Latest news with #SenateRegulatoryAffairsCommittee
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Common sense': Advocates say tougher animal cruelty laws will prevent egregious cases in AZ
The Brief Senate Bill 1234 seeks to set parameters to define what adequate food, water and shelter is for companion pets. The bill is in response to increasing animal cruelty cases and aims to prevent future incidents. SB-1234 passed with bipartisan support and passed through the Senate Regulatory Affairs Committee. PHOENIX - State lawmakers want to strengthen animal cruelty laws through Senate Bill 1234, which defines food and water fit for companion pets, and what counts as adequate shelter. Animal advocates say if this had been law in 2023, law enforcement could have acted much sooner in a deadly animal hoarding case and other similar cases. What they're saying Tracey Miiller, Arizona Humane Society's director of field operations, is back at the Capitol for the 2025 legislative session, hoping to fortify animal cruelty laws. "I've been on too many calls for service where domestic animals have algae for water, maggots in their food, and the only way they can seek shelter is to dig a hole under an abandoned car. Currently, those are all legal," said Miiller at the committee hearing on Feb. 19. She says last year, her team handled 16,000 calls for service. More than 10,000 were for animal cruelty over a two-year span and Miiller says there's been a 29% increase in cruelty calls. "It is much more in the news as we have seen, as I've spoken with you on multiple occasions, on things that have just shocked not only our team, but the community as a whole," said Miiller. "We want to see some sort of resolution to this." What we know SB-1234 is a bipartisan bill, sponsored by Republican state senator Shawnna Bolick. If passed, animals must be provided food fit for consumption, and safe, drinkable water. Shelter must be covered and have enough space for the dog to fit in comfortably while keeping a normal body temperature. Last year, FOX 10 investigated Puppy Luv Animal Rescue where Miiller and her team made a handful of site visits after evidence surfaced showing dogs living in their own waste. Phoenix Police did not cite the owners despite what appeared to be city code violations. They're still investigating the case as no charges have been recommended. "If the state law had been in place while we were investigating Puppy Luv, it would clearly show that the water that we found that had urine and feces in it was not suitable for drinking. Unfortunately, the way the state law reads right now, as long as that pet has water, that's all that is necessary," Miiller said. Dig deeper Back in September 2023, AHS seized 55 special needs dogs at the Chandler home of April McLaughlin. Authorities also discovered five dead dogs and McLaughlin's elderly mom living in squalor. "The reason I'm speaking in favor of this bill and asking you to vote positive is the Chandler 55 case of September 22nd was an egregious animal abuse case," said Dr. Steven Hansen, president & CEO of Arizona Humane Society at the committee hearing on Feb. 19. "Veterinarians were not able to adequately document abuse because food, water, and shelter was not clearly defined. So, this bill will allow us to do that." Why you should care Months earlier, Rebecca Arizmendi with Yaqui Animal Rescue had alerted Arizona Humane, wanting to check on the condition of two dogs placed in McLaughlin's rescue. AHS made its first of three visits two weeks before police obtained a search warrant, documenting clusters of flies and an extreme smell of ammonia, but the agency was not allowed inside by McLaughlin. "It is really, really sad and frustrating, because what if those two weeks could have made a difference? Maybe not. Maybe their injuries were already too far gone and too far severe. But we don't know right?" said Arizmendi. McLaughlin is awaiting trial for cases of animal cruelty plus fraud and theft. Arizmendi says strengthening state law to save animals is common sense. "It is very common sense that an animal needs to have suitable drinking water. It is very common sense that an animal needs to be fed every single day. It is common sense that an animal needs to have shelter from the elements," she said. Local perspective According to proponents of SB1234, it will not criminalize poverty or people experiencing homelessness. The bill unanimously passed out of the senate regulatory affairs and government efficiency committee last week. The next step is the committee of the whole.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Final talks underway on setting Michigan's new minimum wage and tipped wage standards
Michigan Capitol | Susan J. Demas Sweeping changes to Michigan's standards on minimum wage and sick leave policies are set to take effect in nine days and it has business owners, service workers and lawmakers at odds with one another. In 2018 lawmakers in the Republican-led legislature implemented changes to raise minimum wage to $15, phase out tipped wage credits and set mandatory sick leave policies that were being sought after by a ballot petition at the time. But after lawmakers adopted the changes, they amended them following the election, in a maneuver the Michigan Supreme Court in 2024 said was unconstitutional, ordering the changes in the petition to be put in effect on Feb. 21 this year. Servers and restaurant-owners in Michigan have railed for and against the changes set to take effect in a few days and both the state Senate and House have introduced bills to amend the impending changes. State Senators heard testimony in the Senate Regulatory Affairs Committee on Wednesday from service industry members on the Senate's version to change minimum wage and preserve tipped wages. The then-Republican led legislature violated the people of Michigan's constitutional right to petition in 2018 to set rules on sick leave and minimum wage, Senate Regulatory Affairs Committee Chair Sen. Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield) said during a committee meeting Wednesday. '…the impact of that controversial decision making has pitted employer against employee, worker against worker and Michigander against Michigander. Today, we have to rise above that,' Moss said. 'I will tell you that we will have people here today from the same industry, owners and servers alike, on opposite sides of this issue.' Under the Supreme Court ruling, which lawmakers have the opportunity to preempt, minimum wage is set to rise from $10.56 to $15 in 2028 and tipped wages will increase annually to equalize Michigan's minimum wage by 2031. Many restaurant owners and servers have told lawmakers that they like the current system that allows businesses to pay servers a tipped wage, currently 38% of minimum wage, saying that with tips, servers make much more than they would if they were minimum wage employees. At the same time, some stakeholders say raising the minimum wage for all and eliminating tipped wages would work to lift up all workers. The legislation for consideration by the committee, Senate Bill 8 would speed up the timeline to a $15 minimum wage by 2027 and not phase out tipped wages completely, raising tipped wage slowly to 60% of minimum wage over the next decade. The restaurant industry is still licking its wounds from economic losses it suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, President of the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association Justin Winslow said. Having to increase wages and then increase menu prices to compensate could be just the thing that causes small businesses to have to shutter their doors. 'You will see job loss. You will see some of the smaller, some of the more on the edge restaurants right now move towards closure,' Winslow said. '40% of the industry in Michigan right now is not making a profit. There's a staggering number. That means two out of five restaurants are on the edge of closure, and that's not sustainable. This is the kind of policy that would push them over the edge.' Swaths of servers have come to the Michigan Capitol Building to plead with lawmakers, saying that if tipped wages go away, customers will stop tipping. Loss of tips is not a reality, people will still tip for great service, President of One Fair Wage Saru Jayaraman said. 'There is the fear mongering that the restaurant association engages in in every state… where workers try to get a raise, they say tips will go away. They say restaurants will shut down. They do it in every single state. They have captive audience meetings with their workers and tell them 'your tips are going to go',' Jayaraman said. 'We have good news for everybody in the room, for all of you, and for the state of Michigan, the seven states that have already done this and the many more that have followed in the last several years since the pandemic, are doing great.' There are a lot of concerns on what iteration of a new policy is the right one and how each policy will be implemented, but it's important to note that there is opportunity for bipartisanship that both works for business owners and employees, Stacey LaRouche, press secretary for Governor Gretchen Whitmer said on behalf of the governor in a statement. 'Governor Whitmer has long opposed the unconstitutional tactic Republicans used to undercut working families and discourage companies from providing sick leave to employees,' LaRouche said. 'The administration has heard concerns about implementation of the new law, and the governor has made it clear that she is open to a bipartisan deal that protects servers and wait staff, while also providing certainty to small businesses and helping Michigan remain competitive.' Furthermore, LaRouche said the governor called on leadership of the House and Senate to work towards a bipartisan deal and come to an agreement this week. If they can not come to an agreement, Whitmer is calling for the legislature to pass a short-term extension putting off the Supreme Court rules until July 1 to allow more time for negotiations. Before lawmakers adjourned for the day Wednesday, the committee cleared the Senate's sick leave policy out of committee without the support of any of the four Republican members and with Sen. Sylvia Santana (D-Detroit) passing on the vote. The Senate's plan, Senate Bill 15, would require businesses with more than 25 employees to offer employees 72 hours of paid sick time. And small businesses would have to permit employees to earn 40 hours of paid sick time, as well as 32 hours of unpaid leave. The Regulatory Affairs Committee will reconvene Thursday afternoon to consider the future of the minimum and tipped wage standards under Senate Bill 8. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
