LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – Michigan’s newly elected legislature is scheduled to take over on January 1. Representatives attempted to meet this week to finish out the lame-duck session, but spotty attendance has made any final votes impossible.
Representative Abraham Aiyash (D – Hamtramck) said that as they negotiated between parties and chambers the goalposts kept moving and conversations fell apart.
Both chambers had plans to address a long agenda for the end of the year, but attendance issues kept them from finishing those plans.
House Republicans have been absent since Friday. The entire caucus walked out and refused to return unless Democrats added bills to address local road funding and reinstate tipped wages.
One Democrat joined House Republicans in boycotting session. Representative Karen Whitsett (D – Detroit) said she walked out with Republicans on Friday because she refused to be bullied into voting on what she called bad bills. Claiming that Speaker Joe Tate (D – Detroit) and her democratic colleagues lied about the bills on the agenda to get her on the House floor.
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson today made the following statement after the House adjourned without voting on several bills on their agenda:
“Like most of our state, I’m deeply disappointed that the House adjourned today with so much unfinished business for Michigan’s residents. We’ve fought very hard to make this state a national leader in protecting and strengthening the fundamental right of every citizen to cast a ballot through the Michigan Voting Rights Act. Along with the MVRA, we need to pass important bills to make state government more transparent and accountable, root out fraud in the petition gathering process, prevent misinformation about elections, and to make our redistricting process even more fair.” Benson said. “We know the people of Michigan want these protections and reforms. I’m still deeply committed to leading on these issues and won’t give up the fight until it’s done.”
The governor and attorney general weighed in, Whitmer said she would not sign bills until local road funding was passed, and Attorney General Nessel took to social media.
Article IV of the Michigan constitution defines the role of the legislature and how it is to be constituted. The chief purposes of the legislature are to enact new laws and amend or repeal existing laws.
mcl 750.478: When any duty is or shall be enjoined by law upon any public officer, or upon any person holding any public trust or employment, every willful neglect to perform such duty, where no special provision shall have been made for the punishment of such delinquency, constitutes a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 1 year or a fine of not more than $1,000.00.
What Rep. Whitsett and the MI House Republicans have chosen to do today is literally criminal.
Democrat leadership in the House enacted a Call of the House. The call requires absent lawmakers to come in, only needing to reach a quorum, or a majority of members present to begin session. That quorum was never met, forcing the House to adjourn without finishing attendance for the second day in a row.
Without a majority of members present, the House was unable to pass even the resolution that would allow them to adjourn for the year.
“We made it hard every single effort we could to address those concerns. Quite frankly, it became a point where there was no more logic in some of the things that were brought up.” Aiyash said. “Their refusal to just come to the table for adjournment was stunning at best.”
All of the bills still waiting in the House will now be thrown out, any remaining legislative action is left to the Senate.
The House is still scheduled to return for a special session on December 31 at 1:30 pm, but only to pass the sine die resolution that will allow them to end session for the year.
