Latest news with #ElectionIntegrityCommittee
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Michigan House votes to hold Benson in contempt, authorize potential legal action
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — The Michigan House of Representatives voted Thursday to hold Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and her office in civil contempt after she 'did not fully comply' with multiple subpoenas for election training documents. passed with 52 yes votes and 47 no votes, with 5 not voting, declaring Benson in violation of valid House subpoenas and holding her in civil contempt, directing the House's legal council to take action against Benson and her office to ensure compliance with their subpoenas. Benson in late April after the House Oversight Committee says she refused to turn over election training materials for more than five months after the House Election Integrity Committee requested them for what the resolution calls a 'valid legislative purpose.' The Secretary of State documents the lawmakers are requesting could harm election security if released without redactions, and that the subpoenas violate state law and the rules of the legislature. She has to the House and has said she will continue to turn over documents once they are reviewed and redacted. 'In our response to the committee today, we made it very clear that we're willing to sit down with them and try to come to an agreement on how best to ensure transparency in our system while protecting sensitive election security information,' said Benson. 'In fact, we've repeatedly asked the members of the committee to meet with us over the last several months. They have refused. However, the lawmakers requesting the documents say both Benson's response and the documents provided were insufficient, and that the legislature has a constitutional duty to oversee the Department of State, which has a 'proven record of failure.' 'Our election law has changed so much in the last two years. It makes sense that Secretary Benson would have to update training materials in accordance to those changes in law,' said State Rep. Rachelle Smit, chair of the House Election Integrity Committee. 'However, the training directives given by Secretary Benson have been deemed unlawful by Michigan courts 7 times.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
To The Point: Divided government, election integrity
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — On this 'To The Point,' a look at divided government and election integrity. Two members of the committee tasked with looking at elections will be our guests, including the chair of the committee, Rachelle Smit, R-Shelbyville, who tells us, 'I, as the chair of the Election Integrity Committee, would like to see from the Secretary of State internal training manuals.' Committee member Stephen Wooden, D-Grand Rapids, says, 'We're seeing far more partisan games being played on the committee than we are seeing policy. Thus far, we've taken up two bills.' How Lansing is dealing with divided government and more on this 'To The Point' episode for the weekend of May 3. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
