Friend,
Yesterday, two troubling election bills were filed in the Michigan Legislature.
Call your legislator and those who are vulnerable also. Tell legislators like Sen. John Damoose, Rep. Matt Maddock, Rep. Steve Carra, and Sen. Jonathan Lindsey (to name a few) that you appreciate their staunch support of election integrity and Second Amendment Rights. Call or email the sponsors and tell them you are opposed.
House Bill 4128 (below) states, “a person shall not, while absent voter ballots are being processed, possess a firearm in an absent voter counting place or a combined absent voter counting place or within 100 feet from any entrance to an absent voter counting place or a combined absent voter counting place.” If passed, only a “uniformed law enforcement officer acting in the course of his or her duties” would be allowed to carry a firearm." The law would prohibit everyone else, including those with concealed pistol licenses, from entering with a firearm.
The second bill, House Bill 4129, seeks to make it a felony for an individual to intimidate an election official or prevent the official from the performance of his or her duties. Interestingly, the rule applies only to “public officers or public employees” in connection with elections. No similar protects are provided to private citizens.
The bill defines intimidate to mean that it causes “the individual to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed, or molested.”
What would be a person’s defense against an official who claims to “feel” intimidated?
As importantly, where is the justification for these restrictions on our fundamental rights to bear arms? The other bill, HB 4129 (below), appears to be an overt attempt to silence poll challengers and election inspectors from expressing concerns to public election officials.
Consider the chilling effect a felony charge will have on us citizen volunteers who might otherwise approach an election official to point out irregularities. What if we fail to bow or dare to look a public official directly in the eye, and the official claims to feel harassed?
Where are the restrictions on the officials from making citizen volunteers "feel" intimidated or harassed?
Mountain or mole hill? Demonstrate the need.
Prior to the 2022 election, clerks across the state were warned and trained (and terrorized) on how to prepare for violence at the polls.
Aug. 24, 2022:
No incidents were reported in the press. Not a snapshot. Not a video clip. No untoward comments appeared on social or legacy media. Surely the press would have made hay had they found the least bit of fodder.
Still, the narrative continued. Could it be that progressives are parroting the false alarm because they need it to provide cover for their tyranny?
On February 7, Mary Clark, past president of the Michigan Clerk’s Association, presented to the House Elections Committee. In her talk, she stated that local clerks are concerned for their safety, especially in regard to people carrying long guns into polling locations. She cited no evidence. No incidence. Only hearsay.
On Feb. 9, PIME’s Legislative Committee sent a message to the Clerk’s Association, asking, “Can you please provide us with specific examples of when this has happened? Dates, locations, and links to news articles if possible?”
Hello,
I am with the PIME (Pure Integrity Michigan Elections) organization. Our group works with legislators and grassroots groups to try to ensure that elections are fair, transparent, and free of fraud.
We were able to watch Mary Clark’s testimony in front of the House Committee on Elections on Tuesday, February 7. Her comments surprised us that local clerks are concerned for their safety, especially in regard to people carrying long guns into polling locations.
Can you please provide us with specific examples of when this has happened? Dates, locations, and links to news articles if possible?
If true, this is a troubling claim, and we would like to better understand the situation to see if it's something we can work into our efforts.
Sincerely,
PIME Legislative Committee
No response was forthcoming.
Now, progressives--desperate to promote their fear mongering--are manufacturing videos of hypothetical scenarios and deploying the DHS. Join us today (Thurs., Feb. 23) at 12:00 PM to discuss the new "Threat to Poll Workers" with Ned Jones, Deputy Director of Election Integrity Network.
"Most disturbing are recommendations from election officials to work with DHS by sending them a list of their poll workers, so DHS can research social media and scrub the list," Ned writes.
Here are links to CSSE, Fusion Centers and the staged R Street video.
I look forward to seeing you in less than two hours.
For election Integrity in Michigan,
Patrice Johnson, Chair
THE BILLS: Bolded and crossed out portions indicate changes to existing law:
HOUSE BILL NO. 4128
HB 4128 of 2023 Weapons: other; firearms within 100 feet of an absentee ballot counting board while ballots are being counted; prohibit. Last Action: 02/22/2023 - bill electronically reproduced 02/22/2023
Sponsors:
Stephanie Young (district 16) Penelope Tsernoglou, Kara Hope, Samantha Steckloff, Carrie Rheingans, Mike McFall, Joey Andrews, Natalie Price, Jason Hoskins, Betsy Coffia, Will Snyder, Felicia Brabec, Jennifer Conlin, Jim Haadsma, Denise Mentzer, Noah Arbit, Dylan Wegela, Jimmie Wilson Jr., Kelly Breen, Tullio Liberati, Erin Byrnes, Reggie Miller, Jason Morgan, Julie Brixie, Carol Glanville, Jasper Martus, Rachel Hood, Sharon MacDonell, Phil Skaggs, Christine Morse, Jaime Churches, Regina Weiss, Donavan McKinney, Amos O'Neal, Abraham Aiyash
A bill to amend 1931 PA 328, entitled "The Michigan penal code," by amending section 234d (MCL 750.234d), as amended by 1994 PA 158.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 234d. (1) Except as provided in subsection (2), a person shall not possess a firearm on the premises of any of the following:
(a) A depository financial institution or a subsidiary or affiliate of a depository financial institution.
(b) A church or other house of religious worship.
(c) A court.
(d) A theatre.
(e) A sports arena.
(f) A day care center.
(g) A hospital.
(h) An establishment licensed under the Michigan liquor control act, Act No. 8 of the Public Acts of the Extra Session of 1933, being sections 436.1 to 436.58 of the Michigan Compiled Laws.code of 1998, 1998 PA 58, MCL 436.1101 to 436.2303.
(2) This section Subsection (1) does not apply to any of the following:
(a) A person who owns, or is employed by or contracted by, an entity described in subsection (1) if the possession of that firearm is to provide security services for that entity.
(b) A peace officer.
(c) A person licensed by this state or another state to carry a concealed weapon.
(d) A person who possesses a firearm on the premises of an entity described in subsection (1) if that possession is with the permission of the owner or an agent of the owner of that entity.
(3) Except as provided in subsection (4), a person shall not, while absent voter ballots are being processed, possess a firearm in an absent voter counting place or a combined absent voter counting place or within 100 feet from any entrance to an absent voter counting place or a combined absent voter counting place.
(4) Subsection (3) does not apply to a uniformed law enforcement officer acting in the course of his or her duties.
(5) (3) A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 90 days or a fine of not more than $100.00, or both.
HOUSE BILL NO. 4129
Sponsors:
Kara Hope (district 74) Penelope Tsernoglou, Samantha Steckloff, Stephanie Young, Carrie Rheingans, Mike McFall, Joey Andrews, Natalie Price, Jason Hoskins, Betsy Coffia, Jennifer Conlin, Jim Haadsma, Denise Mentzer, Noah Arbit, Dylan Wegela, Jimmie Wilson,Jr., Kelly Breen, Tullio Liberati, Erin Byrnes, Reggie Miller, Jason Morgan, Julie Brixie, Carol Glanville, Jasper Martus, Rachel Hood, Christine Morse, Jaime Churches, Regina Weiss, Julie Rogers, Donavan McKinney, Amos O'Neal, Abraham Aiyash
A bill to amend 1954 PA 116, entitled "Michigan election law," (MCL 168.1 to 168.992) by adding section 931b.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 931b. (1) An individual shall not intimidate an election official.
(2) An individual shall not prevent an election official from performing the election official's duties.
(3) An individual who violates subsection (1) or (2) is guilty of a felony.
(4) As used in this section:
(a) "Election official" means a public officer or public employee who has a duty to perform in connection with an election conducted under this act.
(b) "Intimidate" means to commit harassing conduct that would cause a reasonable individual to feel terrorized, frightened, threatened, harassed, or molested and that actually causes the individual to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed, or molested.
