(Source: MIRS.news, Published 01/11/2022) House Democrats opted against a rules change that would have kept the Democratic leadership team in place even if the membership numbers fell to a tie due to resignations.
In fact, Democrats made few substantiative changes to the rules between the 2021-22 and 2023-24 legislative sessions based on a MIRS review.
That didn’t stop several House members from opposing HR 1 during Wednesday’s session, along with voting ‘no’ on resolutions to elect Speaker Pro Tem and House Clerk.
Josh Schriver (R-Oxford), newly-elected Representative of the 66th District, said he was opposed to a portion of Rule 41 that allowed bills to be introduced as few as three hours before the start of session.
Schriver wanted to suggest a longer time between when bills could be introduced and when they hit the House floor.
When HR 1 hit the floor on Wednesday, he attempted to comment, but was never recognized and the rules passed on a voice vote.
In addition to complaints about the rules themselves, Schriver and several other Republican representatives said they were disappointed by the lack of time members had to read the rules before they were taken up for a vote.
Minority Leader Rep. Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) said during an afternoon presser that the Republican caucus didn’t receive the rules until approximately 9:40 a.m.
Hall said with the families present and first-session activities, many members weren’t given enough time to read the lengthy document.
“Normally, the legislative caucuses, when the Republicans controlled the House, would have started these conversations in December,” Hall said. “They would take feedback from the other party. Both parties would know a couple weeks in advance what the rules were.”
Hall said some members were “justifiably upset” to receive the rules the same day as voting took place.
The frustration trickled down into later resolutions, including HR 2, which selected Rep. Laurie Pohutsky (D-Livonia) as Speaker Pro Tempore. She received nine nay votes, many from the recently formed House Freedom Caucus, which expressed their expected opposition to the rules on Tuesday.
Even he vote for Rich Brown as House Clerk received a 105-4-1 vote in favor, with Reps. Steve CARRA (R-Three Rivers), Neil Friske (R-Charlevoix), Matt Maddock (R-Milford) and Angela RIGAS (R-Caledonia) voting no.
Following the session, Hall said actions by House Democrats, like a late turnaround on rules, are “the kind of stuff that breaks trust.”
But he added that it’s still important for both sides to work on governing in the middle, especially with a slim Democratic majority.
Other than the time crunch for voting members, most of the content in the rules remained the same.
Rule 33’s section regarding remote participation will stay, with members able to attend via videoconference.
And despite House Democrats’ considerations earlier this week, Rule 77 remains in place.
The proposed rule change would have allowed the leadership team selected on Wednesday to stay in place for the duration of the 2023-24 legislative session, even if Democrats lose the majority and settle into a tie due to potential resignations as Reps. Kevin COLEMAN (D-Westland) and Lori STONE (D-Warren) explore mayorships in Westland and Warren.
Under Rule 77, the 54-54 split would require a new election for Speaker and other leadership positions before special elections would fill the vacated Dem-majority seats, although a majority of those elected and serving would be required.
While exclusion of the proposed Rule 78 could leave House Speaker Joe TATE (D-Detroit) vulnerable in the case of a power split, he said it isn’t an issue on his mind at the moment.
“I don’t see that as an issue,” he said, “because I know that all of our members' focus of effort will be, ‘how are we pushing good policy for Michigan?’”
