FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from Progress Michigan
September 30, 2016
Contact: Sam Inglot, 616-916-0574, sam@progressmichigan.org
Republican-led State Senate Bows to Snyder; Approves Heidi Grether Without a Vote
Another example of Republican legislative leaders letting Snyder govern without checks on power
LANSING — Today, Progress Michigan is blasting the Republican-led State Senate for failing to do their due diligence by allowing Heidi Grether to become the director of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) without holding a vote on her confirmation.
“Senator Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof and his entire caucus have once again let Governor Snyder off the hook without any accountability. It is unconscionable that the State Senate would allow a former BP lobbyist to run the MDEQ without even having the courage to tell the people of Michigan where they stand on her appointment,” said Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan. “For six years, the Republicans in the legislature have treated Rick Snyder and his administration with kid gloves. The State Senate failed to hold Snyder’s feet to fire on the Flint Water Crisis and now they let him put an oil lobbyist in charge of the effort to fix his mess.”
Under the Michigan Constitution, the State Senate has 60 days to reject an appointment made by the Governor. Grether was nominated effective August 1st making today her first official day as director.
“Thanks to the inaction by the Republican-led State Senate, Heidi Grether will bring her years of protecting oil companies to the department tasked with protecting our air and water,” Scott continued. “Arlan Meekhof should be ashamed of his inability to hold Snyder accountable. Inaction like this proves that he puts the ‘meek’ in Meekhof.”
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