GOP lawmaker asks House speaker to restore budget, staff after 'great replacement' post
Jakkar AimeryAn Oakland County Republican lawmaker has called on the Michigan House speaker to restore his budget, staff and committee assignment after they were stripped from him for sharing a racist population conspiracy theory on social media.
State Rep. Josh Schriver of Oxford made the requests in a letter Tuesday to House Speaker Joe Tate, D-Detroit, that was obtained by The Detroit News. Tate condemned and stripped Schriver of his office staff, and budget and committee assignment Feb. 12 for sharing the "great replacement" post on X, formerly Twitter, on Feb. 6.
Schriver in the letter said he sought to "shine the light on an important issue facing all Michiganders: Democrats' support for illegal immigration."
"Political attacks are common in this realm and it's very popular to mislabel opponents in politics, but targeting me for the partisan purpose of breaking the evenly divided state House with false accusations of racism is beneath the dignity of our body and your role as Speaker of the House.
"My family and I praise God for the opportunity to go through this persecution and shine the light on an important issue facing all Michiganders: Democrats' support for illegal immigration.
"That's not racist," he said.
More:Buss: Canceled lawmaker has right to his views
Schriver's social media post that sparked Tate's discipline featured a graphic with black figures as a majority on a map of the world, with white figures occupying smaller sections of Australia, Canada, northern Europe and the northern United States. The bottom of the graphic read "The great replacement!"
In his letter to Tate, Schriver alluded to the "great replacement" graphic, contending he was being punished for "sharing baseline data on the allowance of extreme, consequential demographic changes in our world."
On Wednesday, Schriver declined to discuss the letter and said any comment would have to come from Tate, to whom the letter was addressed.
Amber McCann, press secretary for Tate, confirmed that the speaker received a letter from Schriver, but declined to confirm its contents or make any comments about it.
The graphic on X, initially posted by right-wing pundit Jack Posobiec, was reposted by Schriver with an emoji of a chart showing a downward trend.
The "great replacement" conspiracy theory asserts there is a coordinated effort to dilute the influence of White people through immigration and through low birth rates among White individuals, according to the Anti-Defamation League. The theory has been linked to antisemitism, with some versions alleging it is Jews coordinating the so-called replacement.
In addition to the return of his legislative staff and committee assignment "so that my constituents have representation in this important part of the legislative process," Schriver asked Tate to denounce the "threats of violence" he said he has received — which The News could not independently confirm Wednesday — and "refrain from falsely labeling me a 'racist,' knowing that my faith and works reflect all people as offsprings of God and I detest bigotry in general but especially on the basis of immutable traits."
Tate revoked Schriver's privileges on Feb. 12, saying he would not allow the House "to be a forum for the proliferation of racist, hateful and bigoted speech." Michigan House rules give the speaker the power to dictate office budgets and staff for all 110 members.
The letter came nearly a week after the House voted 98-5 on Feb. 14 to denounce racist, xenophobic and White supremacist language by its members. The nonbinding resolution, which include condemnations of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, did not mention Schriver by name.
The measure won the support from House Minority Leader Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, who has remained publicly silent about Schriver's social media post.
Elected in 2022, Schriver represents the 66th District in the Michigan House of Representatives, which includes Addison, Brandon, Oxford townships and most of Oakland Township in Oakland County and Bruce and Washington townships in Macomb County.
jaimery@detroitnews.com