House Bill (HB) 4409 and HB 4410, legislation to significantly lessen the quantity of exemptions from the state’s 48-month lifetime public assistance limit, passed the House of Representatives Thursday. The odd bi-partisan vote tally and lack thereof on the vote for immediate effect, was the eye-catching portion of the debate.
The legislation itself passed by an overwhelming 72 – 36 vote, with 10 Democratic members of the House joining their Republican colleagues in support of the reform. The 10 were Representatives Tim Bledsoe (D-Grosse Pointe), Lisa Brown (D-West Bloomfield), Charles Brunner (D-Bay City ), Paul Clemente (D-Lincoln Park ), Brandon Dillon (D-Grand Rapids), Marilyn Lane (D-Fraser), Richard LeBlanc (D-Westland), Tim Melton (D-Auburn Hills), Roy Schmidt (D-Grand Rapids), and Dian Slavens (D-Canton Township
When it came time to grant the measures “immediate effect,” which requires a two-thirds vote by the House (74 votes), all of the 10 previously “yes”-voting Democrats voted “no.” The often procedural vote had been “gaveled” through by the Republican majority caucus on every matter so far this year – making it unclear why House Speaker Jase Bolger (R-Marshall) permitted the roll call vote on immediate effect in this instance.