Michigan lame-duck Legislature: House abruptly adjourns after days of dysfunction

Michigan House Republicans were just about anywhere but the state Capitol Thursday morning, continuing their protest against Democratic leadership with press conferences in bars and restaurants across the state. 

Members of the caucus last week vowed to skip session unless House Democrats, in the last days of legislative power, took up bills to preemptively modify looming changes to the state’s paid earned sick time rules and tip credits for restaurant workers. 

Speaking from American Coney Island in Detroit Thursday morning, several southeast Michigan Republicans reiterated that stance, arguing that House Speaker Joe Tate, D-Detroit, was at fault for the ongoing legislative stalemate. 

“We need to keep the pressure on,” Rep. Joseph Aragona, R-Clinton Township, told reporters. “We need to get back to Lansing to fix this, but unfortunately, (Tate has) completely dug his heels in.” 

Republicans, led by Speaker-elect Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, will take back majority control in the chamber next year. The court-ordered changes to paid sick leave and minimum wages for tipped workers are slated to take effect in February.

Aragona said Republicans consider the issue their top priority and would take up the charge next year, but are willing to come back for lame duck votes if Democrats agree to play ball. He acknowledged that time is running short: At this point, the House and Senate would have to add additional session days cutting into the holiday break to get new legislation through both chambers.

Tate, for his part, has said GOP lawmakers took themselves out of ongoing negotiations, telling reporters last week that “we can’t have a bipartisan solution if we don’t have Republicans at the table.” — Lauren Gibbons

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Senate Dem returns, but House may derail agenda

Michigan Sen. Sylvia Santana returned to session Thursday and had some choice words for Detroit Democratic colleague and state Rep. Karen Whitsett: Get to Lansing for votes on what could be the final day of the year for the state House. 

“After we have gotten all these things to move to the agenda for the public record, I’m hoping that we have 56 votes in the House,” Santana, D-Detroit, told reporters at the Michigan Capitol. 

“Otherwise, the Black agenda dies with Karen Whitsett.” 

Both Santana and Whitsett, D-Detroit, were absent Wednesday after expressing frustration over legislation they felt wasn’t being given enough attention. This includes votes on water affordability policy, maternal mortality improvements and police reform efforts.

Whitsett told reporters Wednesday afternoon she would be back for votes on Thursday with a police escort. But by roughly 8:30 p.m., capitol outlet Gongwer News Service reported that Whitsett had reversed course and would no longer be coming to Lansing today, claiming she had been deceived. 

Bridge Michigan has also reached out to Whitsett in an attempt to confirm her attendance status. She did not immediately respond.

The Senate gaveled in session at 10 a.m. Thursday with just under 60 possible votes scheduled on their agenda. As of 10:45 a.m., they had yet to vote on anything. 

The House, meanwhile, is due back in at noon, and leaders intended to pursue the same agenda as they had planned for Wednesday, when Whitsett’s absence and a Republican walkout prevented voting, according to House Democratic Caucus spokesperson Jessica Travers.

Former Rep. Dave LaGrand, recently elected as mayor of Grand Rapids, said Thursday morning that he’d been texting with Whitsett and was “holding out hope” she would show up to work. LaGrand planned to be in the Capitol to advocate for sentencing guidelines legislation.

“I think that her heart is in the right place,” he said of Whitsett. —Jordyn Hermani and Simon Schuster

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No votes amid drama, but Dems to try again

Wednesday, Dec. 18

There was no voting in the Michigan House or Senate on Wednesday due to the absence of at least two Democrats and all House Republicans.

House action was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. but never moved beyond an attendance check-in. 

Instead, House Speaker Joe Tate of Detroit sent members home shortly before 3 p.m. after it became clear that neither House Republicans nor Democratic state Rep. Karen Whitsett of Detroit would show up for votes.

The Senate followed suit around 5 p.m. after spending most of the day in recess while Democratic state Sen. Sylvia Santana of Detroit also boycotted session.

Santana said early Wednesday she had no interest in voting for what she called Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s “corporate welfare agenda while Democrats ignore priorities that impact urban communities.”

House Republicans are continuing their own boycott, which began last week amid frustration over a lack of action on legislation to alter pending changes to the state’s minimum wage, sick leave and tipped wage laws.

For now, there is just one day left on the legislative calendar for House Democrats, who will cede control of the chamber to Republicans next year. Another stalemate Thursday could effectively kill numerous policy bills. 

There are signs of life for Tate and House Democrats, however: Whitsett told Gongwer News Service late Wednesday that she plans to return to work on Thursday — with a private police escort on her drive from Detroit. 

Democratic Caucus spokesperson Jess Travers told reporters that the House would reconvene for possible votes Thursday at noon. The Senate, meanwhile, plans to reconvene at 10 a.m.

“The agenda today will be the agenda tomorrow,” said Travers, adding she was “hopeful that members will show up.” She wouldn’t, however, say if the House will schedule further session days outside of Thursday.

The Senate is scheduled to hold votes on Thursday, too, and is tentatively scheduled to hold its final session day Monday. 

State Sen. Sam Singh, majority floor leader and Lansing Democrat, would not commit to further voting plans beyond that.

“We are going to take it one day at a time,” Singh told reporters after Wednesday’s session ended without any voting, “and we’re coming in tomorrow to do the work of the people.” — Jordyn Hermani