Democrats will lose their three-peat in Michigan by the end of next month. However, they could still pass some bills during the lame duck session.

Republicans gained a majority of seats in the state House during the elections last month, but the winners from the November elections will not be sworn-in until January 8. State Democrats, who are in their final month as the majority in state House will be seeking to reform the laws governing the minimum wage in the state and sick leave in response to a ruling by the state Supreme Court earlier this year.

The Michigan Supreme Court decided in August that state changes to the Wage Act of 2018 and Earned Sick Time Act are unconstitutional. It set February 21, 2025 as the date for the implementation of the legislation’s paid leave and increased minimum wage initiatives. The law also phased out lower minimum wage for tipped employees.

The lawmakers hope to pass bipartisan legislation to slow down the implementation of court changes during the lame duck session.

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The legislation from Republican state Rep. Graham Filler, and Democratic state Rep. Nate Shannon, would increase the minimum wage in the state to $12 an hour on February 21, 2025 instead of $12.48 and gradually move it up to $15 by 2029, instead of the $14.97 planned by 2028. The bill package also addresses upcoming changes in paid sick leave and maintains a minimum wage rate for tip workers.

If we do not act quickly, these changes will devastate the small business and restaurant industries, leading to job losses and closures across the state. Filler stated in a recent statement that he had been trying to come up with a solution that would allow businesses to adjust while also increasing wages.

The most pressing issues are minimum wage and paid leave, but these could cause lengthy negotiations in the lame duck session that ends on December 19.

The state House Criminal Justice Committee introduced legislation on Tuesday to repeal the sodomy laws still in place. According to the Detroit News, the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2003 ruling in Lawrence v. Texas blocked all sodomy laws in the United States. However, Democrats are now pushing to repeal the “zombie legislation” from state law.

According to the outlet, despite repeated attempts, the Legislature never repealed Michigan’s so-called ban on sodomy, allowing a zombie statute that insults constitutional rights of Michiganders, to remain in place.

Eight Democrats voted to move forward the sodomy bill and two Republicans voted against it.

Brian Begole (a Republican state representative) voted against the bill and said there were more important issues to be focused on. He told the outlet he didn’t “believe that the majority of Michigan residents feel that this legislation is a top priority at the moment.”