LANSING, Mich. — A ban on providing abortion drugs by videoconference, allowing the Legislature to intervene in any case brought before the state and legalizing internet gambling were among the most controversial bills vetoed by Gov. Rick Snyder on Friday as he slogged through more than 400 bills sent to him by the lame duck Legislature in the last month.
Snyder didn't discriminate in his vetoes. He nixed bills that were important for his fellow Republicans and others that got wide bipartisan support.
Perhaps one of the most controversial ones would have allowed the Legislature to intervene in cases brought against the state, which was seen as a direct hit on newly elected Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Plymouth Democrat.
The bill passed as Democrats were preparing to take over the offices of Governor, Attorney General and Secretary of State after eight years of full Republican control of the offices and the Legislature. It passed with only Republican votes and was decried by Democrats and three of the last four Attorneys General.
Snyder agreed, saying while the bill may be well-intentioned, it "would serve only to complicate the management of litigation. ... While I understand and appreciate the desire for the Legislature to have automatic standing to participate in litigation, I believe the current process has worked well."
Among the more controversial bills was the ban on abortion drugs by teleconference. It would have made a ban on providing abortion-inducing drugs over the phone permanent. The ban had been set to expire on Dec. 31 and with Snyder's veto the ban will disappear on Monday. And with abortion rights supporter Gretchen Whitmer set to be sworn in as governor on Tuesday, a ban is unlikely to be repeated next year without it getting vetoed yet again.
It was a measure that was pushed by Michigan Right to Life, but opposed by a wide variety of groups including Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union.
"Telemedicine service is important to our health care delivery system by enabling health care providers the ability to connect with patients across vast distances," Snyder wrote in his veto letter. "Ultimately, providing patients with the ability to remotely receive safe and proper medical care, at a time-sensitive period for the patient, is significant."
Other bills vetoed by Snyder include:
- Shielding nonprofit, dark money donors to campaigns from public disclosure. "I believe this legislation is a solution in search of a problem that does not exist in Michigan. While other state attorneys general have probed for information relative to nonprofit donors, that has not been the case here in Michigan," Snyder said.
- A package of bills that would allow for Internet gambling, including sports betting, from websites operated by the three Detroit and 23 tribal casinos across the state. The bills, which received bipartisan support, would have imposed an 8 percent tax on the form of gambling, but Snyder said the practical result would be to shift money away from the state lottery, which provides revenues to the school aid fund. "I am concerned that the bills will encourage gambling by making it much easier to do so," he added. "I do not think it is appropriate to sign legislation that will effectively result in more gambling."
- Changing the statute of limitations on campaign finance violations from six to five years.
- Repealing a ban on window tints in vehicles. The bill, which would have allowed more window tinting on vehicles, “would have increased the potential risk of harm to law enforcement personnel, particularly when approaching a vehicle during traffic enforcement stops,” Snyder said.
- Prohibiting local communities from regulating pet shops. Snyder said in his veto letter, "Local control is a long-standing concept in Michigan and any concerns the bill might have addressed are manifestly local in nature ... local officials should be afforded the discretion to address them rather than having the State impose a one-size-fits-all approach."
Contact Kathleen Gray: 313-223-4430, kgray99@freepress.com or on Twitter @michpoligal.
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