Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s pick to chair the Michigan Natural Resources Commission was rejected by the Senate Advice and Consent Committee Wednesday, setting the stage for a disapproval vote on the Senate floor.

Former Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell, the former mayor of Grand Rapids, was appointed to chair the commission overseeing hunting and fishing rules in Michigan. He previously served as a member of the Michigan Transportation Commission.

Heartwell’s appointment has been opposed by several gun rights groups due in part to his past support of an unenforceable local gun ordinance in Grand Rapids - and was drawn into the controversy over the Senate’s first rejection of fellow NRC appointee Anna Mitterling.

Whitmer spokesperson Tiffany Brown said at the time of Mitterling’s rejection that Senate Republicans demanded the governor pull Heartwell’s appointment in exchange for keeping Mitterling on the Natural Resources Commission, which she called “sexist, partisan games.”

Brown said after the committee vote that the rejections of Whitmer’s appointees “clearly depart from the long established tradition” of approving well-qualified candidates, and defended Heartwell’s background as a former Christian minister, an avid fisherman and former gun owner who supports the Second Amendment and hunters’ rights.

“It’s sad that Sen. Lucido would rather waste time on partisan games than focus on getting things done for the people of Michigan,” she said in an email.

Committee member Sen. Kim LaSata, R-St. Joseph, said she was offended the governor would claim that she and other senators would use gender to disqualify someone from a position and said the governor “chose public rejection” for her appointees when she had the option to spare them a public and formal vote.

She said the committee has received 387 appointments from the governor’s office, and the panel has so far rejected two, one man and one woman.

“The governor was all too eager to make a false claim of discrimination against this body and seize the opportunity to elevate herself on the political stage, regardless of the damage done to the people she tapped to serve,” LaSata said.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she’d had a lot of discussions with the legislature on other topics, but very few on the Heartwell appointment.

“Unless they had an epiphany and decided to start, you know, determining these particular candidates on their credentials and not letting partisanship get in the way, I would expect it on the same trajectory,” Whitmer said.

Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan, said after the hearing he’s heard from hundreds of constituents about their concerns with Heartwell’s appointment.

“That demonstrated to me that there was going to be a significant inability for Mr. Heartwell to operate with the trust of the hunting and sporting community,” McBroom said.

Sen. Curtis Hertel, Jr., D-East Lansing, is the lone Democrat on the panel and was the only one to support Heartwell’s nomination. He said the process has “broken” with the Heartwell and Mitterling appointments an said he was seeking a better explanation from lawmakers about why the appointees didn’t meet their standards.

“Instead of saying what the reasons aren’t, it would be nice to hear at some point what the reasons are,” he said.

A testy exchange between Hertel and Committee Chair Peter Lucido, R-Shelby Township, ensued, and Lucido said he was cutting Hertel’s comments short.

“It was very clear as to the testimony that was taken the input from committee members and also the discussions with Mr. Heartwell that came before the committee,” Lucido said.

Lucido is currently under investigation by the Senate Business Office over sexual harassment allegations, including complaints from Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak, and Michigan Advance reporter Allison Donahue.

Under the state constitution, the Senate has 60 days to vet gubernatorial appointments and can reject one by majority vote. No Senate action results in automatic confirmation of the appointee. Heartwell was appointed to the post on Feb. 7 and was first questioned by the Senate Advice and Consent Committee Feb. 20.

Asked about the need for a second hearing on Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clark Lake, said the process is ongoing.

“It’s not going to be normal to have two meetings, necessarily,” he said. “We’re going to let the committee process play out, so we’ll see what happens.”

Heartwell’s appointment now heads to the full Senate. Shirkey spokesperson Amber McCann said it hasn’t been decided whether the question will be considered on the floor Thursday.

Related coverage:

Whitmer appointee tells Senate panel he supports Second Amendment rights amid criticism over gun record

New Natural Resources Commission chair opposed by gun groups slated for Senate grilling

Whitmer natural resources appointee was ‘smeared’ by Michigan Senate rejection, critics say

New Michigan NRC chair says he’s not anti-gun, despite gun group opposition

Michigan GOP Senate scrutinizes Whitmer appointments under partisan power split

Michigan Senate rejects Whitmer appointee, governor alleges ‘sexist, partisan games’