By Brandon Hall
You can't make this up: failed former House Speaker Joe Tate and House Democrats forgot to send 9 of their horrendous bills from Lame Duck over to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for approval before the new Republican State House took over!
Like, you have ONE job, folks---what the hell?
The situation is unprecedented---and headed for court---as Speaker Hall seeks legal advice.
Apparently, Whitmer wanted nothing to do with the bills anyway, which makes me wonder just who "accidentally" forgot to send them to her...
According to Craig Mauger of The Detroit News:
"Nine bills, prioritized by Michigan Democrats that the state Legislature approved in the final days of 2024, haven't physically reached Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's desk, setting up a potential high-stakes legal fight with Republicans now in control of the House.
It wasn't clear Thursday why the bills, including one that would increase what public employers pay toward their workers' health care, weren't sent to the Democratic governor before Republicans took power in the House on Jan. 1. If they don't reach Whitmer's desk, they can't be signed into law.
Legislative records indicate the House ordered the measures be presented to Whitmer on Dec. 23. But it hadn't happened as of Thursday, a day after new House Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, and his House clerk, Scott Starr, were officially elected to lead the chamber.
In addition to the legislation that would require public employers to pay a larger share of employee health care, other bills still not presented to the governor would put corrections officers in the state police pension system and exclude disability, public assistance and worker's compensation from debt garnishments. The employee health insurance change and pensions for corrections officers had been major legislative priorities for labor unions allied with Democrats.
All nine bills originated in the House and had gained the approval of the House. But they didn't pass the Senate until a marathon 29-hour-long session that began on the morning of Dec. 19 and ended on the afternoon of Dec. 20. Because the bills started in the House, it was up to the House to formally present them to Whitmer.
But the House abruptly adjourned Dec. 19 without a quorum — due to a boycott of 54 Republicans and one Democrat — and was unable to adopt a sine die resolution, which usually marks a legal end of the session and sets the clock ticking on when bills become effective.
House clerks have since been working through the remaining bills meant to be presented to the governor but have not yet gotten to the last nine, which also happen to be some of the more controversial legislation to get through both chambers. Whitmer was known to be "at best lukewarm" on some of the remaining bills, according to one source with knowledge of the negotiations on the legislation."
Stay tuned!
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Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.
>>>Email him at WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com
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