(Source: MIRS.news, Published 01/17/2024) The year's first logjam of the split Democratic/Republican House came Wednesday when Republicans declined to sign off on the cleanup of legislation that allows child care centers contracting with community mental health services to use physical “emergency safety intervention” in certain cases.
Last year, Rep. Dan Lauwers (R-Brockway)' SB 227 passed 105-4, but when the bill came up Wednesday for changes in order to comply with a new law that requires hydration stations in child care centers, the body's Republicans held firm and said no. The final vote was 52-52. Even with the absences, 55 votes are needed to pass a bill out of the House until two vacancies are filled.
The reason the bill was blocked dates back to the hydration station bill signed into law last term. Sen. Sylvia Santana (D-Detroit)’s SB 88 got the public act instead of Rep. Curtis VanderWall (R-Ludington)'s (R-Ludington), HB 4340. Both bills featured the exact same wording and House Republicans were pushing for VanderWall to get the P.A.
Movement on SB 227 wasn't on Wednesday’s original House agenda. Instead, Republicans were given a head's up a couple of hours before session, which Republicans didn't feel was enough time.
House Republican spokesperson Jeremiah Ward said Republicans didn’t want to vote yes on a conflict substitute that would keep SB 88 unchanged and in law.
“It’s not just a conflict with the law,” he said, “It’s a law we voted against.”
When it was pointed out that the language in SB 88 was identical to that of VanderWall’s initial legislation, which was voted out of the House Health Policy Committee 16-1-1 in May, Ward pointed to a lack of notice from the Democrats and the fact that the Republicans only received the substitute Wednesday morning.
House Democratic Spokesperson Amber McCann said SB 227 is a Republican-sponsored Senate bill to protect children in mental health facilities, which was given a conflict substitute to make sure it doesn’t conflict with a bill to filter water in childcare centers.
“It’s good to know that Republicans don’t care if kids are safe in mental health facilities, and they don’t seem to care if they’re exposed to lead at school, or in a childcare facility or another entity that serves them," McCann said.
“They (Republicans) are nothing if not consistent,” she added.
