Elections have consequences and Michigan has become very illustrative of that reality. Over the past week, Michigan Democrats have continued to push their gun control legislation, added protections for the LGBTQ+ community without religious exemptions, voted to get rid of right-to-work laws and the state’s abortion ban – and they are trying to sign us up for the National Popular Vote Compact [1] so that our votes in the 2024 presidential election are meaningless.
Ever since the Dems in Michigan got control over the House and Senate, they’ve been busy introducing and passing every progressive and destructive law that they have ever dreamed about and on Wednesday, they put the pedal to the floor to ram through as much as they could.
On Wednesday evening, the House voted to repeal Michigan’s Right-to-Work law so that non-union workers are forced to pay union dues – dues used to elect Democrat politicians. The vote was pushed ahead after having only one hearing twelve hours earlier in the House Labor Committee with lots of union members and activists in attendance. The bill will need to pass the Senate and get signed by the Governor to go into effect. That currently doesn’t appear to be a problem.
House Republican Leader Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) said about the repeal, “Democrats are rushing through their pay-cut plan to take hard-earned money from workers’ paychecks and give it to union lobbyists. Our right to work law empowers people to choose good careers without fearing they could lose their jobs if they don’t pay a union, and these protections guarantee workers job security and greater accountability over their representation. Since Michigan passed right to work a decade ago, job providers have chosen to invest in our state and create jobs here. The Democrats’ catering to union bosses to undo these advancements would cut paychecks, eliminate good-paying careers, and hurt working families.”
Also on Wednesday, Michigan Senators voted to repeal the 1931 abortion ban. With the House already approving the measure, this will move on to the Governor’s desk for her signature very quickly. Bridge Michigan [2] reports that the vote will also “repeal criminal penalties for abortion providers who cause the death of a woman during the procedure.”
Additionally, it brings abortion after fetus viability into question, possibly allowing women to kill their babies up to the time of delivery. Right to Life Michigan made a statement about the repeal of the abortion ban, saying the new constitutional amendment allowed for regulations on abortion care after fetal viability. According to the group, the 1931 abortion law is the only abortion statute that currently regulates post-viable abortions.
Wednesday was also the day for the Democrats in the House (plus eight Republicans) to push through protections for LGBTQ+ individuals with additions to the state’s “Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act.” The Democrats (plus three Republicans) in the Senate voted for the same proposal last week. This bill is also heading to the Governor’s office for her signature. It adds sexual orientation and gender identity/expression to a list of protected classes in the Elliott-Larsen Act. Religious exemptions were all shot down.
Libby Ranshaw, a victim of sexual assault, gave testimony about the bill and said she’s afraid of being attacked by a “man” while in a public restroom. The Democrats didn’t care about her concerns and Committee Chair Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit) actually said she was “horrified” that the issue was brought up. She demanded statistical data on Ranshaw’s claims that an incident she described would be possible. Newsflash Chang: If a dude can can go into a woman’s bathroom, it’s POSSIBLE.
Also on Wednesday, the Democrats in the House approved legislation to implement universal background checks [3] for people who purchase rifles. Many other gun control legislation is in the works and very likely to pass.
Unfortunately, progressive leftist legislation like this is not going to stop. Michiganders are stuck with these destructive legislators for at least the next two years.
The Democrats are going to continue their ongoing assault on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for as long as they are able. It’s who they are.