LANSING, Mich. (AP) – Michigan Republicans may use a new tactic to stymie a pair of ballot initiatives that would raise the minimum wage and require paid sick leave: adopt the laws themselves ahead of the November election, then change those measures later.
The unprecedented strategy is being pushed within the GOP-led Legislature so it’s easier to alter the proposals with simple majority votes. If the public approves the measures, future amendments would require the support of three-fourths of both chambers.
The maneuver might also lead to fewer Democratic voters turning out at the polls.
Organizers of the ballot drives call it an underhanded effort to thwart the will of hundreds of thousands of people who signed their petitions. Business lobbyists say the move is necessary to make the initiatives more workable.
(Copyright 2018, The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
