It has been an interesting time for ballot initiatives. First, the disheartening news: last month the State Board of Canvassers declined to certify the signatures for a ballot proposal that would cap payday lending interest rates at 36%. Too many signatures were deemed either invalid in themselves or appeared on petition sheets that were not filled out correctly.
The payday lending ballot initiative enjoyed popular support, including that of the Michigan League for Public Policy. And, if other states’ experiences are an indicator, the proposal would have likely passed. Payday lenders in Michigan charge between a 175%-402% Annual Percentage Rate (APR) and often trap borrowers in a debt cycle. While the ballot initiative’s disqualification is a disappointment, the League will continue to support legislative and other efforts to protect payday lending consumers, including establishment of an interest cap.
The same week that the payday lending initiative was rejected, a Court of Claims judge ruled that when Michigan’s Legislature used a tactic informally called “adopt and amend” to prevent the 2018 minimum wage and paid sick leave proposals from reaching the ballot in their original form, it violated the state constitution.
The Legislature had passed bills with wording identical to the two ballot initiatives, which under Michigan’s constitution puts a ballot proposal into law without requiring the governor’s signature. But they did so with the intent of weakening their provisions after the 2018 November election. As expected, during the “lame duck” session that year, the Legislature amended the new laws to greatly reduce the worker population that would be eligible for paid sick leave and made the minimum wage increases much smaller—and then-Gov. Rick Snyder happily signed the bill changes.
The amended paid leave and minimum wage laws were significantly weakened from the ballot proposal that was intended to go to the voters in November 2018.
While the original paid sick leave proposal would have required all workers to be covered, the amended law exempts employers with fewer than 50 employees—leaving out a large part of Michigan’s workforce. The original minimum wage proposal would have raised Michigan’s regular minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2020, but the amended one does not raise it to that level until 2030.
Especially significant is that the original proposal would have raised the minimum wage for tipped workers to the level of the regular minimum wage by 2024, whereas the gutted law keeps it at just 38% of the regular minimum wage.
Naturally, there were unresolved questions about how soon the Court of Claims ruling would take effect, and business groups vowed to appeal it. Ten days later, referencing concern about “the ability of employers and the relevant state agencies to immediately accommodate the changes,” the same judge delayed implementation of the ruling for 205 days (until February 2023). If the July 19 ruling is appealed to a higher court, the court could lengthen the stay of implementation or overturn the ruling altogether.
Prior to the establishment of the 205-day stay, state officials said that when the new policies go into effect, the minimum wage levels will increase to the level they would have been for that year in the original ballot proposal. In other words, if they were to have gone into effect this year, the minimum wage would directly go from the current $9.87 per hour to $12 an hour and the tipped minimum wage would go from $3.84 to $10.10 per hour.
A lot is in flux with these proposals and their legal standing right now, as there is still a possibility that a higher court chooses to hear an appeal. But where things stand now, the original ballot proposals will go into effect in February 2023. The League was proud to support both of these initiatives in 2018, and we strongly opposed the Legislature’s maneuvers to weaken them. The Court of Claims ruling is good news for workers, but it is also good news for policy advocates, and we hope wherever the legal process goes, the original intent of the initiatives and the Michigan voters who signed those petitions is upheld.
Jay Cutler joined the League in March 2026 as the Kids Count Senior Data Analyst, where he collects, analyzes, and prepares data for Kids Count in Michigan.
Danielle Taylor-Basemore joined the League as the Development Data and Stewardship Coordinator in June 2025. She brings with her five years of nonprofit experience with a special focus on community engagement, data visualization and strategic programming. Prior to joining the League, Danielle served as the Business District, Safety, and Digital Manager at Jefferson East, Inc.
Scott Preston is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Michigan League for Public Policy, where he leads the organization’s immigration and criminal justice reform portfolios. In the three years prior to joining the League, Scott facilitated the Southeast Michigan Refugee Collaborative and managed a small business economic development program at Global Detroit. His work included launching Michigan’s first Refugee Film Festival and building on a trusted connector model that linked marginalized communities with crucial resources. Scott’s work at the League is informed by his background in journalism and research. He spent four years covering the Syrian refugee crisis in the Middle East for publications such as The Economist, and later worked with unaccompanied refugee minors through Samaritas. Scott holds a master’s degree in international migration and public policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Kate Powers joined the League as the Chief Development Officer in February 2025. Prior to joining the League, Kate held leadership positions at many Michigan nonprofit organizations, most recently serving as the COO and Chief Development Officer of Ele’s Place. Kate has spent the bulk of her career in fundraising, with a short stint in the state Legislature as a legislative aide to members in both chambers. Kate is a graduate of Michigan State University’s James Madison College with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Relations and has a certificate in fundraising management from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. Additionally, Kate served on the East Lansing Public Schools Board of Education and is a past President of the Junior League of Lansing. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her husband and her son and saving outfit of the day and home decor ideas on Pinterest. 
Nicholas Hess joined the League as the Fiscal Policy Analyst in September of 2024. In this role, Nicholas focuses on tax policy, government revenue, and their impact on working families and racial equity, including the effects of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC). Nicholas values the role that judicious fiscal policy can play in the improvement of people’s lives and the economy, alleviating inequities along the way.
Audrey Matusz joined the League as the Visual Communications Specialist in September 2024. She supports the team with implementing social media strategies and brainstorming creative ways to talk about public policy. She brings with her nearly a decade of experience in producing digital products for evidence-based social justice initiatives. 
Jacob Kaplan 
Donald Stuckey 
Alexandra Stamm 
Amari Fuller
Mikell Frey is a communications professional with a passion for using the art of storytelling to positively impact lives. She strongly believes that positive social change can be inspired by the sharing of data-driven information coupled with the unique perspectives of people from all walks of life across Michigan, especially those who have faced extraordinary barriers. 
Yona Isaacs (she/hers) is an Early Childhood Data Analyst for the Kids Count project. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, she began her career as a research coordinator in pediatric psychiatry using data to understand the impacts of brain activity and genetics on children’s behavior and mental health symptoms. This work prompted an interest in exploring social determinants of health and the role of policy in promoting equitable opportunities for all children, families, and communities. She returned to the University of Michigan to complete her Masters in Social Work focused on Social Policy and Evaluation, during which she interned with the ACLU of Michigan’s policy and legislative team and assisted local nonprofit organizations in creating data and evaluation metrics. She currently serves as a coordinator for the Michigan Center for Youth Justice on a project aiming to increase placement options and enhance cultural competency within the juvenile justice system for LGBTQIA+ youth. Yona is eager to put her data skills to work at the League in support of data-driven policies that advocate for equitable access to healthcare, education, economic security, and opportunity for 0-5 year old children. In her free time, she enjoys tackling DIY house projects and trying new outdoor activities with her dog.
Rachel Richards rejoined the League in December 2020 as the Fiscal Policy Director working on state budget and tax policies. Prior to returning to the League, she served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Michigan Department of Treasury, the tax policy analyst and Legislative Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy, and a policy analyst and the Appropriations Coordinator for the Democratic Caucus of the Michigan House of Representatives. She brings with her over a decade of experience in policies focused on economic opportunity, including workforce issues, tax, and state budget.
Simon Marshall-Shah joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a State Policy Fellow in August 2019. His work focuses on state policy as it relates to the budget, immigration, health care and other League policy priorities. Before joining the League, he worked in Washington, D.C. at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), providing federal policy and advocacy support to nonprofit, Medicaid health plans (Safety Net Health Plans) related to the ACA Marketplaces as well as Quality & Operations.
Renell Weathers, Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) Community Engagement Consultant. As community engagement consultant, Renell works with organizations throughout the state in connecting the impact of budget and tax policies to their communities. She is motivated by the belief that all children and adults deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or economic class.
Emily Jorgensen joined the Michigan League for Public Policy in July 2019. She deeply cares about the well-being of individuals and families and has a great love for Michigan. She is grateful that her position at the League enables her to combine these passions and work to help promote policies that will lead to better opportunities and security for all Michiganders.
Megan Farnsworth joined the League’s staff in December 2022 as Executive Assistant. Megan is driven by work that is personally fulfilling, and feels honored to help support the work of an organization that pushes for more robust programming and opportunities for the residents of our state. She’s excited and motivated to gain overarching knowledge of the policies and agendas that the League supports.
