Michigan GOP plans "shocking" scheme to ram through voting restrictions over Whitmer's veto

[marmar]

(Salon) The Republican leader of the Michigan State Senate says the party will try to push through its proposed voting restrictions, using a unique loophole in state law, despite a near-certain veto by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Republicans have already introduced 39 voting bills in the State Senate and dozens more in the House, three of which have already passed. Whitmer has vowed to veto the proposed restrictions. Senate Republican Leader Mike Shirkey told local news outlet JTV earlier this month that Republicans do not have the votes to override the veto but would instead pursue a scheme to use the state's citizen initiative process to circumvent the veto.

"You heard it here first, keep your eyes and ears open for the potential of a citizen initiative driven by the state party on some of these more important election laws that need to be considered," Shirkey said.

But state Sen. Erika Geiss, a Democrat, warned in an interview with Salon that "citizens will never actually see this question on their ballot."

....(snip)....

Michigan's unique "adopt and amend" procedure allows the state legislature to adopt a citizen initiative and then pass it into law with a simple veto-proof majority. The scheme only requires about 340,000 signatures, or 8% of the total votes cast in the last gubernatorial election, meaning that Michigan's heavily gerrymandered Republican majority and less than 4% of the state's population can circumvent the governor's power without ever putting the question before the public. ...........(more)

https://www.salon.com/2021/07/15/michigan-gop-plans-shocking-scheme-to-ram-through-voting-restrictions-over-whitmers-veto/

[Blues Heron]

1. Wow they are playing for keeps

these repuke people are fucking relentless

[C_U_L8R]

2. Even they know they have no hope of winning

So they cheat. What losers.

They all belong in prison or deported to some rock in the middle of a cold sea.

[jimfields33]

7. Who brought this loophole to Michigan? Good grief.

[roamer65]

3. And they can kiss the metropolitan Detroit area good bye for a generation.

[DownriverDem]

4. It would be much worse except

for the strong women at the top - Gov Whitmer, AG Dana Nessel & SOS Joslyn Benson. We have some real trumpers here.

[FoxNewsSucks]

5. Do Manchin & Sinema care yet?

How many more things like this have to happen for those two to wake up to the reality that republicons are working 24/7 to implement every dirty trick possible.

[NJCher]

6. but voters

don't support these restrictions. So they'll have to do some spectacular lying on street corners to get voters to sign.

Then their petitions need to be challenged because we all know they are liars and cheaters of the highest order and that the signatures are probably not valid.

There need to be citizen teams who go out with their cell phones and video tape them soliciting for signatures.

[PortTack]

9. True! Polls show voters overwhelmingly support laws that make voting easier..

So good luck with that shitless..oh shirkey

[East-A-Squared]

8. It was us citizens who voted for no excuse absentee ballots

in 2018 and same day registration.