The Democratic-led state Senate filed a lawsuit on Monday to compel Republican House Speaker Matt Hall to transmit House Bill 6058 and eight other bills to Gov. Whitmer for a signature as the state constitution requires for all measures passed by both chambers of the Legislature.

Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) held a press conference to announce the suit’s filing in the Michigan Court of Claims, saying, “No one, especially an elected public servant in legislative leadership, is above the law.”

HB 6058 would fix Public Act 152, the state law passed in 2011 by a Republican-controlled Legislature and Gov. Rick Snyder, which limited the amount employers could pay toward health care costs for teachers, school support staff, and other public employees.

That bill and eight others passed in December have been held hostage by Hall (R-Richland Twp) since Jan. 8. Meanwhile, huge spikes in out-of-pocket health care costs are affecting workers in public-sector jobs, from public school employees to road workers, police officers, firefighters, nurses, and others.

“Speaker Hall’s gamesmanship is not just disrespectful to the sanctity of our constitution,” Brinks said. “It is an outright disservice to the residents of Michigan, the very people he was elected to represent.”

Monday’s press conference featured MEA member Kim Sandefur, in addition to Brinks and other Senate Democrats, following the Comstock math teacher’s powerful testimony before the Senate Labor Committee on Friday. Read more about Sandefur and other educators’ testimony.

MEA issued a statement following the press conference: MEA is thankful for the Senate’s legal efforts on this critical legislation. Along with our labor partners, we are looking forward to filing legal briefs supporting the Senate’s stand for Michigan’s constitution, school employees and students.

Watch Monday’s press conference, and find out how you can get involved in pressuring Republicans in the House to do what is right and necessary—send the bills to Gov. Whitmer!