LANSING, Mich. — Michigan House Republicans brought a lame duck session of the state legislature to a halt Friday afternoon, walking out of the chamber in protest over the agenda for the day's voting.
"My message in this caucus is message to Speaker Tate is put up legislation right now to keep the earned sick leave policies alive and to protect our restaurant workers, and we aren't going to come back on the floor today until that happens," said State Rep. Matt Hall (R-Richland Township).
Hall, who will take the Speaker of the House role come January, led the walkout on Friday. He and the rest of the Republicans in the state house held a press conference in a wing of the Capitol building after leaving the chamber.
"There have been no conversations going on in these issues," said Hall. "So my thing is, just, you know, my advice to Speaker Tate is, put those bills up today, keep those conversations alive."
The end of the tipped wage scale and new paid sick leave requirement has a troubled history in Michigan. A ballot initiative in 2018 would have let voters decide, but the then-Republican majority in the state legislature passed the measures before the November election. Lawmakers amended them during the lame duck session after the election, slowing the rise in Michigan's minimum wage to $12.05 per hour until 2030. This action has been called "adopt and amend."
Many groups sued over the vote. This summer the Michigan Supreme Court ruled the legislature violated the state's constitution, ordering the original language of the proposals back into effect starting in 2025.
Republicans want to roll back changes to the state's minimum tipped wage, which would be eliminated in 2029, and soften requirements for most employers to provide paid sick leave.
Food industry groups say the changes would force one out of five restaurants out of business.
Two bills that would keep the tipped minimum wage and soften requirements for paid sick leave are currently sitting in committee without a scheduled hearing.
"We're here to protect our restaurant workers and our restaurant industry that's been ravaged by the Whitmer Administration and Democrats during the pandemic and activist courts and our restaurant workers are about to lose their jobs because of Democrat inaction in the house," said Hall.
Watch the full press conference from Rep. Matt Hall:
Current House Speaker Joe Tate (D-Detroit) called the Republicans' walk out an abandonment of voters.
"Democrats are here," Tate told reporters. "Democrats are going to continue working and continue putting people first, and it's very disappointing that Republicans have decided to just walk out and have a temper tantrum, but we're continuing to work and continuing to do our job."
"I'm willing to have conversations," continued Tate. "But you know, again, nobody's here. Republicans aren't here. So how can we have a conversation if they're not here, we've decided to go in and make snow angels out in front of the Capitol, I guess. But they're not here having a conversation."
When asked if he would put the Republican bills up for a vote before the legislative year ends next week, Tate wouldn't commit to it.
"We'll have to see."
Watch the full press conference from Speaker Joe Tate:
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