Small Business Needs to Know Now How to Comply with Labor Mandates
LANSING, March 14, 2019 – The state’s leading small business advocate, NFIB, along with other members of the Small Business for a Better Michigan Coalition, announced that they had filed amicus briefs with the state Supreme Court. The briefs are in support of the House and Senate requests for an immediate advisory opinion on Paid Sick Leave and Minimum Wage mandates that have a March 29 compliance deadline.
“This action is critical for thousands of Michigan small business owners trying to figure out which version of the law they will have to comply with by the March 29 deadline,” said the State Director for NFIB in Michigan, Charlie Owens. “We fully supported the legislature in acting to make much-needed changes to the original paid sick leave and minimum wage ballot proposals last session, and we believe they were on solid constitutional ground in doing so, but only the state Supreme Court can settle this issue once and for all.”
Owens said that the confusion is the result of a recent call by a state Senator, who is opposed to the changes made last session, for yet another Attorney General opinion on the constitutionality of adoption and amendment of citizens’ initiatives. Two prior Attorney General opinions on the subject conflict with one another. The first, by Former Attorney General Frank Kelly, opined that the legislature could not adopt and amend in the same session, and the second, by former Attorney General Bill Schuette, said that they could. If the current Attorney General, Dana Nessel, issues an opinion that the move was not constitutional – then the current law is null and void, and the original proposals could go back into effect.
“The uncertainty created by the back and forth AG opinions on this issue can only be settled by our Supreme Court, and a timely decision is needed as soon as possible,” said Owens.
A copy of the amicus brief filing can be viewed or downloaded HERE.
