The proposal from Maryland Del. Adrian Boafo would ask voters to decide, similar to how D.C. residents voted in 2022 on a ballot initiative to do away with the tipped minimum wage.

Jawando will withdraw his bill Tuesday to focus on a state effort to eliminate tipped wage, his office says in a statement.

Some workers have seen their wages increase thanks to a ballot initiative D.C. voters passed last year. Still, they worry about full implementation if it means people stop tipping.

Meanwhile, Prince George’s County Councilmember Edward Burroughs says he will introduce a bill to eliminate tip credit this session too.

The Department of Employment Services is facing pushback from restaurants and at least one councilmember for a recent round of violation notices.

D.C. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie’s bill is almost as contentious as Initiative 82, the measure that ends the District’s tipped minimum wage.

The “Keep Restaurant Workers in Prince George’s County” grant awards restaurateurs between $5,000 and $7,500 to transition away from tipped minimum wage.

Employers with tipped workers will have to pay $6 per hour beginning in May 2023, and $8 starting in July 2023.

Restaurant owners and advocates are considering lobbying the D.C. Council for legislative changes that could help offset the costs of phasing out the tipped wage.

Most D.C. bars and restaurants do not report tipped wage data to the D.C. government, according to an analysis from pro Initiative 82 groups. But the local restaurant industry says the government hasn’t created the tip portal that helps their payroll companies submit data.