LANSING, Mich. — The state Senate on Thursday adopted a resolution sponsored by state Sen. Jon Bumstead calling on Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to review the signatures submitted by the Unlock Michigan campaign.
“It’s been over four months since the Unlock Michigan campaign submitted 539,000 signatures on behalf of Michiganders to repeal the Emergency Powers of the Governor Act of 1945,” said Bumstead, R-Newaygo. “That is over 120 days in a row that our secretary of state neglected to act on this matter.”
On Oct. 2, 2020, Unlock Michigan organizers submitted signatures that were collected in support of repealing one of the laws the governor used to issue executive orders over several months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The law was deemed unconstitutional by the Michigan Supreme Court, and a bill to repeal the law was approved by the Legislature. Now, Bumstead and other lawmakers say the citizens’ initiative seeking to repeal the law is being ignored by the Michigan secretary of state.
“A citizens’ initiative is a textbook example of the people having a voice in policies they are unhappy with,” Bumstead said. “Secretary Benson’s inaction is unacceptable, plain and simple. All of the requirements were met to warrant the review process, and in recent years, reviews of statewide proposals have been fully completed within this timeframe.”
Senate Resolution 9 calls on Benson to immediately begin the process of reviewing signatures collected as part of this effort and advance the initiative through the process.
“Yesterday, a spokesperson for the secretary of state stated that ‘no amount of grandstanding or political pressure for special treatment will impact the work of the dedicated public servants at the Bureau of Elections.’ We are not asking Secretary Benson for special treatment. We are asking her to do the job she was elected to do.
“The Bureau of Elections has stated that it takes roughly 60 days to complete the review process. We’re at 125 days in and not a single signature has been reviewed.”
SR 9 was adopted by the Senate.
###
Editor’s note: Video of Bumstead speaking in support of his resolution on the Senate floor Thursday morning is available by clicking here or by visiting the senator’s website at www.SenatorJonBumstead.com. Click on “Video” under the “In the News” tab.