$12 Minimum Wage To Be On November Ballot: Report

MICHIGAN — The Michigan Court of Appeals on Wednesday ordered that an initiative to raise the state's minimum wage to $12 be placed on the November ballot. The move rejects the restaurant industry's challenges to petition signatures and how the measure is written, the Associated Press reported.

Michigan's hourly minimum wage is $9.25 and, starting in 2019, will increase annually with inflation unless the unemployment rate is high. Under the proposal, the wage would rise to $10 in 2019, $10.65 in 2020, $11.35 in 2021 and $12 in 2022, with yearly inflationary adjustments afterward.

The minimum wage for tipped employees would gradually increase from the current $3.52 until reaching the minimum wage for all other workers in 2024.

In a brief 2-1 order, Judges Stephen Borrello and Jane Beckering said the One Fair Wage proposal does not violate constitutional requirements that laws not be revised by reference to their title only, WDIV reported. Because the measure is initiated legislation, it would first go to the Republican-led Legislature, which could pass or reject the bill, according to the report. If it were ignored - which appears likely - the proposal would go to a statewide vote in the fall.

Lawmakers also could propose an alternative measure to appear alongside it on the ballot, though legislators have just two or three session days scheduled before a Sept. 7 deadline to finalize the ballot, according to WDIV.

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