LANSING, MI - A Democratic lawmaker from Grand Rapids is sponsoring a resolution calling for Republican House Speaker Jase Bolger to “step aside” from his leadership position pending the completion of a one-judge grand jury investigation into an election-rigging scheme.

Rep. Brandon Dillon introduced the resolution Wednesday. It was read into the record on the House floor and referred to the House Government Operations Committee.

It's likely to die there without action. Republicans hold the majority in the Michigan House and Bolger, R-Marshall, has said he isn't going to resign his leadership position. Some other Democrats previously had called on Bolger to resign this summer.



"This resolution is nothing more than the latest in a series of misguided attempts by Democrats to turn the House floor into a political boxing ring," Bolger spokesman Ari Adler said in a statement.

Adler criticized Dillon for not being present and missing an Aug. 15 vote on an election reform bill that passed the House. The bill includes some provisions that attempt to ensure a situation like Schmidt's at-the-deadline political party switch can't happen again.

Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie Aquilina is a one-person grand jury investigating whether Bolger, Rep. Roy Schmidt or others broke any laws during the process that led to Schmidt changing political parties at the May candidate filing deadline.

Schmidt bolted the Democratic Party and joined the Republican Party at the filing deadline, attempting to leave Democrats with only a sham candidate to represent them.

Democrats asked for the rare establishment of the grand jury after they questioned whether political motivations led to Kent County Prosecutor Bill Forsyth stopping a state police probe and Attorney General Bill Schuette declining to take up the case. Forsyth and Schuette are elected Republicans.

Bolger apologized to voters and said he’s disappointed in himself after participating in the scheme. But he has repeatedly noted that previous investigations have found no laws were broken. Forsyth’s investigation resulted in no charges, although he referred some information to the Michigan Secretary of State to review if there were any possible campaign finance violations.

Dillon’s resolution says that Bolger’s ability to lead the House is “severely compromised during the grand jury investigation.”

Email Tim Martin at tmartin4@mlive.com. Follow him on Twitter: @TimMartinMI