The Michigan Court of Appeals has sided with House Republicans in the dispute over the "immediate effect" rule in that chamber.
"Immediate effect" allows bills to become effective right after the Governor signs them. The Michigan Constitution requires that bills go into effect 90 days after the end of a legislative session unless two-thirds of the legislature supports the bill.
Democrats in the House say Republican leaders have not been allowing these immediate effect votes to go forward. They took the issue to court last March.
Today's ruling is another blow to their effort to stop the practice.
From the Detroit Free Press:
In an opinion released today, a three-member panel of the appeals court sent the lawsuit back to Ingham County Circuit Court with instructions that it be dismissed. The court said taking a voice vote is in compliance with the House rules, which the courts do not oversee.
We asked political analysts Susan Demas and Ken Sikkema about the hullabaloo last April. Here's what they had to say:
According to Sikkema, more than 90% of bills passed in the last 25 or 30 years got immediate effect. “I was elected in 1986, and the first 6 years I was in the House I was in the minority…the same thing occurred to me that House Democrats are complaining about today.” So, could there be backlash for Republicans? “That’s certainly what House Democrats are aiming for here,” Demas says. “This is part of their ongoing, Republican corruption theme, and their assertion that they [Republicans] are not doing a good job.
