This is NOT what Democracy looks like
As I reported yesterday, on Monday Ingham County Circuit Judge Clinton Canady III will consider whether to grant the Michigan House Democrats a Restraining Order against Republicans who they say are violating the state constitution by denying them roll call votes on making laws take “immediate effect”.
The Michigan Republicans in a rather remarkable display of arrogance have taken to passing bills lately and voting to give them “immediate effect”. They are, in general, allowed to do this and it bypasses the normal 90-day waiting period after the bill is signed into law by the governor. However, under the state constitution, this requires a 2/3 vote by the legislature must allow a record roll call vote on immediate effect if one-fifth of the members request it. The Republicans have decided to just ignore that inconvenience and go right to a voice vote against the wishes of the House Dems. The GOP has used this on such bills as a recent one to prevent university graduate student research assistants from forming a union.
Would you like to see what it looks like when Democrats ask for the roll call vote? You know, in case you were thinking maybe the Republicans didn’t actually realize they were asking?
Take a look at this:
Click image for larger version. Image courtesy of Representative Jeff Irwin, used with permission.
That is very much more than one-fifth of the members. It is also so NOT what Democracy looks like. It’s the same type of egregious, arrogant crap the Republicans pulled in Wisconsin. When you hold all the cards, you can get away with whatever you want, at least in the minds of Republicans. The courts offer temporary relief.
Until it gets to our state Supreme Court, of course.
