Lansing, MI – Governor Gretchen Whitmer just reaffirmed that politics is her one true North Star in Lansing.
Today, Governor Whitmer formally appointed Noah Hood to the State Supreme Court, a mere 9 days following the resignation of former Republican-appointed Justice Beth Clement. The prompt appointment is a notable contrast to Whitmer’s inaction on the Senate District 35 vacancy, which has been empty for 110 days with no end in sight.
In Michigan, the Governor has the sole authority to act on vacancies in the Supreme Court and the State Legislature. Whitmer’s Supreme Court appointment bolsters her party’s control of the high court, but scheduling a Senate special election in a competitive district may jeopardize Democrats’ narrow majority in the chamber for the remainder of her term.
“Governor Whitmer is running out of blue folders to hide behind. For months, Whitmer has ignored the pleas of an entire region that eagerly wants their voice in Lansing restored. She’s dragged her feet by historic proportions, playing politics with the proper representation that every taxpayer is entitled to,” said Zach Rudat, Advocacy Director for Michigan Freedom Fund. “Whitmer is willing to expedite a politically advantageous court appointment, further empowering an extreme activist Supreme Court, but she’s unwilling to restore the voice of 270,000 Michiganders for fear that they might elect a Republican. It’s a blatant, self-serving, politically-motivated double standard, and taxpayers deserve better. They deserve a consistent level of promptness from the Governor on all vacancies, regardless of the political ramifications.”
While the Great Lakes Bay Region is left in the dark, State Representative Bill Schuette has proposed a 50% tax deduction for taxpayers in the region who are lacking half their representation in Lansing.
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