Michigan Democrats are pushing multiple pieces of controversial legislation before they lose their hold on the Michigan House of Representatives at the end of the year. Two Democrats and the entire House Republican conference, however, skipped the state legislature’s sessions on Wednesday, hamstringing Democrats’ last-minute efforts.
Far-Left Democrats in the House have been pushing for a vote on a bill to allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses, and a police reform bill that would limit law enforcement’s use of no-knock warrants. But Republicans, joined by Democratic Rep. Karen Whitsett, want the House to focus on fixing the roads, protecting restaurant workers’ tips, and fixing issues with a paid sick leave law.
Michigan House Republicans walked out of the legislative session last week, slamming Democrats for ignoring legislation on road improvements, minimum wage, and paid sick leave bills that Republican members argue are more pressing issues. Democrats currently have a trifecta in the state, controlling the state House, Senate, and governor’s mansion.
The Michigan Republicans did not return for sessions on Wednesday and do not plan to return on Thursday, which is listed as the final day on the voting calendar until the state House flips back to Republican control in 2025. Whitsett also did not attend Wednesday’s session, meaning Democrats lacked the votes to pass any bills.
“I’m staying home for my constituents,” Whitsett said, according to The Detroit News. “We’re not going to be voting on garbage bills that do nothing for our community and have a negative impact.”
Restaurant workers and bartenders have voiced concerns about a minimum wage law that is set to take effect in February that they say will decrease the money they make from tips. Business owners, meanwhile, are concerned about a new law on required sick leave for nearly all employees. Some business owners say it will hurt their efforts to run a punctual and effective operation while also hurting employees who already have sick leave benefits. Unless the state legislature acts, the new minimum wage and paid sick time laws will take effect in two months. Michigan House Speaker-elect Matt Hall told The Daily Wire that Republicans also want to vote on a plan to fix the roads that won’t raise any taxes.
“The things these Democrats are working on are radical and out of touch with the people of Michigan or unimportant in most cases,” Hall told The Daily Wire in a phone interview. “We want to spend our time here focusing on the issues that matter most to the working people of Michigan.”
Hall added that if Democrats refuse to vote on the roads bill, or minimum wage or sick leave laws, then the House should adjourn. He said that Republicans will pick these issues up when they take over the Michigan House next month.
Michigan Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel accused Michigan House Republicans and Whitsett of taking “literally criminal” actions.
“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,” Nessel wrote on Facebook. “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.”
Michigan House rules allow for the Speaker to call on the sergeant-at-arms to bring absent lawmakers to the session, but Democratic Speaker Joe Tate has so far declined to use that authority. House Speaker Pro Tem Laurie Pohutsky said she is encouraging Tate to dispatch the sergeant-at-arms.
“And I am not the only one,” Pohutsky said. “He is the Speaker of the House. That is his decision to make.”
Later on Wednesday, Whitsett said that she plans to be in attendance on Thursday since some of her bills will be taken up for a vote, Gongwer News reported.
In the final weeks of the 2024 session, Michigan House Democrats have crammed through leftist legislation, including a bill to prevent libraries from removing books on sexual orientation and gender identity and a bill that updates the state’s hate crime law to include protections for sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. Those bills are now in the hands of the Democrat-controlled state Senate, which could also be in a bind as one Democratic state Senator, Sylvia Santana, also announced that she will be skipping the legislative session, The Detroit News reported.
Lawmakers are scheduled to come back for a session at noon on Thursday with a House Democratic Caucus spokesman telling reporters, “The agenda for today is the agenda for tomorrow,” according to Bridge Michigan. In the state Senate, Democrats need 20 votes to pass any legislation, but Santana’s absence puts their count at 19. Similarly, in the state House, Democrats need 56 votes, but they only have 55 with Whitsett skipping the session.
House Republicans gathered for a press conference at a Lansing-area restaurant on Wednesday morning, where Speaker-elect Hall continued his calls for Democrats to take action with Republicans to save restaurant workers’ tipping system. He also slammed AG Nessel over her comments.
“We’re not going to be bullied and intimidated by this attorney general,” Hall said. “And she has no business as a member of the executive branch telling us in the legislative branch what to do. Look, I’m an attorney too, so I hope she knows about the separation of powers, but we’re not going to be bullied by her.”
“She knows that oversight is coming and accountability to her department and scrutiny of her budget,” he added. “And we’re going to get her office under control.”
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