Michigan Votes Forum

Senators Whitmer and Gleason, under their constitutional right of protest (Art. 4, Sec. 18), protested against the motion to postpone until October 2 the motion to discharge the Committee on Government Operations and Reform from further consideration of House Bill Nos. 4316, 4317, and 4318 and moved that the statements they made during the discussion of the motion be printed as their reasons for voting “no.”

The motion prevailed.

Senator Whitmer’s statement is as follows:

I would like to speak against changing this vote again. I would like to remind the majority that they picked this date to have this vote, so let’s have this vote today on this date. This is about citizens’ rights. June 2 was the date that you chose to have the vote on whether or not Michigan citizens were going to continue to be treated as second-class citizens. June 2, let’s have the vote today is what you said. So are we going to continue to treat Michigan citizens as second-class citizens? June 2, let’s make that decision. Now you want to move that date back to October.

The people of the state of Michigan deserve to know what you think. Should they have the same rights as the people in the other 49 states or not? Do they deserve to be treated as second-class citizens, or should they have the same rights? You chose June 2; I say great. Let’s have the vote today, June 2. You control the votes in this chamber. You have reminded us all along that you are in the majority. You have the control, so let’s put this up for a vote today, June 2, the day that you chose to have this vote.

I say let’s not postpone this any longer. People of this state deserve to have their Senators cast the vote on their rights. Let’s vote today. I ask that we not postpone this any longer. Let’s give them their vote, and vote today as you said that we should.

Senator Gleason’s statement is as follows:

Many in this chamber were waiting for this day, and so were many Michigan citizens waiting for this day. On the day that this was postponed, there were statements made from this floor that many other states have this same criteria to be met and that particular groups had not been invited in to be part of the discussion. All these days have past to meet with those numerous groups. Delaying this does not answer the question of whether the individual who was talking about meeting with these groups has actually talked and discussed how this might affect those interests.

We can’t deny the fact that there are already Michigan citizens who have been harmed by these drugs. In regard to the delay, many of those who have been harmed and have been asking for relief, we said a month or so ago that we would give them relief today. So let’s do what we said we were going to do. We have to decide what side we are on in this—whether we are going to keep pushing back from June 2, after the great hope that was given to many of the people we represent. Let’s do the right thing and vote on this issue today.

We shouldn’t say that we are going to do something and not do it. We shouldn’t say that we are going to meet with particular groups and not meet with them. We shouldn’t say that we are not going to give you justice on June 2, but we will do the best we can on October 2. As I said a month ago, if we were certain that we would vote on this issue today, June 2, then I had no objection to that. But this is not new, and there is nothing we can gain by moving this back to October. This has been hashed out for years now. Let’s do the right thing and give our citizens our vote. Let’s have them find out on June 2, rather than on October 2, whether we are on the side of those who have harmed and killed them, or if we are on their side.