HOUSE DEMOCRATS PROTECT STRYKER LOOPHOLE IN ROBO CALL BILL

Michigan House Democrats used their majority status to kill a key measure that would have regulated all politically-related automated telephone calls, refusing to even allow debate on an amendment offered by Appropriations Minority Vice Chair Chuck Moss.

House Bill 4985 requires financial disclaimers to election-related robo calls, e-mails or similar messages by political operatives. Moss fought to amend the legislation to include all robo calls made by independent third parties, which make up the vast majority of such calls made during the election cycle. Such third party groups who will not have to provide a disclaimer on their phone calls includes the Michigan Coalition for Progress, through which billionaire Jon Stryker spent millions of his personal wealth to buy liberal majorities in the Legislature.

"House Democrats refused to consider this important reform to improve political discourse, intentionally leaving a loophole that protects their political sugar-daddies," said Moss, R-Birmingham. "Disclosure is a good thing, most everyone hates robo calls, but this legislation has a loophole you could drive a truck through. The public deserves to know who is making these calls and when, and I want to know who the democrats are protecting and why.

"Instead of focusing on attracting jobs and stimulating the economy, this chamber continues with political folly."

There is great public support to regulate automated political telephone calls, and requiring campaigns and independent committees to provide a simple disclaimer in such calls is an important first step.

"This is the latest example of extreme partisanship where House Democrats are refusing to allow open debate on measures and amendments," said House Republican Leader Kevin Elsenheimer, R-Kewadin. "Democrats are using procedural gimmicks to keep Republican lawmakers from even talking about legislation that comes to the House floor. Democrats are literally stifling the voices of nearly half of Michigan's residents, along with the public's desire for bipartisan cooperation."

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