{"id":2217,"date":"2025-02-21T14:55:22","date_gmt":"2025-02-21T19:55:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/senatedems.com\/hertel\/?p=2217"},"modified":"2025-02-21T14:55:23","modified_gmt":"2025-02-21T19:55:23","slug":"increasing-minimum-wage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/senatedems.com\/hertel\/2025\/02\/21\/increasing-minimum-wage\/","title":{"rendered":"Governor Whitmer\u00a0Signs Bipartisan Bills Protecting Michigan\u2019s Working Families, Expanding Paid Sick Leave\u00a0and Increasing Minimum Wage\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The bills will also support small businesses by making it easier to increase pay and grant sick leave for employees, making Michigan the best place to live, work, and invest<\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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LANSING, Mich.\u00a0 \u2013<\/b>\u00a0Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer\u00a0signed two\u00a0bipartisan\u00a0bills that will protect Michigan families against rising costs and inflation by increasing the state\u2019s minimum wage\u00a0and expanding paid sick leave policies.\u00a0These\u00a0bills bolster the Whitmer-Gilchrist\u00a0administration\u2019s commitment to\u00a0supporting working families and small businesses by forging a commonsense solution that keeps Michigan competitive to earn a paycheck and build your business. Including today\u2019s legislation, Governor Whitmer has signed a record 1,502 bipartisan bills into law since taking office.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“Michigan workers\u00a0deserve fair wages and benefits so they can pay the bills and take care of their family, and small businesses needs our support to keep creating good jobs in Michigan,\u201d said\u00a0Governor Whitmer<\/b>. \u201cI\u2019m\u00a0proud to sign these two bipartisan bills into law that will raise wages, ensure workers can take time off to care for themselves or their loved ones, and continue growing\u00a0our economy. This commonsense compromise was made possible by the Republicans and Democrats who worked together to forge a fair, bipartisan deal.\u00a0I hope we can build on this momentum to keep passing commonsense, bipartisan legislation that makes a real difference in people\u2019s lives. I\u2019ll\u00a0keep working with anyone to protect working families and make sure our economy is competitive.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The bills implement a solution to a problem created in 2018 when the Republican-controlled legislature decided to circumvent voters and take an unconstitutional action that has since been invalidated by the Michigan Supreme Court. Thanks to the partnership of Democrats and Republicans, led by House Speaker Matt Hall and Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, these bills will support Michigan\u2019s workers without hurting small business owners.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“With Governor Whitmer\u2019s signature today, thousands of community restaurants and tens of thousands of servers and bartenders can exhale, knowing their voice was heard,\u201d said\u00a0Justin Winslow, President & CEO of the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association<\/b>.\u00a0\u201cThey can now begin the work of planning for their collective future with the knowledge that a tip credit has once again been preserved. We’re especially grateful to all those who took the time to truly understand what was at stake – the servers who showed up in Lansing to share their stories, the legislators who visited countless restaurants to learn firsthand how the tip credit works and the many small business owners who opened their books to show the real numbers.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Senate Bill 8<\/a><\/b><\/span>, sponsored by state Senator Kevin Hertel (D-St. Clair Shores), will put more money in the\u00a0pockets of working families by increasing Michigan\u2019s minimum wage, with 731,000 workers overall\u00a0getting\u00a0a pay raise. After taking effect, Michigan workers will see historic increases in their paycheck.\u00a0And after the initial\u00a0pay raise, the bill also incrementally increases the minimum wage, reaching $15 an hour by January 1, 2027\u00a0and putting potentially $9,700 more in the pockets of 200,000 Michigan workers. This process\u00a0gives\u00a0employers and small business owners more flexibility as they adjust to these changes. After 2027, the minimum wage will increase each year according to inflation. The bill will also support restaurant workers and other tipped employees by incrementally increasing the tipped wage credit to match neighboring states, bringing Michigan up to the regional average. Ensuring these changes happen over time will give small businesses increased flexibility to pay their\u00a0employees fair wages without impacting\u00a0their ability to thrive in Michigan. This bill will support Michigan families as they work to put food on the table and pay the bills. Specifically, the bill will protect working Michiganders against rising prices caused by inflation. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the livelihoods of workers and business owners in our service industry were threatened with uncertainty, they didn\u2019t\u00a0care about politics \u2013 they just wanted their elected leaders to come together and find a solution to protect the tipped wage,\u201d said\u00a0state Senator Kevin Hertel<\/b>\u00a0(D-St. Clair Shores)<\/b>. \u201cI\u2019m\u00a0thankful for my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who stepped up, put politics aside, and worked in good faith to reach a compromise.\u00a0While there is no perfect solution that would satisfy all parties involved, we were able to deliver a fair, bipartisan agreement that not only protects but improves the tipped wage to ensure workers get a meaningful\u00a0raise, while employers are able to continue running their businesses.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

House Bill 4002<\/a><\/b><\/span>, sponsored by state Representative Jay DeBoyer\u00a0(R-Clay), will protect Michigan\u2019s workers by expanding paid sick leave policies in the workplace. Specifically, the bill increases flexibility for working families by allowing employees to use paid leave to\u00a0bring your child to a\u00a0<\/span><\/span>doctor\u2019s appointment, stay home to protect your coworkers from illness,\u00a0and more. Additionally, the bill would ensure that employers cannot require\u00a0employees find their own replacement when using earned sick time.\u00a0The bill also supports small business owners by improving the ability for small businesses to provide\u00a0their workers earned sick time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“Michigan workers and small businesses have been bracing for confusing, costly new mandates today,\u201d\u00a0said state Representative<\/b>\u00a0Jay DeBoyer<\/b>\u00a0(R-Clay)<\/b>.\u00a0\u201cAlthough this legislation doesn’t\u00a0solve every problem, it moves things back in the right direction. House Republicans have been advocating for the people of Michigan, and compared to what was coming, this legislation helps Michigan workers keep good jobs, income, and benefits, and it improves conditions for small businesses. I appreciate the governor signing this plan into law, and I look forward to continuing to support working families and local job providers.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Protecting Michigan\u2019s Working Families<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Whitmer-Gilchrist\u00a0administration has been committed to supporting working families and ensuring that everyone can \u201cMake it in Michigan.\u201d Since taking office, the Whitmer-Gilchrist\u00a0administration has: \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n