HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 2024.04.24 - 41141
AGENDA ITEM: Resolution Supporting Senate Bills 401-404, the Michigan Voting Rights Act
DEPARTMENT: Board of Commissioners
MEETING: Board of Commissioners
DATE: Wednesday, April 24, 2024 6:00 PM - Click to View Agenda
ITEM SUMMARY SHEET
COMMITTEE REPORT TO BOARD
Resolution #2024-4054 _ 24-32
Motion to adopt the attached suggested resolution.
ITEM CATEGORY SPONSORED BY
Resolution Brendan Johnson
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
POLICY ANALYSIS
The Michigan Voting Rights Act consists of four Bills, which can be viewed from the following links:
Senate Bill 401
Senate Bill 402
Senate Bill 403
Senate Bill 404
BUDGET AMENDMENT REQUIRED: No
Committee members can contact Michael Andrews, Policy and Fiscal Analysis Supervisor at
248.425.5572 or andrewsmb@oakgov.com or the department contact persons listed for additional
information.
CONTACT
Brendan Johnson, Commissioner
ITEM REVIEW TRACKING
Aaron Snover, Board of Commissioners Created/Initiated - 4/24/2024
David Woodward, Board of Commissioners Approved - 4/24/2024
Lisa Brown, Clerk/Register of Deeds Final Approval - 4/29/2024
AGENDA DEADLINE: 04/24/2024 6:00 PM
ATTACHMENTS
None
COMMITTEE TRACKING
2024-04-16 Legislative Affairs & Government Operations - Recommend to Board
2024-04-24 Full Board - Adopt
Motioned by: Commissioner Brendan Johnson
Seconded by: Commissioner Ann Erickson Gault
Yes: David Woodward, Penny Luebs, Kristen Nelson, Gwen Markham, Angela Powell, Marcia
Gershenson, Charles Cavell, Brendan Johnson, Ann Erickson Gault, Linnie Taylor (10)
No: Michael Spisz, Karen Joliat, Christine Long, Robert Hoffman, Philip Weipert (5)
Abstain: None (0)
Absent: Ajay Raman, Michael Gingell, Yolanda Smith Charles, William Miller III (4)
Passed
April 24, 2024
RESOLUTION #2024-4054 _ 24-32
Sponsored By: Brendan Johnson
Board of Commissioners - Resolution Supporting Senate Bills 401-404, the Michigan Voting
Rights Act
Chair and Members of the Board:
WHEREAS free and fair access to voting and participation in our democracy is fundamental to
creating an equitable system of governance; and
WHEREAS Michigan voters and election officials have established Michigan as a leader in
democracy in recent years, enshrining a right to vote in the Michigan constitution, establishing a
minimum of 9 days of early voting, creating a permanent mail ballot voter list, providing prepaid
postage for mailed absentee ballot applications and absentee ballots, and requiring a minimum of one
drop box for every jurisdiction and at least one drop box per every 15,000 registered voters in larger
municipalities; and
WHEREAS the Federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 has been attacked and eroded since its passage;
and
WHEREAS dozens of laws restricting access to the ballot and imposing discriminatory voting
practices that have a disparate impact on black and brown voters, voters who have limited English
proficiency and persons with disabilities have been implemented across several states since the 2013
Shelby v. Holder Supreme Court ruling striking down the critical pre-clearance provision of the
Federal Voting Rights Act; and
WHEREAS several states, including California, Virginia, Washington, Oregon, New York and
Connecticut have enacted state voting rights acts, while Maryland, New Jersey and Michigan have
introduced their own versions of a state voting rights act; and
WHEREAS the Michigan Voting Rights Act will build on the tremendous progress of the last few
years and protect Michigan voters from vote dilution and voter suppression, offer additional legal tools
for voters to fight discrimination, expand language assistance for voters with limited English
proficiency, create a data institute to store and publish election and demographic data to foster more
transparent, evidence-based best practices for election administration; and
WHEREAS passing the Michigan Voting Rights Act will protect all voters, including voters of color
who have been the targets of discriminatory voting laws, from future discrimination and further
establish Michigan as a leader in protecting democracy and voter access in the United States.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners calls on
the Michigan State Legislature to pass Senate Bills 401, 402, 403 and 404 - The Michigan Voting
Rights Act - before the end of the 2024 legislative session.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds is requested to
forward copies of this adopted resolution to the Governor of the State of Michigan, the State Senate
Majority and Minority leaders, the State House Speaker and Minority leader, the members of the
Oakland County delegation to the Michigan Legislature, and the Board of Commissioner’s legislative
lobbyist.
Chair, the following Commissioners are sponsoring the foregoing Resolution: Brendan Johnson.
Date: April 24, 2024
David Woodward, Commissioner
Date: April 29, 2024
Lisa Brown, County Clerk / Register of Deeds
COMMITTEE TRACKING
2024-04-16 Legislative Affairs & Government Operations - Recommend to Board
2024-04-24 Full Board - Adopt
Motioned by Commissioner Brendan Johnson seconded by Commissioner Ann Erickson Gault to
adopt the attached Resolution: Resolution Supporting Senate Bills 401-404, the Michigan Voting
Rights Act.
Yes: David Woodward, Penny Luebs, Kristen Nelson, Gwen Markham, Angela Powell, Marcia
Gershenson, Charles Cavell, Brendan Johnson, Ann Erickson Gault, Linnie Taylor (10)
No: Michael Spisz, Karen Joliat, Christine Long, Robert Hoffman, Philip Weipert (5)
Abstain: None (0)
Absent: Ajay Raman, Michael Gingell, Yolanda Smith Charles, William Miller III (4)
Passed
ATTACHMENTS
None
STATE OF MICHIGAN)
COUNTY OF OAKLAND)
I, Lisa Brown, Clerk of the County of Oakland, do hereby certify that the foregoing resolution is a true
and accurate copy of a resolution adopted by the Oakland County Board of Commissioners on April
24, 2024, with the original record thereof now remaining in my office.
In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the Circuit Court at
Pontiac, Michigan on Wednesday, April 24, 2024.
Lisa Brown, Oakland County Clerk / Register of Deeds