The state Senate has voted to raise Michigan’s minimum wage to $9.20 an hour by 2017.
As The Michigan Public Radio Network’s Jake Neher reports, the bill has drawn support and criticism from both political parties.
The bill is really an attempt by Republicans to kill a petition drive that would raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour – including for tipped workers.
State Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville says the bill is a good compromise.
“So, instead, what we did was we replaced it,” he says. “And I think what we came up with was a far better answer to the question than what was being proposed.”
But some Democrats still oppose it. They say it doesn’t go far enough. And a spokesperson for House Speaker Jase Bolger says the Republican leader has “grave concerns” about raising the state’s minimum wage.