Embattled representatives may only face censure after all.
The Democrats have kept Todd Courser from being expelled.
As this is being written, it’s hard to imagine that Michigan house leadership is not making deals with the Democrat caucus to rally up the additional 7 votes necessary to remove Todd Courser from his seat. From House TV:
Perhaps it is time to REVERSE THIS???
You Betcha! 
(18)Nuh Uh.
(0)
(18)Nuh Uh.(0)
It's been locked like this for at least two hours now: 67 "yea" - 14 "nay" - 28 "refusing" . . . and this is with Rule 32 invoked (apparently, "stay in your seats until told otherwise"), so as to keep everyone in the chamber.
And apparently, they're now invoking Rule 70, so as to force the recalcitrant members to vote . . . and holding those members who refuse to vote in violation of the House Rules.
I'm wondering how long they're allowed to keep the board like this, before they have to admit that 2015-HR-0139 is a failure.
2015-HR-0140 (the resolution to censure Representative Todd Courser) and 2015-HR-0142 (the resolution to censure Representative Cindy Gamrat) weren't reported out of committee, so there isn't a "Plan B" option here.
Heavy handedness will not earn the speaker any brownie points with the members.
He is screwing up badly.
That would be a big "no shit" there, given that the first go-around had 67 "yea" to 14 "nay" and 28 "refusing" even after Rule 70 was invoked, and the 26 recalcitrant legislators (apparently, two had been excused earlier today) were threatened with being recorded as missing the vote.
So now we're on to Recorded Roll Call Vote # 296, revoting the last vote. Mr. Nesbitt moved for reconsideration, and Mr. Singh moved for a reconsideration, which failed on a voice vote. (Funny though, is that I couldn't tell on the live audio whether the yeas or nays actually prevailed on Singh's recommit motion.)
Given that we don't seem to be seeing a different result this time around (currently 67-12-30, board open for 16 minutes and counting), there are apparently several dems who don't seem to care if they're on-record as missing a vote or five . . . or as many as it takes for the Speaker to get the hint that this needs to go back to committee.
And he resigned
So, apparently, the board remained gridlocked until around midnight with no changes, and then a new legislative day was started (prayer, pledge, the whole nine yards). According to the Detroit News, Courser resigned at 3:12 a.m., just before a second reconsideration (and third vote) on 2015-HR-0139, in which it appeared that there were enough democrats onboard to secure the ouster.
Then 2015-HR-0141 (the resolution to expel Representative Cindy Gamrat) was amended to request AG and MSP investigation into potential criminal wrongdoing. The resolution was adopted at 4:13 a.m. (Roll Call # 296 - Yeas 91 / Nays 12), and 2015-HR-0145 was introduced and promptly adopted, so that the investigation would cover both Gamrat and Courser. I suspect that such investigation is going to move at a much more deliberate pace than this one did.
Given that Rule 32 had to be invoked for 13 straight hours, and that 27 democrats refused to cooperate through the first two rounds of voting, one has to wonder exactly what deal was brokered with the democrats to secure the 91 votes for Cindy's ouster. Yes, the establishment aristocracy wanted the pair gone by Mackinac, and they got their way. I can guarantee you that the Nerd King doesn't give a rip about the collateral damage to them or the rest of us, as long as he gets the tax increase that's been the sole focus of his administration since he was sworn in.
The upside, if there is one, is that Cindy's at liberty to run for her vacancy, whereas Todd, by resigning, isn't.
For the most part, I agree with everything above.
Here's my $0.02 on where things differ:
Did the Michigan House dutifully obey the edict from the republican kakistocracy to give these two the heave-ho?
Absolutely!
Does Slick Rick not give two shakes regarding what it takes to see them gone?
Ditto (and more on that below)!
I was working and couldn't watch the proceedings last night. But before leaving the state, I watched several interviews and found something very telling.
When the media interviewed McBroom, it was readily obvious that he was p.o.'d at these two (orders from above) and wanted them gone.
I recognized that "p.o.-idness from other rinos when I've called them out to their very face in the past.
Cotter's responses from earlier this week was a little more..."nuanced".
Yes, he was p.o.'d and wanted them gone (likely for the same reason as above), but I also detected something else from him: Fear.
I cannot imaging why a sitting Speaker would ever need to be fearful regarding an interview for a news story?
I do know that he played the House democrats for complete buffoons when he finally peeled enough of them away with "promises" of an AG investigation into the matter. Because, we all know how effective our AG can be when he sees criminal activity happening right in front of him.
So now, all is right and well in Cotter's World.
On the related note I was alluding to above, I'm of the strong opinion that the actions from the republican kakistocracy was the final nail in the coffin for any tax hikes on roads this year.
I say this for several reasons:
One, locking members in the chamber and telling them in no uncertain terms that they will vote on an issue such as this, isn't going to instill very much "goodwill" in any house member. Sure, the republican kakistocracy can threaten to call other members on the carpet to cajole them into line. But unless they have some really good dirt on them like engaging in a similar affair, or even better yet...gasp a homosexual/lesbian affair, good luck getting any traction on that.
Many of them still have a fear for their
career prospectspolitical futures even before last night's vote. The degree to which the republican kakistocracy pulled out all the stops on this one issue will only harden their resolve.Two, once the democratic house caucus has stirred from their all-nighter stupor and realized that they were duped, good luck on any future "bi-partisanship" from that side of the aisle when their assistance is needed on anything. That bridge got burned and an air strike was called to take out anything left remaining pertaining to any "goodwill" between the two sides of the aisle.
I see a stalemate continuing to play out on any road tax hikes until for at least the end of this session.
Waking up this morning we learn that in the early morning hours, 3:30 a.m. Courser resigns and 1/2 hour later, Gamrat is expelled. WHAT!!!!!!!!! Making decisions ilke this at such late hours is an old Engler trick, but usually he'd wait until Christmas eve.