Michigan House speaker refuses to reinstate Democratic legislator to Appropriations Committee role

[marmar]

(Michigan Advance) The leader of the Michigan House Democratic caucus asked Republican leadership to reinstate state Rep. Alabas Farhat of Dearborn as the minority vice chair on the chamber’s appropriations committee after a political falling out saw him ousted, but in a letter sent Monday, House Speaker Matt Hall said that was out of the question.

Farhat was the minority vice chair on the powerful House Appropriations Committee until late last month when House Republicans failed to muster enough votes to pass the chamber’s version of a school cell phone ban and major changes to life-without-parole sentencing guidelines for 19- and 20-year-olds.

Hall, a Republican from Richland Township, was adamant in public statements following the vote that he had deals with House Democrats to push the bills across the finish line in a bipartisan fashion, only to have those deals broken when every House Democrat voted against the measures.

The fallout from the cell phone ban bill, sponsored by state Rep. Mark Tisdel (R-Rochester), has given way to another battle of wills between the Republican-controlled House and the Democratic-led Senate. It also resulted in Hall kicking Farhat off his leadership seat on the appropriations committee, further deepening the chasm between minority Democrats and the leaders of the House GOP. .................(more)

https://michiganadvance.com/2025/08/04/michigan-house-speaker-refuses-to-reinstate-democratic-legislator-to-appropriations-committee/

[MayReasonRule]

1. How Did They Kick Him Off In The First Place?

[WestMichRad]

2. Basically, Matt Hall doing what he does best...

… being a dick. (I can speak with some authority on that, as I live in his district.)
Apparently, Farhat reneged on what Hall thought was a deal for Dems to support Repuke bills, specifically one about banning cell phones in classrooms. Farhat’s removal from the committee was pretty clearly retaliation by Hall.
https://michiganadvance.com/2025/07/24/farhat-ousted-from-key-budget-post-amid-gop-standoff-and-failed-michigan-house-votes/

[MayReasonRule]

3. Thank You For The Link... Are You Familiar With The Rules That Allow His Removal?

I've no familiarity with the House Rules within the State.

I read that The Speaker asked the GOP majority to remove him and wonder under which rule that is allowed.

Happy Tuesday!

[WestMichRad]

4. Michigan House rules

https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Publications/rules/house_rules.pdf

I scanned the rules to look for anything applicable to this situation but found nothing specific. Chapter 2 Rule 8 sort of implies that the Speaker has the power to remove a Member (of the House) from a committee, but doesn’t say that directly: “… If the Speaker makes a permanent or temporary addition or removal from any… committee, the names and appointments or removals shall take effect when the Clerk and Minority leader are notified by letter…

Chapter 7 Rule 74, Personal Privilege and Conduct, part (6) says A member shall conduct him/herself to justify the confidence placed in him/her by the people and shall, by personal example and admonition to colleagues, maintain the integrity and responsibility of his or her office. Part (8) adds …”Any violation of law or these rules by a Member is subject to the House’s plenary authority to reprimand, censure or expel its Members…”

Farhat displeased little kingmaker Matty, so Matty exacted his revenge.