By, Michelle Hazekamp

In the final days after the 2024 Presidential Election, the 102nd Michigan Legislative session  came to a dramatic end defined by a flurry of bad bills, intraparty disputes, and legislative  walkouts during the so called “Lame Duck” session, meanwhile leaving critical issues effecting  Michigan residents unresolved and fueling criticism over leadership. 

As Republicans blasted Democrats for wasting critical hours of their trifecta control on leftist  social issues, more urgent issues facing Michiganders and small businesses were swept aside.  Instead, Democrats spared no time submitting 200+ bills containing some of the most heinous  legislation to enter a state floor. The following are just a few examples of what was presented by  the House during Lame Duck but did not pass: 

• -Eliminate work requirement for Medicaid. 
• -Free water for cities 
• -$25 billion of new pension debt 
• -Drivers licenses for illegal aliens 
• -Garbage, water, sewer & rain taxes 
• -Subsidies for Hollywood elites 
• -National Popular Vote 
• -Ranked Choice Voting 
• -Eliminate charter schools 
• -Early release violent felons 
• -Eliminate cash bonds for violent felons 
• -Prohibit 80% of Michigan construction workers from working on public works projects  • -Making it near impossible to redevelop brownfields  
• -Cap on what landlords can charge for rent 
• -Toll Roads 
• -Billions of new corporate welfare 
• -$10m for tampons in boy bathrooms 
• -$500 tax credit for e-bikes 
• -Forcing libraries to carry porn in children’s sections 
• -Call prostitution “commercial sex activity” 
• -Legalize sodomy  
• -Double the cost for marriage license 
• -$250m for GM to tear down the Renaissance Center while they’re laying off thousands  of workers
• -New gun bans & gun store/manufacturing liability 
• -Increased fees to go hunting & fishing 
• -Higher costs to employ workers 
• -New payroll tax on workers 
• -More government owned property & less private owned property 
• -Shutting down rural & urban hospitals dealing with staff shortages 
• -Unlimited lawsuits on small business 
• -Higher auto insurance rates 
• -Rulemaking authority to EGLE that would take away private property rights • -Retail store licensure 
• -Increasing the cost to install septic systems 
• -A massive, partisan end of the year spending bill 

On Friday, December 13, 2024, the House Republicans walked out of chamber in utter disgust  and refused to come back into session until action was taken on the Earned Sick Time Act and  tipped wages, requiring House Democrats to have all their 56 members in attendance to vote on  and pass legislation. House Republicans never returned to session and on Wednesday,  December 18, 2024, Rep. Karen Whitsett (D-4) of Detroit also refused to come back to session  unless certain legislation was voted on, including changes to the paid sick leave law and the  tipped wage. This left the House without the ability to vote on any bills, and on the afternoon of  Thursday, December 19, they adjourned for the year. Meanwhile after a historical 29-hour session in the Senate, on December 20th, the lame duck session finally came to a grueling end. 

While State Legislatures were playing rush-n-roulette with our livelihoods however, they did fail  to act on critical changes to the Earned Sick Time Act and restoring the tipped wage for  restaurant servers.  

Restoration of the Tipped Wage – Along with the consecutive minimum wage increases  beginning February 21, 2025, the tip credit for restaurant servers will also be phased out by the  year 2030. The table below shows both the minimum wage and server minimum wage yearly  increases through 2028. 

Date Tip Credit Rate 

February 21, 2025 48% of minimum wage February 21, 2026 60% of minimum wage

February 21, 2027 $11.35 plus inflation adjustment 70% of minimum wage February 21, 2028 $12.00 plus inflation adjustment 80% of minimum wage 

A recent Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association survey that found that most restaurants  (more than 92%) would hike prices, with many anticipating increases of 20% to 25% by early  2025. 

Roughly two-thirds (66%) of restaurant owners said they would lay off employees. Another one  in five (20%) would shut their doors, while nearly half (42%) would cut operating hours. 

One of the goals of the Michigan Legislature during the lame duck session was to restore the  tipped wage and eliminate the minimum wage requirements to servers. The elimination of the  tipped wage credit will limit the earning potential of servers and force restaurant owners to cut  hours, jobs and increase menu prices for consumers. There is word that this is being revisited  this month by both the House and the Senate. 

Bills that did pass legislation impacting Michigan business’s include mandatory earned sick time and increased unemployment benefits. Both pieces of legislation will have huge ramifications  for Michigan businesses and customers alike. 

• Earned Sick Time – Employees will accrue one hour of paid earned sick time for every 30  hours worked. If an employer requests reasonable documentation (after 3 days), the  employer is responsible for paying all out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the employee  in obtaining it. Also, all earned sick time carries over and must be reinstated if the  employee separates for less than six months. 

• Increased Unemployment Insurance Benefits and Duration –increases unemployment  insurance weekly benefits from $364 to $614 over three years and the duration from 20