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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMichigan House passes new version of emergency law repealed by voters
by Laura Clawson
In November, Michigan voters repealed Public Act 4, the state's notoriously antidemocratic emergency manager law. On Wednesday, in the legislature's mad rush to get every horrible thing it can passed during the lame duck session, the House passed a new version of the same damn thing and sent it to the Senate, which is expected to pass it and send it to Gov. Rick Snyder to be signed (back) into law.
The new bill ostensibly includes changes to address problems with the original, like giving local elected officials a tiny bit more input in what happens to their cities and towns. But the real difference may be that Republicans attached an appropriation to this bill so that it won't be subject to referendum.
Michigan Republicans have an ... interesting relationship with ballot measures their state's voters voted on in November. One of the big lines Republicans are trying to sell to explain why they decided to attack unions during the lame duck session is that it's retribution for unions putting a collective bargaining measure on the ballot in November. Republicans just had to weaken unions because unions had the temerity to try to strengthen themselves, or something. Never mind that this is contradicted by the fact that some Republicans in the legislature, and of course a bunch of big donors and far-right think tanks, had been working on their anti-union bill since well before the collective bargaining ballot measure was proposed. Never mind that the timing is obvious: pushing such a divisive law before the election would have had repercussions for Republicans in November, and with the state House gaining Democrats come January, it was now or never. No, we're supposed to believe that a failed ballot measure forced their hand. But at the same time, we're supposed to believe that the successful ballot measure repealing Public Act 4 was also a legitimate reason to pass virtually the same law, with some cosmetic changes and an appropriation.
In other words, to Michigan Republicans, democracy is just something to override, evade, or blame.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/12/13/1169517/-Michigan-House-passes-new-version-of-emergency-law-repealed-by-voters
Republicans reap the fruits of redistricting
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021971150
PDJane
(10,103 posts)If you lot don't wake up, you'll find the entire country handed over to the fascists.
gollygee
(22,336 posts)They all need to be shown the door in '14. I so so so so hope this kicks them in the ass.
Gregorian
(23,867 posts)global1
(25,253 posts)They might win the battle - but in the end they will lose the war. The voters of Michigan will turn on them the next time they are up for re-election. They will get thrown out of office. Can't they see that their days in an elected office are numbered. Or are they getting paid enough by the Kochs - so they won't have to worry?
Bandit
(21,475 posts)They seem to revel in this kind of action.....If Michigan was a blue state they would not have double the number of Republicans in Congress than Democrats do... Unless we can get some sanity expressed on the airwaves or in print people are just going to continue voting Republican....We need a MAJOR education campaign... MAJOR ONE..in every state.
Coyotl
(15,262 posts)There is a tactic in the background, a drown them in bullshit to fight so they can't take the offensive or an attack where you can to counter Obama and Dems in control in DC, hoping to impair and distract them somewhere and thus impede them nonetheless almost everywhere. This smells of the sinister.
kimbutgar
(21,168 posts)HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)FightForMichigan
(232 posts)At what point can the feds get involved when a state government decides it doesn't want to follow the principles of democracy anymore?
Great Caesars Ghost
(532 posts)Starry Messenger
(32,342 posts)People really worked hard to overturn that POS EM law. Why the fuck even have elections and voting if they're just going to do all this Sheriff of Nottingham crap by decree?
Pathwalker
(6,598 posts)My poor husband has been calling, and calling our state rep., but his voice mail box has been full for a week. These Republicans don't care what we, the people think.