Dear Friends:

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you and provide updates about what is going on at Michigan’s Capitol.

I am the state senator for the 18th District – covering all of Barry County and parts of Allegan, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, Kent and Ionia counties. Please feel free to contact me with any issues related to state government at [email protected], or by calling 517-373-1734 or toll-free at 855-347-8018.

Sincerely,

Thomas Albert
State Senator

Restaurant servers and others who rely on tips from across Michigan visited Lansing last week to urge lawmakers to save their jobs.

A recent Michigan Supreme Court ruling related to minimum wage and mandatory paid sick leave — if left unaddressed — would likely result in layoffs, closings and higher menu prices. It relates to what is often called the “adopt and amend” case from 2018. The court’s ruling would begin phasing out the tipped wage credit early next year, eliminating it altogether by 2030. Changes would also begin phasing in next year related to minimum wage and sick leave.

The Legislature must act quickly and decisively to preserve jobs and opportunities across the state. I recently introduced Senate Bills 991 and 992 to keep the state’s current laws related to the tipped wage, minimum wage and sick leave in place — preventing the implementation of the changes outlined by the court ruling.

A key component of my legislation would keep the state’s tipped wage at 38% of the minimum wage. Servers typically come out ahead and earn more than the general minimum wage under this current system because tips more than make up the difference. Many servers worry changing this policy would cut their overall income as customers change tipping practices because of higher menu prices.

Many restaurants are still struggling from the pandemic shutdowns and continuing changes in consumer behavior. Sadly, many establishments would not survive the implementation of these court-ordered changes. I remain hopeful that Democrats will work with Republicans to prevent these disastrous changes, but time is running short.

I recently discussed this issue with former Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, who is now president and CEO of the Small Business Association of Michigan. You can watch it here: https://youtu.be/ukaJbwB9lnc.

Deer hunting season is here. My kids participated in the youth hunt earlier this month, and I am gearing up to head out myself later this fall.

It is important that we continue to help the next generation become interested in hunting. That’s why I have introduced legislation to block a misguided decision by the Natural Resources Commission. The NRC has voted to force hunters in the Liberty and Independence hunts (specifically for young and disabled hunters) to harvest does only beginning in 2025.

Banning the taking of bucks in these hunts would kill the enthusiasm of participating for many. If the NRC’s decision stands, the state in effect would be asking kids to do what many adult deer hunters will not do — shoot does exclusively. The NRC’s decision also discriminates against disabled hunters, who in many cases prefer participating in the special hunts. There is no public benefit or evidence-based rationale for what the NRC wants to do — especially when considering the effect on future hunter turnout.

I spoke at a recent NRC meeting, and I hope the commissioners will revisit their decision on their own well in advance of next year’s deer hunting season. But if they do not, I will continue to advocate for Senate Bill 996 in the Legislature. My proposal specifies that eligible hunters would continue to be able to take antlerless or antlered deer during the Liberty and Independence hunts.

I co-sponsored legislation that would restore more than $300 million in school safety and student mental health funding that was cut by Democrats in the recently approved state budget.

As it stands now, per-pupil school safety and mental health funding would drop from $328 million in the current budget to just $26.5 million in the budget year starting Oct. 1. This is appalling, particularly in an overall budget that spends hundreds of millions on corporate welfare and countless non-essential projects.

Michigan had been consistently investing more and more in school safety and mental health in recent years, and we cannot afford to go backward. Senate Bill 1005 should be taken up and approved quickly by the Legislature so we can better provide safe learning environments for students in the recently started school year.

It’s becoming clear that addressing cell phone usage in the classroom could be a significant step in the overall effort to improve academic performance and mental health among our young people. More and more schools are recognizing this and proactively adopting cell phone policies on their own, restricting use or even prohibiting students from having them in class. It reduces anxiety and distraction for students.

I don’t think it is appropriate for the state to mandate a single specific statewide policy on cell phones in schools. But I do think it is within the state’s purview to require that schools recognize and address this issue through a policy of their own choosing.

School districts, with input from parents, are in the best position to craft policies that best fit their circumstances. The ability to communicate during emergencies must be taken into consideration, and the available technology for that may vary by school.

I am working on legislation that would require schools to have a districtwide policy on cell phones in classrooms in order to receive mental health grant funding. No school would be required to have a particular policy, but they must have a policy of some kind. If they do allow cell phones in classrooms, the school would need to notify the state as to their reasoning.

It is too big of an issue to ignore. There has been a dramatic rise in anxiety, depression and suicide among young people. While many societal trends have contributed to this, using smartphones to access social media and other addictive apps has worsened the situation.