New Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall will make his first mark on the chamber by limiting Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s (D-MI) lobbyist influence on the state House floor.
Hall outlined several rule changes for the newly GOP-controlled chamber, which serves as the only major check on Whitmer’s power. The GOP won a 58-52 majority in the state House in November.
The first will ban all lobbyists from the state House floor, including the governor’s staff lobbyists, who had previously been allowed. Such a move will prevent any lobbyists from pressuring state legislators during their votes.
Whitmer has been criticized in the past for “stocking” her administration with lobbyists. Removing this aspect from the floor could lessen her power over the Michigan legislature.
Another rule advanced by Hall will increase transparency surrounding “enhancement grants.” Such grants can be introduced without advance information about which member sponsored them, where the money is going, or how it will be spent. Michigan House Republicans criticized a $4,500 coffee maker purchase with money from a $20 million grant as a dubious usage of the money.
Hall wants to grant the state House’s Oversight Committee a permanent subpoena power instead of using the power on a case-by-case basis. The committee will also be given a subcommittee structure with subcommittees addressing child welfare, homeland security, foreign influence, public health and food security, and more.
The last major critical change Hall would like to make is to force state House members to attend committee meetings in person instead of over Zoom. They are currently allowed to attend meetings over Zoom but must vote in person. The change would align with the Trump administration’s pursuit to cut down on remote workers.
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Hall will begin his new role as Michigan’s House speaker on Wednesday, the chamber’s first session.
“The people of Michigan elected a new House Republican majority to put our state back on the road to success,” Hall said. “Our focus will be on serving the people of our great state. Michiganders want safe neighborhoods, high-paying careers, effective schools, and secure elections. House Republicans are ready to get to work to make our state the best place to raise a family safely and affordably.”
