LANSING, MI — The Michigan Senate on Wednesday authorized its Democratic leader to take legal action against the Republican-controlled Michigan House for failing to send nine bills from the previous session to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s desk.
The authorization, outlined in a resolution Wednesday, would allow Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, R-Grand Rapids, to sue House Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, to force him to forward the bills to the Democratic governor.
For unknown reasons, Democratic former House Speaker Joe Tate of Detroit failed to present nine bills from the 2023-24 session to the Democratic governor.
When Republicans took control of the House on January 8, Hall directed the new clerk, Scott Starr, to halt the transfer of bills while a legal review of the House’s options is conducted.
“I hope to make it abundantly clear that we will not tolerate illegal, partisan games that violate our state constitution,” Brinks said from the chamber floor on Wednesday, as the Senate passed the resolution.
She urged Hall to send the bills to the governor to avoid expensive litigation. “This can be avoided completely if the speaker does his job and sends these bills to the governor,” Brinks told reporters. “I hope he makes the right choice.” Brinks did not specify a timeline for Hall to present the bills in order to avoid Senate litigation.
Sen. Jonathan Lindsey, R-Allen, called the resolution “ridiculous” and criticized the new Republican House speaker for failing the previous Democratic majority.
“The Democrats in the last session couldn’t get their job done,” the senator said. “They couldn’t do something as simple as take passed bills and deliver them to the governor for her signature.
Now it is up to the Republicans to solve this for the Democrats.” Democrats contend Hall has a constitutional obligation to present the bills to the governor.
Hall has argued that the constitution does not specify a timeline for presenting bills to the governor, nor does it address the possibility of a previous Legislature failing to present its bills.
The disagreement puts the bills in legal limbo. The legislation that has been withheld includes proposals to increase public employers’ contributions to their employees’ health care, enroll corrections officers in the state police pension system, and exempt disability, public assistance, and worker’s compensation from debt garnishment.
Brinks stated Wednesday that Hall had “plenty of time” to conduct a legal review of the situation. She stated that the Senate, which she described as a party harmed by the House’s actions, has hired outside counsel in case a lawsuit is necessary.
“I don’t know what occurred over in the House, either with the previous speaker or the current speaker,” Brinks told reporters. “Either way, I think there’s an obligation. If both bodies have passed legislation properly, it should be presented to the governor’s desk.”