LANSING - The circulation of petitions asking Michigan voters to approve an increase in the state's minimum wage prompted state Republicans - surprisingly - to reconsider their long opposition to the matter.

On March 9, the Republican-led Michigan Senate raised the state's collective eyebrows by voting unanimously to raise the minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to 6.95 per hour on Oct. 1. Another increase would bring it to $7.15 on July 1, 2007, and another to $7.40 on July 1, 2008.

The Republican-led Michigan House was also expected to approve the plan, and Gov. Jennifer Granholm pledged to sign the bill if it comes to her desk.

No less than six Democrat-sponsored bills that would have raised the wage have languished without action this year, and Republicans had not shown any inclination for budging on increasing the minimum wage.

"We have repeatedly called for an increase in the state's minimum wage, and today we are one step closer to raising the wages paid to tens of thousands of workers in this state," Granholm said. "It's a simple matter of fairness - anyone who puts in a fair day's work should receive a fair day's pay."

The Michigan AFL-CIO-led "Michigan Needs a Raise" coalition was the driving force behind the higher minimum wage effort. The labor federation has been pushing to get 320,000 petition signatures to raise the minimum wage to $6.85 per hour, and index future increases to the inflation rate. Polls show Michigan voters support a minimum wage increase by a 4-1 margin.

Top Republicans and chambers of commerce leaders effectively said this bill was the lesser of two "evils" - raising the wage now vs. having Michigan's minimum wage increases permanently placed in the state Constitution, which the ballot issue would do.

"This is a fair and workable approach," said Senate Majority Leader Ken Sikkema, R-Wyoming to The Detroit News. "It will provide a sensible wage hike to workers while at the same time insuring that Michigan job providers are not saddled with onerous job-killing provisions that are being pushed by supporters of a constitutional amendment."

Michigan AFL-CIO President Mark Gaffney said the bill had less to do with Republican generosity to low-paid workers than with Republican election-year scheming.

"It was a political decision on the part of Republicans," said Mark Gaffney. "This is an attempt to try and keep this issue out of the November election."

Gaffney said union leaders are still discussing whether to keep up with the work-intensive - and potentially expensive - effort to gather signatures and place the minimum wage increase issue on the November ballot. He said this minimum wage measure doesn't help tipped employees, doesn't help farm and disabled workers because of an arcane law currently on the books, won't stop the legislature from reducing the minimum wage or halting increases whenever they want, and does not automatically increase the wage when the inflation rate goes up.