Buss: Canceled lawmaker has right to his views

Correction: Sen. Erika Geiss represents Taylor. The original version stated otherwise.

There is no subject that should be off limits to debate by members of a representative governing body — even ideas that many consider bigoted or worse.

But that’s not how Speaker of the Michigan House Joe Tate and fellow Democrats see it. Tate has effectively revoked one Oakland County representative’s ability to serve his constituents and his right to speak freely, if offensively, and put other lawmakers on notice. And all for reposting someone else’s comment on social media.

“We now have a clear blueprint for handling members who engage in racism, hate speech and bigotry regardless of when it occurs or from whom it occurs,” said state Sen. Erika Geiss, D-Taylor, who chairs the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus. “Let this be a lesson to all going forward.”

But this scenario is precisely not how an American legislative body should handle things going forward.

When the House of Representatives voted to censure U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, for hateful antisemitic comments last fall, I defended her right to state those beliefs publicly, however distasteful. She remains in office and fully functioning. In fact, she declined to support an otherwise unanimous resolution Thursday, condemning Hamas for rape and other atrocities in the Oct. 7 attacks.

Tate stripped Rep. Josh Schriver, R-Oxford, of his office staff and budget and committee assignments Monday for sharing a social media post that many consider a racist conspiracy theory.

Schriver’s staff now reports to the nonpartisan business office, which Tate’s office manages.

On Feb. 6, Schriver reposted a graphic on X, formerly Twitter, with a downward trend emoji from right-wing pundit Jack Posobiec depicting black figurines covering most of a map of the world with white figures in smaller pockets in Australia, Canada, northern Europe and much of the United States. The caption reads: “The great replacement!”

Schriver added no thoughts of his own. Nor has he been accused of racist actions in his public duties. The House passed a resolution Wednesday specifically condemning racism, xenophobia, antisemitism, Islamophobic language and white supremacy without mentioning Schriver by name.

Democratic lawmakers are free to feel moral outrage over Schriver’s post. Some Republicans have separated themselves from Schriver and his sentiments, too. The vast majority of them voted for the resolution.

But the referendum on Schriver should come from the voters of his district this November, not from a preemptive neutering of his role as an elected official.

Schriver has a First Amendment right to speak freely, as do all Americans. And nowhere should that right be more freely exercised than in our deliberative political bodies.

If the material Schriver reposted is racist, as many believe it is, the best antidote is to debate and debunk his position, rather than shut down all discussion.

“When you are elected to the Michigan House of Representatives, you have a duty to serve all of your constituents,” said state Rep. Jason Hoskins, D-Southfield. “You have a duty to keep them safe.”

That certainly didn’t seem to be the priority last October, when weeks after the brutal attacks by Hamas in Israel, the state House wouldn’t bring to a vote a resolution condemning the violence or the antisemitic responses and threats to safety.

Since Tlaib was censured for her antisemitic rhetoric by the U.S. House in November, public opinion has, rightly or wrongly, started shifting more favorably toward her stance, and her fundraising has skyrocketed.

Beyond free speech, there’s also serious concern that in stripping Schriver of his office staff and resources, it is his constituents who are being punished.

Schriver will still be able to vote on the House floor. But his service on committees and access to office resources now is subject to the “discretion and pleasure” of Tate.

Schriver, who will face voters this fall, has a duty to serve the people of his district. It should be up to them to decide if he’s doing so adequately.

kbuss@detroitnews.com