LANSING — State Representative Bill LaVoy (D-Monroe) voted in favor of House Resolution 141 to expel now-former state Rep. Cindy Gamrat. HR 139, which would have expelled now-former Rep. Todd Courser, never received a final vote, as Courser opted to resign.
“This was an incredibly serious matter, and one that called for the most informed decision possible,” LaVoy said. “The fact that the select committee reached its decision after only a few hearings seems like a rush to judgment. I’m glad we were able to come together to recommend a full outside investigation.”
LaVoy felt that the House investigation into the misuse of state resources and staff was rushed, and the committee formed to examine the issue didn’t consider all relevant information. Also, the full 833 page report was not released to the public and non-members of the committee until 48 hours prior to the vote. Ultimately, HR 141 was amended to include a call for the Michigan State Police to investigate Gamrat, and a separate resolution was introduced and passed to direct the Michigan State Police to investigate Courser.
“As elected officials, we must hold ourselves to the highest standards. When two of our colleagues are accused of violating internal rules and the law, we owe it to ourselves and the public to follow due process,” LaVoy said. “Thankfully, the state police and Attorney General’s Office will examine the matter and help bring closure to this unfortunate chapter.”