- Wednesday was a busy day at the capitol with Senate committee meeting and rallies for change.
- Some of the topics includes honoring our fallen officers, protecting our most vulnerable and rallying to save the livelihoods of tipped workers.
- Video shows a look into those top stories and what it would look like for our neighborhoods.
First Honoring Sheriff Deputy William Butler Jr. with a memorial for everyone to see.
Hillsdale county state senators Joseph Bellino and Jonathan Lindsey testified in front of the Senate committee of Veterans and Emergency Services to honor fallen Sheriff Deputy William Butler Jr.
Sheriff Deputy William Butler Jr. was killed in the line of duty on June 27th while responding to a traffic stop.
"Senator Bellino and I have been very involved in the aftermath of that and joined together in a community that has lifted up deputy butler, his family, the sheriffs department and all of the people that have been impacted."
House bill 977 would dedicate a portion of M-34 between Pioneer Road and South Pittsford Road as his memorial highway.
"To take a further step to recognize his service to the community."
The bill was passed out of committee with recommendation to be voted on by the Senate.
Next up, Giving seniors and vulnerable adults the protection they deserve.
"It will also include public education programs like coordinating medical and social services for victims and their families and developing programs for the detection and prevention of elder abuse."
State Senators heard testimony about a bill package that will give higher protections to seniors and vulnerable adults at risk of exploitation.
Senate bill package 922-925 will provide for personal protection orders, provide penalties and steps for property recovery for embezzled adults, and create a team in counties to bring awareness to the crimes.
"Clients tell us that they just want to be safe in their homes and I very eagerly ask to chair the subcommittee to come up with a solution for this."
The bill package was passed out of committee with recommendation to be voted on by the Senate.
And finally Rallying to save the tips.
Bartenders and servers gathered at the capitol to urge lawmakers to adjust the Supreme Court "Adopt and Amend" ruling.
Back in July, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled the "Adopt and Amend", the act of adopting legislation and then amending it immediately after unconstitutional, leading to the adoption of the Improved Workforce Opportunity Wage Act and the Earned Sick Time Act.
The Wage Act would gradually increase the minimum wage to 15 dollars by 2030 and increase tipped wage from 4 dollars to 10.33 an hour. The Earned Sick Time Act will require employers to give all employees 72 hours of paid time off.
Rally goers say that the laws will harm servers, bartenders and businesses more than it would support.
"It's going to be very different from what we are getting now. And it's going to kill a lot of small businesses and we don't want that."
After weeks of community advocating, the organization came to the capitol for one hope.
"I hope they listen. Listen to the people that are actually in the position and what we truly want at the end of the day."
Republicans in both chambers are looking at way to repeal or amend the Wage Act and Sick Time Act.
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