sound like a win on paper for waiters, the results have been disconcerting.
As demand for trips has plummeted in the wake of the wage hikes, the Drivers Union is trying to limit the number of gig workers on the road.
Legislators are trying to pass their own state version of an outdated antitrust law—one that is dead at the federal level for a reason.
Amid a $5.4 billion budget deficit, the mayor of New York City is pushing forward with a proposal that has historically yielded terrible results.
The legislation would almost certainly lead to a higher cost of living in the form of substantial tax increases.
New York City's own past policies are to blame for much of the gig economy drama, which Mayor Mamdani will further exacerbate.
Lower courts keep inventing loopholes to uphold discriminatory booze regulations.
A Canadian boycott and retaliatory trade barriers have wiped out U.S. wine and spirits sales abroad, costing American producers jobs, revenue, and entire export markets.
If progressives distrust Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vision of healthy eating, they should rethink giving the government control over grocery aisles.
Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed a bill mandating two-person subway crews, but union contracts and bipartisan support ensure New Yorkers will keep paying for them anyway.
Increased hourly rates corresponded with lower tips and fewer orders to share between drivers, leaving gig workers no better off than they were before the law passed.
As traditional gathering places disappear, market-based funding could expand parks, courts, and other spaces that help people reconnect without raising taxes.
Democrats retook full control in Richmond and are already advancing right-to-work repeal, testing whether incoming Gov. Abigail Spanberger will stand by her campaign promise.
The fight over dietary guidelines is just part of a broader trend: Government at every level wants a say in what Americans eat.
Even after the Prop 22 rebuke, California is pushing a system that could standardize schedules and undermine gig work.
A new bipartisan bill aims to protect franchisors from punishment for their franchisees’ actions, signaling rare unity on economic freedom.
The surge in shelter surrenders is driven by housing instability, soaring vet costs, and a post-pandemic pet boom, not the cost of kibble.
Progressive politicians want to ban restaurants from adjusting prices based on demand—even when no one’s actually doing it.
Progressive cities are scrapping the tipped-wage credit, shifting workers from tax-free tips to taxable wages, and likely leading to lower take-home pay.
Lawmakers passed sweeping limits on public sector union power, but opponents have gathered record-breaking signatures to attempt to overturn it in 2026.
After restaurant delivery drivers quit in droves and costs soared, the city is expanding minimum wage rules to grocery couriers.
A new law hands hemp distribution to the same powerful middlemen who dominate liquor sales and block out-of-state suppliers.
Trump’s trade war is hitting wineries, distillers, and distributors with product shortages and soaring costs—leaving customers to pick up the tab.
A quiet push to declare “no safe level” of drinking has officially fizzled.
Florida officials can’t agree on whether unpasteurized milk is a health threat or benefit, leaving consumers more confused than if they were left to decide for themselves.
New from Reason: a look into what Javier Milei has accomplished and what it will take to make the most of Argentina’s window for real change. Out now for subscribers.
