West Central Michigan News

State Representative Joseph Fox expressed his satisfaction following the conclusion of the 2023-2024 legislative session, which ended when the House adjourned on Thursday afternoon.

"I did not expect Thursday’s session to end with the Democrat party’s implosion, but I am thankful that it did. Thursday’s agenda alone would have gone after Second Amendment rights and raise water rates on Michigan residents," stated Fox.

The House's adjournment also meant the demise of several bills, including one allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses and another incorporating Michigan into the National Popular Vote compact.

Thursday's events continued a Republican boycott, marked by a brief call of the House where Democrat leadership attempted to bring absent legislators back to Lansing for quorum. However, an abrupt adjournment by Democrat leadership until New Year's Eve left no time for passing bills. December 31st will conclude the first Democrat trifecta since 1983.

All fifty-four House Republicans exited last week in protest against Democrat leadership's refusal to vote on maintaining tip credits for restaurant workers and preserving existing sick leave laws for small businesses. This week, a single Democrat member also refused attendance for similar reasons, reducing present Representatives to 55—one short of the required 56 needed for voting. Without a majority present, House Democrat leadership had no choice but to adjourn.

Republicans traveled across Michigan on Thursday highlighting an impending crisis for restaurants and employees reliant on tipped wages. This issue stems from a Michigan Supreme Court ruling mandating higher paid sick leave and eliminating tipped wages, changes set to take effect in February 2025 that could impose significant costs on businesses.

Several proposed bills aimed at addressing this Supreme Court decision by retaining tipped wages and adjusting them gradually for inflation while clarifying paid sick leave requirements were not voted upon despite warnings from workers and business owners about potential job losses due to increased labor costs.

The new legislative term begins Wednesday, January 8, with Republicans holding a 58-52 majority in the House.