Michigan Supreme Court restores minimum wage and sick leave laws reversed by Republicans years ago
The Michigan Supreme Court has overruled the Legislature and reinstated major changes to the state’s minimum wage and sick leave laws
DETROIT — The Michigan Supreme Court overruled the Legislature on Wednesday, reinstating major changes to the state's minimum wage and paid sick leave laws, a victory for low-wage workers.
In a 4-3 decision, the court said Republican lawmakers violated the state constitution.
The laws were the result of a 2018 petition drive that collected more than 280,000 signatures.
The Legislature had options, including putting the proposed laws on the ballot for voters to decide or simply adopting them. GOP lawmakers chose to approve them — but then watered them down after that year's election, before Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took over in 2019.
Republican Gov. Rick Snyder signed the rollback legislation before he left office, triggering years of legal challenges that finally reached a climax at the state’s highest court.
“Allowing the Legislature to bypass the voters and repeal the very same law it just passed in the same legislative session thwarts the voters’ ability to participate in the lawmaking process,” Justice Elizabeth Welch wrote.
Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat who took the side of the petition organizers, said the court's decision was a “resounding affirmation of the power of direct democracy.”
Welch and three justices who joined her opinion are aligned with the Democratic Party, while three justices who disagreed are aligned with the Republican Party.
Michigan's minimum wage now is $10.33 per hour; less for workers in restaurants and other tip industries. It would have increased to $12 by 2022 under the plan in the petition drive.
The Supreme Court said a new wage
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