The minimum wage and paid sick leave bills were the first significant test for the 103rd legislature, which began last month (Jan. 8, 2025), with Republicans controlling the House and Democrats holding the majority in the Senate.
“It shows that we can work together, listen to our constituents, find common ground, and move important policy forward,” said Democratic State Senator Kevin Hertel of St. Clair Shores.
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The legislature reached a deal on Thursday night (Feb. 20) with just minutes to spare.
“We had a couple of scares there late at night, where it looked like the thing might fall apart,” said House Speaker Matt Hall, a Republican from Richland Township.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the bills into law on Friday (Feb. 21) afternoon.
The laws amend the minimum wage and paid leave laws that went into effect on Friday due to a Michigan Supreme Court ruling last summer.
State lawmakers could have modified the laws during the last legislative session.
While serving as the minority leader, Hall led a Republican boycott of the lame-duck session by House Republicans, citing inaction by the Democrats, who controlled both chambers.
Hertel had hoped to address the minimum wage and paid sick leave issues last year, but he noted that there was a lot of politics involved.
“Sometimes it takes getting closer to a deadline to get something done. I’m happy we were able to get something done,” Hertel said.
Whitmer applauded lawmakers for reaching a deal.
“This commonsense compromise was made possible by the Republicans and Democrats who worked together to forge a fair, bipartisan deal. I hope we can build on this momentum to keep passing commonsense, bipartisan legislation that makes a real difference in people’s lives. I’ll keep working with anyone to protect working families and make sure our economy is competitive,” Whitmer said in a news release.
Hall believes the experience sets the tone for the parties going forward under a divided government.
“My hope is that it builds trust between the parties, and now we can take on another issue,” Hall said.