I’m here to serve you in complete transparency. I’m an autism clinician, not a politician.  Only 2 of 110 State Representatives in Michigan reported every vote they made (and “why”) last term.  Here are all my most recent votes and reasons (thru 5/1/23):

SB18 – Designates January 30 as Fred Korematsu Day.

YES – At the age of 23, Fred Korematsu was a Japanese American who boldly stood up to the government’s internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.  Korematsu provided examples of specific cases in American history in which the government exceeded “Constitutional Authority” to support his case.  We must ensure the Constitution is honored by our elected officials.

PASSED 103-4

HB4146 – HB4148 – Red Flag Law

NO – There are numerous Constitutional issues with these bills, which I have brought up in prior newsletters.

Livingston County Sheriff Mike Murphy brought up some other issues:

• Red Flag Law sets a dangerously low legal standard: the “preponderance of evidence”, which is much lower than the Constitutional standard of proof beyond a shadow of a doubt.
• A Red Flag Law court hearings would be scheduled after the court has already decided to order gun confiscation. Our Constitution requires a trial by jury before a decision is made on whether to take away personal property. 
• Red Flag Law authorizes the government to take firearms before a court hearing/ruling.
• If you do not comply with Red Flag Law – the courts can create a bench warrant.
• Red Flag Law allows the government to issue an “extreme risk protection order” to take away one’s ability to defend themselves and others without notifying the defendant beforehand.

PASSED 56-52

SB259:  Allows Absentee Ballots to be Counted Without a Postmark

NO – The Michigan Constitution does not allow ballots delivered days after an election without a postmark to be counted.  Accepting ballots without postmarks could allow people to fill out their ballots and send them in after election day is over and still have them counted.  This doesn’t seem right.

Bills like this reduce the systemic integrity and validity of our election systems.  Our election systems must be shown to be incorruptible beyond a shadow of a doubt. 

The Department of Homeland Security classifies our election system as “critical infrastructure.”

PASSED 56-52

HR81 – Partisan Public Library Resolution

NO – I evaluate resolutions based on the substance and merit of the language within.

The Resolution Title claims to support libraries; however, a careful look at the language within shows this resolution is anything but bipartisan – which is why nearly half of our State Reps in Michigan opposed it.

For example, the resolution states, “Whereas, Michigan’s librarians and library workers strive to create inclusive collections and programs, and provide access to information and resources to all members of the community regardless of race, ethnicity, creed, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or socio-economic status.”

Why can’t we have a simple resolution to honor our librarians for all the hard work they do without incorporating language that many residents object to?

I voted NO because I have an issue with the way this is worded.

PASSED 56-53

HR4054, SB97, SB160 – Simplify Michigan’s Tax Code to Protect Private Buisness from Unfair Taxation

YES  – Delivery and installation are services – not products. They shouldn’t be subject to “sales” or “use” taxes.   Prior to this bill, if you purchase a large piece of furniture from a retailer and paid extra to have it delivered in your home, both line items on the invoice could be taxed by our government.  This bill fixes that.

Many businesses are unfairly burdened and penalized due to vague and inconsistent direction from the Department of Treasury around this issue.  Also, operating a business is more cumbersome when our tax laws are not easy to understand.

Equipment used for industrial processing is exempt from “sales” and “use” taxes, but some tax collectors have been abusing this vague law to try to penalize certain businesses that produce aggregate materials, which are used in road construction. This bill helps protect these businesses from unfair government taxation.

HB4054 PASSED 83-24

SB97 PASSED 86-22

SB160 PASSED 92-16

Your feedback is extremely important to me.  Please reach out to me through phone/email/letter with any desires and concerns you have related to the full scope of my position as your State Representative!

Sincerely,
Josh Schriver

State Representative
Michigan House District 66

CONTACT REPRESENTATIVE SCHRIVER
(517) 373-0839    
JoshSchriver@house.mi.gov
www.RepSchriver.com

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