Reaffirming Michigan’s Voter Rights in HCR 5
Today at the House Committee on Elections and Ethics, May 11, 2021 was overseen by Chair, Representative Ann Bollin. She has a 16-year history of being a former county clerk prior to becoming Representative.
There was a bill package presented regarding ethics and lobbyists.
They are as follows:
All of the bills in this package were voted through today to pass
into the House of Representatives.
However, that wasn’t the only reason the committee room and an additional overflow room was full. The last item of discussion was House Concurrent Resolution(HCR) 5, (Rep. Damoose) was the hot topic. HCR 5 is a concurrent resolution to reaffirm states’ rights under the United States Constitution to establish election laws.
All constituents that arrived to testify were FOR this Resolution.
So many constituents testified that they ran out of time to make a vote.
HCR 5, in short, will essentially block HR 1 and maintain Michigan’s
current constitution regarding voter laws.
Representative(R) Damoose testified on behalf of the Resolution. It is simply stated as follows:
Reps. Damoose, Bollin, Slagh, Brann, LaFave, Fink, Maddock, Beeler, Alexander, Roth, Paquette, Lightner, Hoitenga, Green, Carra, Borton, Bezotte, Markkanen, Outman, Eisen and Posthumus offered the following concurrent resolution:
Whereas, Traditionally, and as empowered through the U.S. Constitution, states set and administer their own election policies. While there is some congressional power regarding election laws, state legislatures are the proper bodies and best-suited to set laws on election matters; and
Whereas, Federal legislation that seeks to regulate registration, voting, and other election matters, like H.R. 1 of 2021, represents a massive overreach into state election administration. H.R. 1 would force many misguided policies upon states, such as impeding the maintenance of voter registration rolls to be accurate and up-to-date, hampering the enforcement of sensible voter identification standards, and banning the regulation of ballot harvesting. These and other items in the legislation have the effect of federalizing state elections, are conducive to chaos in elections administration, and invite voter fraud. Such legislation is simply an unwanted and unwarranted intrusion into the power of states to administer elections. Every state knows best how to conduct its elections; and
Whereas, Any election reform efforts should be left to the states and focus on ensuring that the system is safe, secure, and fair. Citizens deserve to know that the outcome of elections are free from fraud and irregularities, with policies to this effect rightly set by each state; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That we reaffirm states’ rights under the United States Constitution to establish election laws; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.