(Source: MIRS.news, Published 01/19/2025) A special committee designed to take up proposed reforms to the tipped wage credit and earned sick leave changes set to take effect Feb. 21, was created Thursday by the House adopting HR 7. 

The Select Committee on Protecting Michigan Employees and Small Businesses to address HB 4001 and HB 4002 will be chaired by Rep. Bill G. Schuette (R-Midland).  

Reps. Matthew Bierlein (R-Vassar), Ken Borton (R-Gaylord), Parker Fairbairn (R-Harbor Springs), Angela Rigas (R-Alto), Ron Robinson (R) Kathy Schmaltz (R-Jackson), Jamie Thompson (R-Brownstown), Pauline Wendzel (R-Coloma) have been confirmed as the Republican members, and Reps. Tyrone Carter (D-Detroit), Matt Longjohn (D), Peter Herzberg (D-Westland), Will Snyder (D-Muskegon), Karen Whitsett (D-Detroit) and Angela Witwer (D-Lansing) have been confirmed as the Democratic members.  

“The pleas of hundreds of tipped workers were still echoing in the Capitol rotunda as the new session began yesterday. The gridlock of the last two years is broken, and we can’t wait to see this new committee work on behalf of servers and everywhere," said John Sellek, spokesperson for SaveMITips. "The bipartisan work required to save this way of life, embraced by single moms, students and more, is finally underway in the House and Senate. But nothing is done until it’s done.”  

Schuette didn’t want to name a hard-and-fast deadline for these bills to be passed, since Feb. 21 is the date the Michigan Supreme Court ruling will go into effect, but in preparation for the change, restaurant owners may already be printing new menus and adjusting their payroll. 

For that reason, Schuette said the goal is to get small business owners and tipped restaurant workers in for testimony and pass the bills as soon as possible. 

Reps. Jay DeBoyer (R-Clay) and John Roth (R-Interlochen) are the sponsors of the bills, but won’t be on the committee.  

Schuette said to expect action from the committee early next week.  

The Senate has introduced its own version of the bills and getting these bills to the governor’s desk will require some collaboration. 

Schuette views it as progress that the Democrats closed last term without touching tipped wage and earned sick leave and are now starting off with SB 8 and SB 15 to address the issue.