LANSING – The Michigan Senate Republican and Democratic leaders have agreed to work out a solution on the minimum wage overtime conundrum, but what they will trade to get agreement on their end of the Capitol has not yet even been proposed.

During Wednesday’s session, Senate Majority Leader Ken Sikkema (R-Wyoming) said he was prepared to agree to some proposal that would benefit the state in an effort to win Democratic support for immediate effect on HB 6213.

While he was making those comments, Senate Minority Leader Bob Emerson (D-Flint) was telling staff members and other caucus members that he and Sikkema had agreed to work out a resolution on the issue, said one Democratic official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

And Sikkema spoke instead of pushing ahead with an immediate effect vote on the bill in an effort to ratchet up pressure on Democrats to provide immediate effect.

Initially, Senate Republicans were going to move ahead with a vote on the bill, but held off as a symbol of good faith that they will work to resolve the issue.

The target date to reach resolution appears to be the final week of August, as the Senate scheduled tentative meeting days for that final week.

However, a Senate resolution to the issue may only be half, or even one-third, of the issue. Immediate effect will also be needed in the House, and Governor Jennifer Granholm will also need to sign off on an agreement.

On Thursday, House Minority Leader Dianne Byrum (D-Onondaga) said she would not negotiate a deal on the minimum wage bill at this point.

“We’re not going to allow the Republican’s so-called fix for the minimum wage on the backs of working people,” she said.

Senate Minority Leader Mark Schauer (D-Battle Creek) was quoted in the Jackson Citizen Patriot this week saying, “”I do agree that most of the workers that are currently exempt from overtime should continue to be exempt.”

At issue in HB 6213 is the provision that workers who are not now eligible for overtime – typically salespeople working on commission, truckers who are paid on a mileage basis and others – would not be eligible for overtime when the state’s new minimum wage takes effect on October 1. On that date, the minimum wage will go from $5.15 an hour to $6.95 an hour.

However, when the Legislature enacted the increase there was opened a question of whether workers who do not now get overtime would have to be paid overtime. Businesses and workers have argued that the Legislature should continue the current exceptions.

HB 6213 has passed both houses, but not gotten immediate effect, which means it would not take effect until 90 days after the Legislature adjourns sine die.

But while the Senate leaders have agreed to reach a consensus, no proposals have been made on reaching an agreement.

“We haven’t offered anything and they haven’t offered anything,” said Ari Adler, spokesperson for Sikkema.

One thing Sikkema made clear that he and Republicans will not accept is a change to the Supreme Court’s Kreiner decision. The decision limited who could file for disability benefits under the state’s no fault law.

“We’re not going to be clubbed into submission” on the issue, Adler said. And on Wednesday Sikkema said he would do everything he could to prevent a proposal to pay off a special interest group.

And the Democrat said Kreiner may not be obtainable, but so far no alternative proposal has been raised to win the needed Democratic votes for immediate effect.

This story was provided by Gongwer News Service. To subscribe, click on Gongwer.Com