LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — Michigan Senate Democrats are suing the Republican-led House to force the delivery of nine bills that Democrats themselves failed to send to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer before losing control of the House.

The resolution, adopted January 22, grants Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) the authority to take legal action against House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township), who has delayed transferring the bills, citing the need for legal review. 

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Former Speaker Joe Tate (D-Detroit), however, left the bills unsigned before Republicans assumed control on Jan. 8, according to the Detroit News. 

“The Senate has no role in telling the House what to do,” Hall said. “What a horrible way to start, where they’re wasting taxpayer dollars on political lawsuits.”

The nine bills at the center of the controversy address a range of policy areas. These include requiring public employers to increase their contributions toward employee health care and allowing corrections officers to join the state police pension system. Another bill seeks to safeguard disability benefits and workers’ compensation from debt collection efforts.

Brinks defended the lawsuit as necessary to uphold legislative integrity. 

“This can be avoided completely if the speaker does his job and sends these bills to the governor,” Brinks said. “I hope he makes the right choice.”

Sen. Jonathan Lindsey (R-Allen), on the other hand, criticized the lawsuit as excessive. 

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“The Democrats in the last session couldn’t get their job done,” Lindsey said. “They couldn’t do something as simple as take bills that were passed and carry them to the governor to get her signature.”