Advocates react as Michigan Democrats end lame duck: 'Unacceptable'

As Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives tried to buy time due to their waning control of the chamber, they ended chances of achieving many remaining policy goals that caucus members and supporters hoped would see passage. before the lame duck session ends.

Adjourning Thursday with many key items still awaiting a voteHouse Democrats have angered and disappointed some of their biggest defenders.

Supporters of expanded voting access have decried the lack of action on a proposal called the Michigan Voting Rights Act. Gun violence prevention groups said the House failed to pass Senate-passed legislation banning “ghost guns” and replacement stocks for firearms would have potentially fatal consequences. Health coalitions have said bills aimed at cracking down on the sale of tobacco and nicotine to unauthorized minors pose health risks to minors. Environmental advocates said bills aimed at making water more affordable and tackling massive polluters were essential. Immigrant rights groups wanted lawmakers to create pathways to obtain state ID cards for undocumented people.

And although legislation aimed at preventing the possible elimination of Michigan’s tipped wage was also defended by the RepublicansSome Democratic lawmakers said action was needed before pending changes to Michigan’s wage laws come in February.

Despite the work done on a slew of bills throughout Democrats’ two-year tenure leading the Michigan House, Thursday’s adjournment means those issues will have to wait. Once the legislative session ends, any remaining bills expire. Lawmakers can of course reintroduce them in the next session, but that restarts the legislative process, where bills are reviewed and explained to new lawmakers.

But with Republicans taking control of the House in January, Democratic allies aren’t being shy about some policy goals that have a chance in a Republican-led chamber.

“These were policies that had robust processes developed for months and months, throughout the session,” said Nick Dodge, communications director for the League of Conservation Voters (LCV). “It wasn’t just some weird lame-duck policies to pass. They did real work with them.

“Seeing them disappear because of dysfunction and lack of appetite for passing truly bold, progressive policies…we had the hope and expectation that lawmakers would be able to pass legislation that would give truly putting people first.”

Democrats won their first “trifecta” of control of state government in decades when they won the House and Senate in 2022, alongside Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on her way to re-election.

In the first months of the 2023-2024 session, Democrats sent bills to Whitmer suppress gun violence shortly after, a mass shooting at Michigan State University resulted in the deaths of three students. Whitmer signed the bills repeal Michigan’s status as a “right to work” statea decision seen as a major victory for the unions. Democrats repealed Michigan’s dormant abortion ban and were able to expand access to abortion. Whitmer also signed legislation in late 2023 establishing clean energy goals for Michigan, establishing one of the nation’s clean energy goals. most aggressive deadlines to be carbon neutral in energy production.

Supporters had hoped to continue their momentum on policy goals through 2024, Dodge said, but the focus shifted to this year’s elections, where Democrats lost the Michigan House and votes state elections in favor of former President Donald Trump.

Still, the lame duck period between the election and the end of the legislative session was expected to be productive for Democrats. Although there was no consensus between House Speaker Joe Tate, the Detroit Democrat, Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, the Grand Rapids Democrat and Whitmer on the lame duck agenda ,Tate had named priorities for the Houseincluding increasing Michigan’s unemployment benefits, creating a new fund to support public safety and violence prevention measures, and affordable access to water. Bills to expand unemployment benefits headed to Whitmer’s office, but other measures were unsuccessful.

“As a mother, a Detroiter, a health advocate and a Black woman, I am beyond disgusted by the political games that have taken precedence over the health of our children,” said Minou Jones, president of the Detroit Wayne Oakland Tobacco Free Coalition. in a statement. The coalition condemned the failure to finalize a series of bills that would have required licenses to sell nicotine products and would have cracked down on sellers of tobacco and nicotine products to minors.

“Our elected officials have not finished the job and that is not acceptable,” Jones added. “This childish behavior has benefited no one, and our children are truly the big losers here today.”

As the lame duck came to an end, infighting and finger-pointing within the Democratic caucus appeared to intensify. Some members have openly criticized Tate and accused him of blocking popular legislation within the caucus.

State Rep. Karen Whitsett, D-Detroit, had skipped the session Wednesday. Whitsett returned to Lansing on Thursday, but was not present in the House. Tate then issued a rare “call from the House” ordering members to return to the chamber, but reversed course and moved to adjourn the session about an hour later. This decision ended the lame duck in the House.

Tate did not speak to reporters Thursday, but House Speaker pro tempore Laurie Pohutsky, D-Livonia, told media that the legislation left pending affected the 55 absent members, which included the entire Republican caucus and Whitsett. Speaking to reporters, Whitsett said Tate did not negotiate policies she supported in good faith.

Branden Snyder, state director of We Make Michigan, a coalition of progressive grassroots groups, blamed Tate and Whitsett for the lack of progress on policy goals.

“After two years of telling communities to wait and see on economic justice and democratic policies, our elected leaders surrendered to corporate interests in the final hours of the Trifecta,” Snyder said in a statement.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan also tore into House Democrats, publication on “Despite the clear need for desperate action on these critical issues affecting our state, enough legislators have chosen to prioritize ego, political games and obstruction of people’s well-being and dignity whom they have sworn to serve.”

Dodge said the current climate in Lansing is too favorable to corporate interests and too many policies have been abandoned in favor of legislation more openly embraced by big businesses and corporations. The House and Senate, with the support of the Whitmer administration, approved millions of dollars in incentives for business projects in Michigan.

“We really need to fix this broken system in Lansing, where these companies have so much freedom with their lobbyists, to create a culture where there is so much influence,” Dodge said. “And it affects Democrats and Republicans. It’s a broken system that affects everyone in Lansing.”

Contact Arpan Lobo: [email protected].