I hope everyone is staying warm and comfortable as we look forward to the end of winter. In this update, I will be discussing our upcoming community conversation, my committee assignments and the minimum wage and earned sick time amendments that the Legislature has been working on this year. Please contact my office by email at ReginaWeiss@house.mi.gov or by phone at (517) 373-0844 if you need help from the state government, and I hope to see you around the district soon!
All the best,
Regina Weiss
State Representative
House District 5
Community Conversation Dates
Community conversations are chances to connect directly with me in the district. If you have any issues or just want an update on what has been happening in Lansing, these are wonderful opportunities to meet up in person. We will be having a conversation at the Northwest Activity Center located at 18100 Meyers Road, Detroit, MI 48235 on Friday, Feb. 28, from noon-1 p.m. More information is available in my Facebook event. I hope to see you there!
Committee Assignments
This session I have been assigned to the House Committee on Education and Workforce and the Committee on Natural Resources and Tourism. This is my first time serving exclusively on policy committees as a legislator. While I will miss serving on the Appropriations Committee, I look forward to the work I will be able to do on these policy committees.
Minimum Wage and Earned Sick Time Update
During the 2018 legislative session, Republicans in the state legislature adopted two ballot initiatives that had gathered the necessary signatures to be put before the voters instead of letting them appear on the November ballot. Had they been approved by voters, these measures would have increased the minimum wage, phased out the tipped minimum wage and provided every worker in the state of Michigan with time off if they were sick. After the election, House Republicans changed these proposals, reducing many provisions which I believe were key. The Legislature was taken to court for the adopt and amend strategy they used, and this summer the State Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional.
This ruling started a timeline for the original proposals to become law on Feb. 21. The Legislature has since stepped in to amend this proposal again. I was strongly opposed to any changes to these measures and voted no on all bills that were proposed to amend them. This was a minority opinion, however. Senate Bill 8, a bill that caps the tipped wage at 50% of the minimum wage, passed both chambers. House Bill 4002, a bill that reduces the potential sick leave benefits for all employees of small businesses and extends the waiting period for all employees in Michigan, was also passed by the Legislature.