Paid Leave, Parole and Minimum Wage
MichiganVotes weekly roll call report
By Jack McHugh
Legislative Initiative Petition 3, Mandate employers provide paid leave: Passed 24 to 13 in the Senate
To mandate that all employers in the state (except federal agencies) grant employees one hour of paid leave for every 30 hours worked, up to a total of 40 hours annually for small businesses, and 72 hours annually for larger employers. The leave could be used for individual or family medical issues, domestic violence issues, school meetings and more. Employers would be required to keep relevant records for five years, and under procedures specified in the measure, a violation claim by an employee could potentially subject an employer to a legal presumption of having broken the law.
Note: The measure was placed before the legislature by an initiated law petition drive, which requires it either be passed legislatively or placed on the ballot. If placed on the ballot and approved, any future amendments would require a ¾ supermajority vote in the House and Senate. But if enacted by the legislature, it can be amended later with a simple majority vote. Negotiations are underway over amending the measure after the November, 2018 election so as to require employers to provide paid leave but with less burdensome record keeping and legal liability provisions.
Legislative Initiative Petition 4, Increase statewide minimum wage mandate: Passed 24 to 13 in the Senate
To make it unlawful to pay a worker less than $12.00 per hour by 2022, by gradually increasing the current $9.25 per hour wage mandate. Also, to eliminate a lower minimum wage for tipped workers by 2024. (Under current law, while the mandated minimum is lower for tipped workers, employers must still pay the difference between the it and the regular minimum wage if tips come up short.) A lower minimum wage for 16- and 17-year-olds would also go up.
Note: The measure was placed before the legislature by an initiated law petition drive, which requires it either be passed legislatively or placed on the ballot. If placed on the ballot and approved, any future amendments would require a ¾ supermajority vote in the House and Senate. But if enacted by the legislature, it can be amended later with a simple majority vote. Negotiations are underway over amending the measure after the election removing its elimination of a separate minimum wage for tipped workers.
House Bill 5377, Ban using subjective considerations in parole decisions:
To require that any parole board departure from state parole guidelines be for substantial and compelling reasons that are "objective" and stated in writing. The bill prescribes a list of circumstances that would constitute substantial and compelling objective reasons for departing for the guidelines when considering a particular case and prisoner.
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