Dear Neighbors,

Welcome to this month’s edition of my e-newsletter. I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to tackle the tough issues that will help lower the cost of living, help families get ahead, and build a brighter future for all who call Michigan home.

As always, I welcome your feedback on current issues facing Michigan or the Greater Rochester Area, Troy, Sterling Heights, and Utica communities. Constituent feedback is vital as I represent our communities in Lansing. If you are experiencing a problem with one of our state government agencies, my office is always available to assist with finding a solution. I respect your opinion and will always do my best to make myself available and accessible to you.

Please take a moment to visit my website, like my official Facebook page, send me an email or call my office at 517-373-0994. If you have any questions, concerns or opinions on what is happening, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Michael Webber
State Senator
9th District

Last week, the Michigan House voted to pass House Bills 4001 and 4002, which make important changes to the upcoming minimum wage, tip credit and earned sick time laws. These bills received bipartisan support in the House. I was extremely disappointed that Democratic majorities did not use their time during the lame duck session to help protect tens of thousands of Michigan jobs that could be lost if the tip credit is eliminated and the Earned Sick Time Act (ESTA) goes into effect as currently written. House Republicans made it a priority to protect these workers.

HB 4001 would maintain that tipped employees are allowed to make 38% of the minimum wage, so long as their wages plus tips are equal to or greater than the minimum wage over each two-week period.

Michigan’s restaurants are still recovering from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and eliminating the tipped wage would put many at risk of closing. Fifty thousand Michigan jobs could be lost if this legislation is not enacted. I have spoken to many tipped employees who have told me that the current system allows them to make a living wage. This would be lost if customers tip less due to the increase in the minimum wage.

HB 4002 would exempt any employer that has less than 50 employees from the requirement of providing earned sick time. It also allows employers to provide the required 72 hours of paid sick leave at the beginning of the year, rather than employees having to accrue it and allows employers to provide a paid time off bank of at least 72 hours to satisfy the requirement. Carryover from year to year is capped at 72 hours. Finally, it allows the employer to require notice procedures consistent with regular absence procedures.

The ESTA, as currently written, puts significant administrative requirements upon small businesses that frankly cannot afford to manage them. This bill makes important changes to lessen the burden on small businesses and grants the flexibility that both workers and businesses have asked for.

I am hopeful that Senate Democrats will quickly advance these bills through the legislative process and put them up for a vote before the laws as currently written go into effect on Feb. 21. It is important that we protect Michigan workers from government regulation that will cost thousands of jobs.

I recently published a guest commentary in Bridge Michigan calling on Senate leaders to act immediately on HBs 4001 and 4002 to maintain the tip credit system and protect 50,000 jobs. Click on the image below to read more.

Earlier this month, I joined other members of the Michigan Aerospace and Defense Caucus to tour the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) and the U.S. Army Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC) at the Detroit Arsenal (DTA) in Warren. I currently serve as co-chair of the bicameral and bipartisan caucus, which has more than 40 members. The goal of the caucus is to work with both private and public entities to support and grow the defense industry here in Michigan.

TACOM is headquartered at DTA and is responsible for maintaining the readiness of the Army’s ground system. They develop, acquire, test and maintain any piece of equipment that a soldier may use in the field. GVSC, also headquartered at DTA, is the Army’s research and development organization for advanced ground systems. Both TACOM and GVSC are critical for the Army’s readiness and ability to fight both today and in the future. I am glad to work with my colleagues in the Legislature to support their mission, which provides hundreds of jobs here in Southeast Michigan and across the state.

On Jan. 26, I presented a tribute to celebrate Indian Republic Day at India Fest. Indian Republic Day marked the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of the Republic of India, completing the country’s transition towards becoming an independent democratic republic.

India Fest, organized by the Indian League of America-Michigan, celebrates this holiday and provides an opportunity for Michigan’s Indian-American community to celebrate their heritage. The festival featured performances of traditional Indian music and dance, along with Indian clothing, jewelry, food and other goods for sale.

I was proud to recognize this holiday, as well as India Fest, with a signed tribute from the state of Michigan. The Indian-American community contributes greatly to the richness and diversity of Oakland County and the state of Michigan.

State leaders, including Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, have recently announced plans to provide increased funding for road maintenance and repair.

Speaker Hall’s plan would allocate $3.145 billion annually in dedicated road funding without increasing taxes on Michiganders. Most of the funding would come from redirecting $2.2 billion in revenue from the Corporate Income Tax. That money would be offset by ending a series of corporate incentive and subsidy programs, as well as $500 million in legislative earmarks in the state budget. The remaining $945 million would come from permanently directing all taxes paid at the pump to road funding by removing the sales tax on gas and replacing it with a revenue-neutral equal motor fuel tax. In order to hold school funding harmless, Hall has proposed to permanently dedicate $700 million in sales tax revenue to schools.

In a speech at the Detroit Auto Show, the governor spoke about the need to create a long-term funding plan for road maintenance but did not lay out any specifics. She had previously borrowed $3.5 billion for road funding through bonds in 2020, but this funding will run out this fiscal year. The governor’s borrowing resulted in only a 7% increase in state roads considered in good or fair condition, from 61% to 68%. Rather than lay out a plan to fund local roads, the governor continued to push for a corporate subsidy plan.

No appointment is necessary to attend. The 9th Senate District includes the cities of Rochester, Rochester Hills, Troy, and Utica, along with parts of Oakland Township, Shelby Township and Sterling Heights.