Michigan court delays minimum wage increase after allowing it to go ahead

Michigan residents will have to wait to see a raise in the minimum wage following a court order Friday.

A state Court of Claims ruling last week restored a law that lays out a schedule for increasing Michigan's minimum wage, but Friday's ruling delays its implementation.

In 2018, the state Legislature used a policy known as “adopt and amend” to pass two ballot initiatives — one raising the minimum wage and the other setting accrual rates for paid sick leave — into law before they could go before voters. Then, later that same legislative session, lawmakers weakened both laws.

Last week's ruling found that process was unconstitutional and restored both laws to their original form.

Now, that same court issued a 205-day stay on implementing the laws.

That means residents will have to wait until mid-February to see the minimum wage rise to $12 an hour.

The court decision can be appealed.

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