Free Press readers

A few weeks ago, Michigan voters elected three women for governor, state attorney general and secretary of state. Michigan Republicans resent our choices and are proposing bills in Lansing to weaken the power of all three positions.

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All three Democrats supported the wish of the voters to close the Enbridge pipeline. So, Republicans are proposing bills to keep the pipelines open another nine to 10 years.

Michigan voters supported a ballot proposal that encourages citizens to vote and makes voting easier. We elected Jocelyn Benson, a specialist in election law and campaign finance law as Secretary of State. One bill would take away the power of the Secretary of State's oversight of campaign finance laws.

A state attorney general represents state interests in lawsuits. Michigan Republicans are proposing bills allowing them to intervene in legal issues.

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More:Michigan GOP guts minimum wage, paid sick leave bills in final passage

Those who voted for Democrats did so because Democrats supported issues important to them and because for eight years the Republican-controlled government has passed laws in direct opposition to what is best for Michigan, namely, clean water to drink, safe and adequate roads, adequate funding for public schools, and an end to gerrymandering that currently allows the minority to control the majority of votes.

The Republicans had eight years to address these issues but have chosen to protect their power and the profits of their campaign donors. Democracy, our government, is not the problem. Our elected officials are the problem.

Republicans will continue to control our state Legislature for the next two years. We all must become vigilant and frequently call these Republicans to express our opinions on legislation. And then, we must get out and vote in even greater numbers in two years to support those who share our values and get rid of those who no longer care what is best for Michigan.

Jean Kozek

Rochester Hills

► The actions of the lame-duck Legislature of Michigan (and Wisconsin) are a totally disgusting, unprincipled and shameful assault on our democracy and the rights of individual voters.

Elections are supposed to have consequences, and the results should not be erased by the last-minute actions of a lame-duck group that has been rebuked by the majority of Michigan voters. It is a corrupt ploy with which any official who will be remaining in the Legislature should refuse to be complicit.

I remember when Michigan had a legislature that accomplished good things in our state and for our citizens without backdoor deals and pandering to donors for more and more money. It is time for decency and honoring oaths of office again.

Mary Woods

Whitmore Lake

► The GOP-controlled legislature kicked off its lame-duck session with bills to decimate paid sick leave and minimum wage laws

Republican Rob VerHeulen of Walker introduced a bill that would let the Legislature intervene in legal proceedings when the state is a party. On Jan. 1, Republican Bill Schuette will be replaced by liberal Democrat Dana Nessel as attorney general. During the 2018 campaign, Nessel said that she probably wouldn't defend a law that lets faith-based groups bar same sex couples from adopting. Nessel said if she were elected, she'd tell the Legislature to hire its own lawyers because the law is discriminatory.

If the GOP gets its way, they'll be able to intervene to defend the law on taxpayers' dime. The bill will undermine the role of attorney general. The Michigan GOP has no intention of admitting they lost the Nov. 6 elections. They're going to continue to use the lame-duck session to impose their views regardless what the people of Michigan want.

Faith Allen

Madison Heights

► I think that there should be a movement to end term limits in the Michigan Legislature. Clearly, many of the public officials who put together these last-minute proposals that many Michigan residents are up in arms about don't have to worry about being replaced in the next voting cycle, and several among them have lucrative follow-up jobs already lined up.

If more politicians feared being replaced for proposing and enacting nakedly self-serving, reactionary policy, maybe they would think twice.

Christopher Currie

Detroit

► I cannot imagine anything more undemocratic than elected officials ignoring the will of the people. This is exactly what the GOP is doing in Lansing right now. The electorate voted in Democrats to right the wrongs in this state and now the GOP is stooping to outright vindictiveness as a last-ditch effort before our new governor is sworn in.

The One Fair Wage and paid sick time laws were passed hastily to avoid appearing on the Nov. 6 ballot. The intent of this Republican tactic was to gain control of the laws, and now, as promised, they are attempting to gut these laws. The only parties that win in this scenario are the Republican lawmakers: We the people will pay the price of their vindictiveness.

It's no wonder that our youth have no faith in politicians and don't care about voting. They clearly see what their "representatives" do with the power they hold: They cheat their way to a win. 2020 is just around the corner, and there will be a price to pay for this GOP strategy of subverting the will of the people.

Paula Martinos-Mantay

Royal Oak