Michigan Elections Board Torn Over Minimum Wage
LANSING (AP) - Michigan's elections board is torn over whether to certify a voter-initiated proposal to raise the minimum wage.
The four-member Board of State Canvassers adjourned for a couple of hours Thursday afternoon after asking secretary of state's staff to review signatures that opponents of the minimum wage measure say are invalid duplicates. The measure's supporters say the challenge came too late.
In an attempt to head off the ballot drive, lawmakers in May repealed the minimum wage law that would be amended by the proposal and passed a smaller minimum wage hike. The hourly minimum will rise to $9.25 by 2018 with inflationary increases after.
The voter-initiated law would increase the minimum to $10.10 an hour over time, with later inflationary increases and a bigger bump for tipped employees.
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