Labor leader calls on Republicans to focus on expanding access to voting
DETROIT – The president of the Metro Detroit AFL-CIO, Rick Blocker, issued the following statement today commenting on news that Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof, R-West Olive, is abandoning voter suppression legislation for the 2016 legislative session. House Bills 6066-6068, sponsored by Rep. Lisa Posthumus Lyons, R-Alto, would have created new barriers to voting for Michigan seniors and people of color.
“Stopping these Republican voter suppression bills is a big win for democracy,” said Blocker. “This legislation is utterly shameful and downright discriminatory. Rep. Lyons’ bills were specifically written to rig the system for Republicans by making it harder for senior citizens and people of color to vote in Michigan elections. That’s just plain wrong, and it’s downright un-American. It’s time for politicians like Rep. Lyons to do what’s right for all Michiganders, not just their own political party. We need them to focus on making it easier to vote, not harder.”
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