Friends,
In this email, I’ll share some important legislative updates as well as information on my upcoming events here in Senate District 3.
As always, please feel free to reach out to share your thoughts or seek assistance with any challenges you may be facing with state departments. You can email me at senschang@senate.michigan.gov or call 517-373-7346.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Chang
State Senator
District 3
- Join me for a coffee and conversation THIS Monday, March 3, from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. at Kitab Cafe in Detroit.
- The Michigan Legislature recently passed Senate Bill 8 and House Bill 4002, which amended the minimum wage law and Earned Sick Time Act that were slated to go into effect on February 21. I voted no on both bills — read on to understand why.
- Help protect yourself and your loved ones from Social Security-related scams by learning about the most recent scams, reporting scams right away, and sharing these tips with others.
Coffee & Conversation with Sen. Chang
WHEN: Monday, March 3, from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. (Please note this event was originally scheduled for 10:00 a.m.)
WHERE: Kitab Cafe – Detroit Location, 422 W. Willis St., Detroit, MI 48201
Midtown Inc. Detroit Chinatown Streetscape Public Meeting
Last year, I was proud to secure funding in the state budget for streetscape improvements in Detroit’s Historic Chinatown at Cass Ave. and Peterboro St. Come share your thoughts with Midtown Inc., American Citizens for Justice (ACJ), Smith Group, and me about your visions for this block
RSVP at this link: https://bit.ly/MidtownChinatown
WHEN: Monday, March 10, from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: MSU Detroit Center, 3408 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48201
Coffee & Conversation with Sen. Chang & Rep. MacDonnell
WHEN: Friday, March 21, from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
WHERE: Tavern on the Main, 235 S. Main St., Clawson, MI 48017
Minimum Wage & Earned Sick Leave: Why I Voted “No”
In the past few weeks, the Michigan Legislature passed Senate Bill 8 and House Bill 4002, which amended the minimum wage law and Earned Sick Time Act that were slated to go into effect on February 21. I voted no on both bills, and I’ll share my reasons for doing so.
On House Bill 4002, I appreciate the hard work and differing perspectives of my colleagues who voted yes, but I felt strongly that the several changes to the Earned Sick Time Act take away important benefits and protections from workers. There are some important improvements that I am glad were included in the bill, allowing employers who have a broader paid time off bank to utilize that for earned paid sick time, allowing employers to “frontload” hours rather than accruing, and other changes that account for people with multiple employers. With that said, there were some major problems with the bill. Below are a few main reasons why I voted no.
The law that was originally slated to go into effect included a private right of action. Essentially what that means is that if a worker is being mistreated by their employer with regard to earned paid sick time, that worker could take their employer to court. Private right of action is a critical tool for accountability on most other worker rights — in other words, ensuring that the law has “teeth.” In House Bill 4002, the private right of action was removed from the law. That means that workers now will lack this tool that was previously at their disposal and the legislature chose to take away this important accountability mechanism.
Additionally, House Bill 4002 now has permissive language that will allow employers to wait 120 days before a new employee(s) can use earned paid sick time. The law that was slated to go into effect on February 21 included this provision at 90 days. What does this mean? It means now employers could choose to make their employee(s) wait one whole extra month after they start working before they can take time off to care for themselves or their loved ones.
Lastly, well-intentioned language in the bill that was included to allow flexibility for employers whose employees set their own schedules (like doctors, etc.) is written in a way that very well could weaken protections and benefits for retail workers or gig workers who “technically” set their own schedules but may be intimidated or forced by their employer to work more hours than they freely would have chosen. If this goes unaddressed, some vulnerable workers will be left without the protections and benefits they deserve. This fight isn’t over though; I’m ready to keep working for the pay, benefits and working conditions that all Michiganders deserve.
On Senate Bill 8, my main reason for voting no was because this bill continues the practice of tipped workers making half (and for a few years, less than half) of what other workers make. We know from the seven other states that successfully phased out the lower tipped minimum wage, on average, restaurant workers made 21% more in take-home pay because they made the regular wage, with tips on top. We also know from recent credit card studies that restaurant customers keep tipping, which means that a full phaseout of the lower tipped wage would have meant restaurant workers would have been better able to pay the bills and provide for their families. Additionally, we know that a lower tipped minimum wage has led to too many instances of restaurant workers having to put up with sexual or other types of harassment, just so they can make enough money from tips to live. That is unacceptable.
Also, we know that fully addressing the lower tipped wage would have helped combat poverty for families. One-third of workers in tipped industries have children, including 11 percent with two children, and poverty rates are even higher for parents in these industries than for workers without children. According to the Center for American Progress, “Half as many tipped workers with children under the age of 5 are in poverty in one fair wage states than in low and mid states — 1 in 8 workers compared with 1 in 4, respectively. Notably, while all groups have lower poverty rates in states without a tipped minimum, the reduction in poverty is greater for parents, and by extension their children, than for childless workers in these key industries.”
I am disappointed in this outcome but respect the varying opinions we’ve heard from my colleagues and most importantly from across our district. My team and I were glad to hear from so many residents on both sides of this issue.
Michigan’s Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity has developed informational resources about the Earned Sick Time Act, which you can find here.
Stay Protected and Slam the Scam
With National Slam the Scam Day around the corner (March 6), the Social Security Administration wants to spread awareness about Social Security-related scams and tips on how to stop scammers from stealing your money and personal information. Help protect yourself and your loved ones by:
- Learning about the most recent scams. Signs of a scam include:
- An unexpected problem or offer of a prize or benefit increase,
- Pressure to act immediately, and
- A request for an unusual payment like cryptocurrency, gift cards, gold bars, and wire transfers, potentially along with the promise of keeping your money “safe.”
- Reporting scams as soon as possible. Everyone is vulnerable — victims shouldn’t be embarrassed.
- Sharing their Scam Alert fact sheet and helping inform others on how to protect themselves.
Report Social Security-related scams to the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General.
Tax Tips: Keep More of Your Tax Return
Tax season is here! If you haven’t done so already, it’s time to get out your tax documents and file with the state and federal government before Tuesday, April 15, 2025. In addition to saving with the retirement tax repeal and the expanded tax credit for working families, here are a few other quick tips to help you maximize your return this year:
- Avoid scams: For federal returns, the IRS will only initiate contact with you through regular mail delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. Make sure you do not share your personal tax information via phone, email, or social media. Learn more here.
- Utilize free resources: Michigan Free Tax Help connects Michiganders with free, high-quality income tax preparation assistance. Visit MichiganFreeTaxHelp.org to find local help.
- Take advantage of available deductions: You can deduct charitable contributions, property taxes, medical expenses and more from your federal 2024 taxes. Visit IRS.gov/credits-deductions for a full list.