LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Bills impacting Michigan’s restaurants, bars, and tipped wage workers still need attention in the Senate before a Feb. 21 deadline, but a partisan lawsuit appears to a priority instead.

The Michigan Senate and Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) filed a lawsuit against the Michigan House of Representatives stemming from nine bills they say passed the legislature but never made it to Gov. Whitmer’s desk for a signature. The lawsuit blames new House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) for the hold up.

What’s the problem?

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The Democrats held the majority in both chambers during the 102nd legislative session. That changed on Jan. 1, 2025 when Republicans took the majority in the House following the Nov. 5 election.

During the “lame duck” session between Nov. 5 and Jan. 1, Democrats attempted to pass many bills that represented their party’s interests. Former House Speaker Joe Tate (D-Detroit) did not formally transmit the bills in question to Gov. Whitmer’s desk. In the legislature, there is a specific way that bills must be “presented” to the governor for her signature and that process had not been completed by the time Republicans took over.

The waning days of the Democratic majority fizzled when it could not meet a quorum after Rep. Karen Whitsett (D-Detroit) and Sen. Sylvia Santana (D-Detroit) pushed back against their own party.

That’s the reasoning behind Speaker Hall’s legal review of the documents since Lansing is now in the 103rd legislative session.

Democrats dropped the ball.

Sen. Brinks appears to be using the lawsuit as a way to salvage the mismanagement of her party in the final days of lame duck. “Republican Speaker Matt Hall’s gamesmanship is not just disrespectful to the sanctity of our constitution — it’s an outright disservice to the residents of Michigan, the very people he was elected to represent,” Brinks said in a statement. “We will not let the constitution go ignored, and I want hardworking Michiganders to know that we’re in their corner.”

Meanwhile, the reasoning behind Speaker Tate’s refusal to send the bills before time ran out remains the million dollar question. Greg Manz, the spokesman for Speaker Hall, told Michigan News Source this is an “unprecedented situation.”

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Manz said, “Speaker Hall is carrying out a thorough, comprehensive legal review of an entirely unprecedented situation to ensure the House acts constitutionally. Sadly, Senator Brinks’ inaction on tipped wage and earned sick time legislation is jeopardizing 50,000 family-sustaining jobs — she hasn’t even read the bills into committee two weeks after they passed the House. She should be focused on helping those people in need, not rushing to the courts.”

Michigan News Source reached out to Rep. Tate but did not receive a response by press time.

No honeymoon period.

There’s no love lost between the two chambers. On Jan. 22, Speaker Hall spoke at a press conference where he asked “Is the Senate even in session?” The question referenced the work the House had already done on bills for tipped wage workers.

“The Senate has no role in telling the House what to do,” Hall said at that press conference. “What a horrible way to start where they are wasting taxpayer dollars on political lawsuits.”

Hall also emphasized the focus of the GOP. “There’s a lot of things going on with both saving the restaurant industry and restoring the tip credit and [addressing] sick leave,” Hall said.

Still waiting.

Last year’s Michigan Supreme Court ruling struck down an “adopt and amend” measure which triggered the automatic rise in minimum wage and increased sick time for hospitality workers. Without legislative intervention, those rules go into effect on Feb. 21.

The House held several days of hearings in January where they heard “save our tips” from numerous people throughout the industry. The committee hearings bumped House Bills 4001 and 4002 to the floor where it passed. Those bills still sits in the Senate.

The nine bills.

The nine bills mentioned in the lawsuit include House Bills 4177 and 4665–4667 of 2023 and House Bills 4900–4901, 5817–5818, and 6058 of 2024.