By State Rep. David Martin, R-Davison

Time is running out for Michigan’s restaurant workers and small businesses. An economic crisis is just weeks away, and unless the Michigan Senate takes immediate action, thousands of jobs and livelihoods are at risk.

The Michigan Supreme Court’s decision, set to take effect on February 21, threatens to upend small businesses by eliminating the tipped wage system popular in the service industry and imposing unworkable paid sick leave mandates on even the smallest businesses. If left unchecked, one in five restaurants say these changes could force them to close their doors for good, leaving countless hardworking people without jobs.

The Michigan House has done its job. We listened to the voices of small business owners, restaurant servers, and parents trying to provide for their family. We heard their fears and frustrations, and we acted. With bipartisan support, the House passed House Bills 4001 and 4002 to preserve the tipped wage, protect small businesses, and implement fair, flexible sick leave policies that actually work.

Now, it’s up to the Senate and Governor Whitmer. Every day of inaction pushes Michigan closer to an economic cliff. If the Senate stalls, small businesses will be crushed under the weight of excessive regulations, bars and restaurants will be forced to raise prices, and the tipped wage system will begin to phase out. We’ve heard the stories of tipped workers who rely on their current system to support their families. They don’t want this change, and they don’t need bureaucrats in Lansing making it harder for them to earn a living.

Opposition to these common-sense fixes isn’t coming from the people who will actually be affected — it’s coming from out-of-state special interests with no stake in Michigan’s restaurant industry. These groups are pushing an agenda that will do more harm than good, disregarding the real-world consequences for the people working tirelessly to keep our communities fed and our economy running.

The Senate must act now. Every Michigander who cares about our local restaurants, small businesses, and workers needs to speak up. Call your state senator. Tell them to pass House Bills 4001 and 4002 before it’s too late. The livelihoods of thousands depend on it.

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State Rep. David Martin represents Michigan’s 68th House District, which spans portions of Genesee and Oakland counties. It includes the cities of Davison, Grand Blanc, the majority of Burton, as well as the Village of Goodrich, Atlas Township, Davison Township, Groveland Township and portions of Genesee and Grand Blanc townships.