LANSING – Today, Legislative Republicans passed two bills, SB 1171 and SB 1175, gutting the citizen-led ballot initiatives that were passed into law back in September. In response, state Rep. Kevin Hertel (D-St. Clair Shores) issued the following statement:
“You learn to expect the unexpected in lame duck, but unfortunately, these bills came as no surprise to any of us. Republicans never had any intention of honoring the people’s wishes when they passed these back in September—they didn’t try to hide that fact. It’s a disappointment to see this abuse of the citizen-initiated process, but I’m more concerned about the wellbeing and livelihood of Michiganders put at risk by this careless political stunt. My Democratic colleagues and I have fought against these types of underhanded tactics for the last two years, and that’s a fight we’re going to continue well beyond Lame Duck.”
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