Michigan GOP lawmaker stripped of committee role, staff after alleged online racist post
MI House Speaker Joe Tate said he will not allow the House to be a forum for 'racist, hateful and bigoted speech'
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- Rep. Josh Schriver, a Michigan lawmaker, has lost his committee assignment and staff after allegedly sharing a racist post on social media.
- House Speaker Joe Tate, a Democrat, said he will not allow the House to be a forum for "racist, hateful and bigoted speech."
- Tate removed Schriver from the committee and put his staff under oversight, citing Schriver's history of promoting dangerous rhetoric.
A Republican lawmaker in Michigan lost his committee assignment and staff Monday, days after posting an image of a racist ideology on social media.
House Speaker Joe Tate, a Democrat who is Black, said he will not allow the House to be a forum for "racist, hateful and bigoted speech."
State Rep. Josh Schriver, who is white, shared a post on X — formerly known as Twitter — that showed a map of the world with Black figures greatly outnumbering white figures, along with the phrase, "The great replacement!"
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The conspiracy theory says there’s a plot to diminish the influence of white people.
Schriver, who represents portions of Oakland and Macomb counties, can vote on the House floor. But Tate removed him from a committee and told the House Business Office to oversee his staff members, who still can assist constituents.
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"Representative Schriver has a history of promoting debunked theories and dangerous rhetoric that jeopardizes the safety of Michigan residents and contributes to a hostile and uncomfortable environment for others," Tate said.
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A message seeking comment from Schriver wasn't immediately returned. He defended his social media post last week.
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"I’m opposed to racists, race baiters and victim politics," Schriver told The Detroit News. "What I find strange is the agenda to demoralize and reduce the white portion of our population."
Schriver was elected to a two-year term in 2022. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, released a statement Friday calling his post "abhorrent rhetoric."
"We will never let those who stoke racial fears divide us," she said.