LANSING, Mich., Feb. 12, 2024 — Speaker of the House Joe Tate (D-Detroit) today took appropriate action against state Rep. Josh Schriver (R-Oxford) for the representative’s sustained campaign of racist rhetoric and hate speech on social media.
“I will not allow the Michigan House of Representatives to be a forum for the proliferation of racist, hateful and bigoted speech,” Tate said. “Representative Schriver has a history of promoting debunked theories and dangerous rhetoric that jeopardizes the safety of Michigan residents and contributes to a hostile and uncomfortable environment for others. The House of Representatives is the people’s house, and all Michiganders should look upon this body and take pride in how we conduct ourselves. It is also a workplace, and I have a responsibility to make sure the employees of the House feel safe and secure.”
Effective today, Speaker Tate will withhold the office allotment for Schriver, and the representative’s staff will be reassigned. Schriver will be removed from the House Natural Resources, Environment, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation Committee, and the resources typically made available to a representative will be held by the House Business Office. Such resources are provided at the discretion and pleasure of the Speaker. Schriver will fulfill his responsibility as a representative through his ability to cast a vote in the House of Representatives.
Speaker Tate previously spoke out against Schriver for using social media to advocate for a debunked and dangerous theory embraced by white nationalists and referenced by individuals responsible for crimes motivated by bias and hate.