LANSING – The Michigan House on Thursday, following the lead of the Michigan Senate last Thursday, approved legislation that would hike the state’s minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.95 an hour beginning in October.
SB 318 won approval on a 73-34 vote. Twenty four Republicans voted for the increase along with 49 Democrats. The House version of the bill needs to be reconciled with the Senate version before going to Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who will sign it, her spokesperson said.
But the petition to raise the minimum wage as part of the state’s constitution, and peg annual ajustments to the rate of inflation, will continue no matter what happens, said Jason Moon, spokesperson for the Michigan Democratic Party. Putting it to a vote of the voters in November is seen by Democrats as a way to increase voter turnout in this gubernatorial election year – perhaps why Repubicans were so eager to approve an increase in the state’s minimum wage after protesting it would cost jobs.
Rep. Andy Meisner (D-Ferndale) said that 40 percent of the people earning minimum wage are the primary breadwinners in their families. House Minority Leader Dianne Byrum (D-Onondaga) thanked a tireless caucus and public pressure for giving minimum wage workers more in their paychecks. With more money, workers will turn around and put that money towards groceries and gas – boosting the state’s economy, she said.
And costing the state jobs, said House Speaker Craig DeRoche (R-Novi).
“Jobs will be lost because of the vote today, but far fewer jobs and for a shorter range,” he said. “The vote shows the Legislature can respond and that a ballot proposal is no longer needed.”
Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Zeeland) tried to amend the bill twice to allow employees who are younger than 18 years of age to make $1 less than the minimum wage and also allow universities and colleges to pay employee students at a rate of 85 percent of the minimum wage.
“I cannot in good conscience vote for a measure that does not factor in the purpose of entry-level work for students trying to gain experience and save some extra funds,” he said.
For Rep. Roger Kahn (R-Saginaw), who was one of the 24 Republicans to support the bill, said the for him, “It’s about people and not politics.”
DeRoche emphasized that he hoped with Wednesday’s vote to repeal the Single Business Tax that more businesses will add jobs in the state.
Here’s how the vote went down:
REPUBLICANS VOTING YES (24): Ball, Caswell, Caul, DeRoche, Farhat, Hummel, Jones, Kahn, Kooiman, LaJoy, D. Law, Marleau, Meyer, Moore, Mortimer, Nitz, Nofs, Palsrok, Pavlov, Proos, Rocca, Shaffer, Stahl, Stewart.
DEMOCRATS VOTING YES (49): Accavitti, Adamini, Anderson, Angerer, Bennett, Bieda, Brown, Byrnes, Byrum, Cheeks, Clack, Clemente, Condino, Cushingberry, Dillon, Donigan, Espinoza, Farrah, Gillard, Gleason, Gonzales, Hood, Hopgood, Kolb, K. Law, Leland, Lemmons III, Lemmons Jr., Lipsey, Mayes, McConico, McDowell, Meisner, Miller, Murphy, Plakas, Polidori, Sak, Sheltrown, A. Smith, V. Smith, Spade, Tobocman, Vagnozzi, Waters, Whitmer, Williams, Wojno, Zelenko.
REPUBLICANS VOTING NO (24 Republicans: Acciavatti, Amos, Baxter, Booher, Brandenburg, Casperson, Drolet, Elsenheimer, Emmons, Gaffney, Garfield, Gosselin, Green, Hansen, Hildenbrand, Hoogendyk, Huizenga, Hune, Moolenaar, Newell, Palmer, Pearce, Robertson, Schuitmaker, Sheen, Stakoe, Steil, Taub, Vander Veen, Van Regenmorter, Walker, Ward, Wenke.
ABSENT (1 Democrat): Hunter.
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