Sometimes GOP incompetence helps people.
First, some back-story to set the stage. April 13th, when the flaw in the minimum wage bill was "discovered"-
Ari Adler, spokesman for Senate Republicans, said it's not certain that the new minimum wage law will require overtime pay for now-exempt workers. But he added, "If it's interpreted differently and it becomes an issue, then we'll look at addressing it."
House Republicans were aware of the bill's impact on overtime -- business groups quietly cautioned them -- but they decided to pass it quickly and deal later with fallout, said GOP spokesman Matt Resch.
Republicans knew the flaw was there, and ignored it in their haste to eliminate an issue that would drive people to the polls for a ballot proposal.
Granholm has been calling for a raise on the Merit Award Scholarship for quite some time. When it came up in June, Republicans had this to say-
"The governor's proposal is not acceptable and needs more discussion," Sikkema, R-Wyoming, said in a statement. "I'm willing to work with her on this, but we haven't made any progress because she has yet to find a way to pay for it or address the other problems."
Matt Resch, spokesman for Republican House Speaker Craig DeRoche of Novi, called the Granholm plan "irresponsible" because it is too expensive.
Giving kids more money for school? Irresponsible. But cutting $2 billion out of the budget without a way to "pay for it"? Not a problem.
Chew on that for a second.
A week later, Sikkema offered up the scholarship raise as a trade for cutting off the poor and an adjustment to teacher's health benefits.
Republican Senate Majority Leader Ken Sikkema said Wednesday he would consider approving Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm's plan to give college students $4,000 scholarships if she would agree to a limit on welfare benefits and a change in health care plans for teachers.
No dice, obviously, and an insane proposition in the first place. Ken knew this wouldn't fly; why did he even bother?
And that brings us to today.
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The leader of the state Senate on Wednesday suggested he could support raising the Merit Award scholarship to $4,000 and giving a tax credit to low-income workers if Democrats help fix a flaw in a new minimum wage increase.
Senate Majority Leader Ken Sikkema, R-Wyoming, said he would hold a vote Aug. 30 on a measure aimed at keeping some salespeople and others ineligible for overtime pay when Michigan's minimum wage rises in October.
"Time is of the essence," he said.
The minimum wage increase that kicks in Oct. 1 changes who is eligible for mandatory overtime because the state's minimum wage will be higher than the federal rate. That's drawing backlash from auto dealerships, trucking companies and other businesses that say they might have to lay off workers or cut back their hours.
Bumping up college scholarships and offering an earned-income tax credit would hit the state budget, Sikkema said. But he added in a statement: "I am willing to put them forward because both have enormous potential. Let's be bold and move our state forward."
NOW Ken wants to "be bold" and move the state forward- when he has to cover for his party's original neglect.
What was that about laws and sausage?