LANSING — Michigan’s lame duck session took an unexpected turn Friday, as the Republican minority announced they would withhold their votes until the House took up bills regarding upcoming changes to tipped wage and sick time policies.
“My message, and this caucus’s message to Speaker Tate is put up legislation right now to keep the earned sick leave policies and to protect our restaurant workers, and we aren’t going to come back on the floor today until that happens,” said Republican Leader Matt Hall, R-Richland Twp.
Hall says that his caucus is frustrated with the lack of action from Speaker Joe Tate, D-Detroit, on changes to the state’s tipped wage and earned sick time laws, which are set to go into effect Feb. 21 of next year.
“My advice to Speaker Tate is put those bills up today,” Hall said. “Keep those conversations alive. Commit to real conversations that will help Michigan workers, that will fix our roads and protect our small businesses and restaurants — or adjourn. Just adjourn.”
Lame duck session this week has been marked by hours-long stretches without votes, late night policymaking and a shuffling of the agenda, sometimes multiple times per day.
Still, Democrats have passed dozens of bills, including measures to provide defenses for human trafficking survivors, expand Michigan’s good samaritan laws and combat sextortion.
Tate said that Democrats would continue to work without their Republican colleagues.
“Democrats are here. Democrats are going to continue working and continue putting people first,” Tate said. “And it’s very disappointing that Republicans have decided to just walk out and have a temper tantrum, but we’re continuing to work and continuing to do our job.”
The House only requires 56 members for a quorum, but the move could complicate the passage of some thorny issues for Democrats.
The wage and sick time changes, approved by the Michigan Supreme Court this summer, would begin the phase out of Michigan’s tipped wage and entitle workers to new sick time policies.
Democrats appear to be split on the issue, with some wanting the changes to go into effect while others are open to extending the phaseout or eliminating the changes entirely.
Tate says that he has attempted to work with republicans on solutions to the issues, but the parties have yet to make any legislative progress.
“We can’t have a bipartisan solution if we don’t have Republicans at the table and Republicans here wanting to do the work,” he said. “Again, it’s rather disappointing that we’re seeing this.”
Under the current legislative schedule, the House would need to pass a bill Friday for it to be considered by the state senate before lawmakers break for Christmas, though the specifics could be amended over the next week.
Republicans could take up changes to the wage policies once they regain control of the House in January, but restaurant industry advocates have said a response by the end of the year would alleviate confusion for workers and business owners.
