Democrat’s Amendment Insinuates Legislative Leaders Affiliate With Domestic Terrorists

Democratic State Sen. Jeff Irwin of Ann Arbor offered an amendment on the Senate floor this week, insinuating the top legislative leaders may be a security risk to the state and be affiliated with domestic terrorists.

It involved a bill requiring legislative leaders to be notified by the lieutenant governor when the governor leaves and then returns to the state. Irwin proposed an exception. Under it, the requirement would not apply if the lieutenant governor “knows or reasonably believes” a House or Senate majority or minority leader “presents a security risk to this state because of his or her affiliations with a domestic terrorist organization.”

Irwin made his proposal to amend Senate Bill 458 on June 2. Under the bill, the required written notice would go to the Senate majority and minority leaders, the Speaker of the House and the House minority leader. This would have to happen within 12 hours of the temporary successor assuming the powers of the governorship.

The amendment failed by a 20-16 vote. All the senate Democrats voted in favor of Irwin's amendment. No Republicans voted for it.

Irwin’s office released a statement that the senator made from the floor of the Senate:

“I unfortunately rise to offer this amendment and ask for my colleagues’ support. The amendment would allow the state to not communicate information about the whereabouts of the Governor with folks who are known to consort with domestic terrorists. I think it’s very unfortunate that we saw what we saw on January 6 and one of the most unfortunate elements of that Capitol insurrection was what’s coming out now — that Members of Congress were actually helping some of these individuals, giving them tours of the facility. That’s the sort of individual I don’t think we can trust this kind of information with and so I offer this amendment.”

Senate Bill 458 was introduced by six Republican senators on May 19, about a month after it was discovered Gov. Gretchen Whitmer went on a trip to Florida without publicly disclosing her intentions. Whitmer’s office said she went to visit her ailing father.