Michigan Capitol
Two quotes old enough to have great-great-great-great-grandchildren get dusted off every year by unimaginative pundits. They are: "Politics ain't beanbag," first credited to Finley Peter Dunne in, what else, a newspaper column; and Mark Twain's "No man's life, liberty or property are safe while the legislature is in session."
One reason we can't give them up? They're true.
The Michigan lame-duck session of the legislature is now in full swing, and you should pay attention, because so far your elected representatives are doing their best to monkey with the November election results.
This lead in The Detroit News puts it succinctly:
With Democrats set to take over top statewide offices next year, Michigan Republicans are considering proposals that would allow the Legislature to intervene in legal battles and shift oversight of the state’s campaign finance law to a new commission.
This comes after proposed bills dropped earlier in the week that would gut the minimum wage and paid-sick-leave laws passed just a few months ago. Politically savvy folks knew those bills were dead laws walking, but Thursday's crop of proposed legislation seemed to shock even Lansing veterans.
Extraordinary power play here in #LameDuck session. https://t.co/7R1V2GmJK8
— Chad Livengood (@ChadLivengood) November 29, 2018
The bill aimed at incoming attorney general Dana Nessel would allow the legislature to make itself a party in legal action, like so:
First reported by Gongwer News Service, the bill would let the Legislature intervene in any court case to protect the rights and interests of the state or Legislature. It would give the state House and state Senate the right to take any action that other parties to the litigation have, including prosecuting an appeal and applying for a re-hearing.
The bill's sponsor, Rep. Rob VerHeulen, R-Walker, explained his motivation:
"More and more public policy arguments are being made in the courts rather than in the legislative chambers, and I think there may be occasions where the House or the Senate or both want to simply express their view before the court," said VerHeulen.
Incoming secretary of state Jocelyn Benson didn't catch a break, either. Yet another proposed bill would strip her office of oversight of Michigan campaign-finance law, moving that authority to a newly created "fair political practices commission."
Oh, and pot smokers haven't escaped notice, either. Sen. Arlan Meekhof doesn't like this home-grow stuff, and his bill would outlaw that, as well as change legal marijuana taxation. However, because that was a citizen-initiated law that passed via ballot proposal, a supermajority of three-quarters of both chambers would be necessary to pass it. With Democrats outraged over other lame-duck shenanigans, Meekhof is unlikely to find few friends on the other side of the aisle.
Multiple local news outlets are reporting on this, and Slate also takes notice. Read up.
