A Michigan Court of Appeals panel ruled Thursday that the Legislature's effort in 2018 to adopt and amend ballot initiatives in the same session was legal, blocking a nearly $3 to $8 an hour hike in the state's minimum wage from going into effect next month.
The three-judge panel's unanimous ruling overturns a lower court's decision, which would have allowed the state's minimum wage to jump from $10.10 per hour to $13.03 per hour on Feb. 19. Tipped workers were going to see their hourly minimum soar from $3.75 to $11.73 per hour under a 2018 voter-initiated law that the Legislature amended after adopting.
The appeals court ruled a Republican-controlled Legislature had the constitutional power to change minimum wage and paid sick time laws that had been initiated by citizens through a petition process.
"Because there are no limitations with respect to the amendment of initiated laws beyond the initial 40-session day period for legislative action, the Legislature is free to amend laws adopted through the initiative process during the same legislative session," Court of Appeals Judge Christopher Murray wrote in the majority opinion.
Mark Brewer, a lawyer for the groups that backed the proposals, said his clients were disappointed and would appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court.
"My reaction is that 658,000 workers have suffered a setback and families are negatively impacted by this ruling," said Chris White, state director of Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United, a...
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