Michigan GOP plans "shocking" scheme to ram through voting restrictions over Whitmer's veto [View all]

(Salon) The Republican leader of the Michigan State Senate says the party will try to push through its proposed voting restrictions, using a unique loophole in state law, despite a near-certain veto by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Republicans have already introduced 39 voting bills in the State Senate and dozens more in the House, three of which have already passed. Whitmer has vowed to veto the proposed restrictions. Senate Republican Leader Mike Shirkey told local news outlet JTV earlier this month that Republicans do not have the votes to override the veto but would instead pursue a scheme to use the state's citizen initiative process to circumvent the veto.

"You heard it here first, keep your eyes and ears open for the potential of a citizen initiative driven by the state party on some of these more important election laws that need to be considered," Shirkey said.

But state Sen. Erika Geiss, a Democrat, warned in an interview with Salon that "citizens will never actually see this question on their ballot."

....(snip)....

Michigan's unique "adopt and amend" procedure allows the state legislature to adopt a citizen initiative and then pass it into law with a simple veto-proof majority. The scheme only requires about 340,000 signatures, or 8% of the total votes cast in the last gubernatorial election, meaning that Michigan's heavily gerrymandered Republican majority and less than 4% of the state's population can circumvent the governor's power without ever putting the question before the public. ...........(more)

https://www.salon.com/2021/07/15/michigan-gop-plans-shocking-scheme-to-ram-through-voting-restrictions-over-whitmers-veto/