A Senate Republican power play proposal to shift campaign oversight from Democratic Secretary of State-elect Jocelyn Benson to a new political commission is poised to die in the Michigan House. The House Elections Committee will not take up the controversial legislation when it meets Wednesday morning for the last time of the year, said Rep. Aaron Miller, who chairs the panel. With two days left in the lame-duck session, the proposal is “dead” in committee, Miller, R-Sturgis, said late Tuesday. “No games are going to be played tomorrow. Full disclosure, those bills are not coming up tomorrow.” While it’s possible the GOP-led House still could discharge the legislation from committee for floor action, a caucus source told The Detroit News that is not expected to happen.
Instead, the House is unlikely to act on the proposal, which prompted national media coverage as part of a Republican push to strip powers from incoming Democrats who swept the top of the ticket on Nov. 6.
“I don’t want to speak for individual members, but from what I heard, support was lacking,” said Miller.
A separate measure approved by the House and awaiting action in the full Senate would guarantee the GOP-led Legislature could intervene in state legal cases when laws are challenged, a power that would otherwise be reserved for Attorney General-elect Dana Nessel.
Full Article: Michigan House kills bid to strip power from secretary of state.