Michigan Democrats Strip Two Republicans of Committee Assignments
February 22, 2023 | Michigan
After Michigan Republican senators blocked their Democrat counterparts’ plan to send state taxpayers $180 inflation-relief checks, Democrats stripped two lawmakers of their committee assignments.
Democrats relieved Sen. Joe Bellino, R-Monroe, of his leadership position, and removed Bellino and Sen. Dan Lauwers, R-Brockway Township, from their committee assignments for voting against House Bill 4001 and blocking the ability to issue the $180 checks.
Bellino adjourned Senate Republicans on January 26 as Democrats were caucusing. The adjournment was a payback for House Democrats gagging House Republican speeches as they rammed through a vote for House Bill 4001. The delay and the “no” votes blocked an opportunity for Democrats to pass a tax plan to swiftly send to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
The bill would boost the earned income tax credit and reduce the retirement tax. The bill aims to send $180 inflation relief checks, which would require a two-thirds majority vote to implement before April 18 to send the checks.
If approved with immediate effect, the bill would retroactively divert $800 million in general fund revenue from fiscal year 2022 fiscal to the Michigan Taxpayer Rebate Fund and divert up to $500 million annually to the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve Fund to attract large business projects… (Excerpt from The Michigan Star)
