Michigan Senate Democrats filed suit against Republican House Speaker Matt Hall on Monday over nine bills bungled by the lower chamber’s Democratic majority last year.

Hall, R-Richland Twp., is conducting a legal review of nine bills approved by the Senate during the waning days of the 2024 lame duck session that never moved to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s desk, a unprecedented situation former House Speaker Joe Tate, D-Detroit, has blamed on a “proofing and processing” delay.

All nine bills initially passed the House, and were sent to the Senate, where they gained approval during an overnight session that stretched from Dec. 19 to Dec. 20. Tate adjourned the House on the morning of Dec. 19 after all Republicans and Rep. Karen Whitsett, D-Detroit, refused to vote on a slate of Democratic bills they claim would have hurt Michiganders.

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Following a show hearing in the Senate last week on the alleged impact the delay has had on constituents, Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, again blamed Hall on Monday as she filed a lawsuit in an effort to compel him to forward the legislation.

“The Michigan Constitution makes it abundantly clear: every bill passed by the legislature is required to be presented to the governor – and no one – especially an elected public servant in legislative leadership – is above the law,” Brinks said in a statement. “Republican Speaker Matt Hall’s gamesmanship is not just disrespectful to the sanctity of our constitution – it’s an outright disservice to the residents of Michigan, the very people he was elected to represent.

“We will not let the constitution go ignored,” she said, “and I want hardworking Michiganders to know that we’re in their corner.”

The lawsuit, filed in the Michigan Court of Claims, could impact if or when the legislation becomes law, with some bills set to take effect in April, WEMU reports.

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“Speaker Hall is carrying out a thorough, comprehensive legal review of an entirely unprecedented situation to ensure the House acts constitutionally,” Hall spokesman Greg Manz told the news site.

The legislation in limbo includes bills to increase the burden on taxpayers for state employee health care, shift corrections officers to the state police pension system, grant authority to tax downstate residents for museums, and exempt public assistance from debt collections, according to Bridge Michigan.

The Michigan Constitution states “every bill passed by the Legislature shall be presented to the governor before it becomes law, and the governor shall have 14 days” to decide whether to sign or veto.

Hall previously noted the constitution does not provide a timeline on when legislation must be presented.

An unidentified source with knowledge of negotiations on the bills in limbo told The News Whitmer is “at best lukewarm” on the legislation.

“There’s just a lot of legal and constitutional questions,” Hall said last week, “and the more we look into it, the more we find, so we’re going to do a thorough legal review. But, the Senate has no role in telling the House what to do.”

The Senate lawsuit arrived just 18 days before a new tipped wage and earned sick leave law is set to take effect that the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association predicts could cost the industry as many as 60,000 jobs.

For months, restaurant owners, servers, bartenders and other tipped wage workers have urged lawmakers to take action to amend the law to preserve tipped wages, and a new Republican House approved legislation this month to mitigate the impact that is now pending in the Senate.

“Sadly, Senator Brinks’ inaction on tipped wage and earned sick time legislation is jeopardizing 50,000 family sustaining jobs – she hasn’t even read the bills into committee two weeks after they passed the House,” Manz told WXMI. “She should be focused on helping those people in need, not rushing to the courts.”

At a Monday press conference, Brinks addressed the tipped wage and earned sick leave legislation.

“We certainly have had a lot of conversations around these bills,” she said. “You’ve seen the House move some bills. We have bills introduced. We will continue to have those conversations. We are hearing, of course, from stakeholders on all sides of the issue. Those conversations continue there. There’s more on that to come.”

In addition to the tipped wage legislation, Senate Republicans last week lamented Senate leadership for refusing to allow members to introduce legislation that aligns state immigration policy with President Donald Trump’s efforts to address the border crisis.