From the Associated Press — The Republican-controlled Michigan Legislature has passed bills that would increase the state’s minimum wage to $12 an hour and require paid sick leave. The passage of the bills on Wednesday prevents public votes on the
citizen-initiated measures in November and makes it easier for lawmakers to water them down after the election. It is part of an unprecedented business-backed strategy – the legality of which is unclear – to avoid the risk of voters passing the measures, which would require three-fourths majorities in each chamber to change later. By passing the initiatives before they go to voters, the Legislature will only need simple majorities to amend them during the “lame-duck” period in November or December. Republicans are not specifying what changes may be made. Democrats say the strategy is a “scam” and a “bait-and-switch.”
