LANSING, Mich., Jan. 14, 2025 — As a form of political gamesmanship, House Republicans have cherry-picked nine bills to hold hostage by refusing to present them to the governor for her signature into law. These bills have passed both the Michigan House and Senate and are now constitutionally obligated to be presented to the governor. In response, state Rep. Carrie Rheingans (D-Ann Arbor) sent a letter to House Republican leadership, demanding they present the bills to the governor, as required by law. Rheingans issued the following statement:
“I am outraged that House Republicans are showing blatant disregard for the legislative process and are subverting the Michigan constitution — all for their own political gain and for their big-money stakeholders. While Republicans play games, the people of Michigan are missing out on the benefits the policies will bring. These bills have passed both chambers of the Legislature and are now legally required to be presented to the governor for her signature. Refusing to do so would be detrimental for the millions of Michiganders who would benefit from these bills as well as our democratic process.
“Many community members in my district have expressed their concerns, making clear they want to see these bills signed into law. This includes legislation to improve healthcare affordability for public employees and provide pension benefits for corrections workers. We need to support our public employees, who provide an invaluable service to communities across our state. That’s why House Republicans need to stop playing games with people’s lives and send these bills to the governor to be signed into law.”
###