(The Center Square) — House Speaker Joe Tate, D-Detroit, stripped Rep. Josh Schriver, R-Oxford, of his committee and office allocation for a social media post.
The post claimed that an orchestrated effort called “the great replacement theory” aims to replace White people with people of color through mass illegal immigration.
Schriver later posted: “Illegal Immigrants should not replace Americans! Period!”
Tate’s spokesperson Amber McCann said Schriver’s staff will be reassigned and the $132,000 office allotment will be withheld from Schriver.
Schriver will be removed from the House Natural Resources, Environment, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation Committee.
“I will not allow the Michigan House of Representatives to be a forum for the proliferation of racist, hateful and bigoted speech,” Tate said in a statement. “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. The House of Representatives is the people’s house, and all Michiganders should look upon this body and take pride in how we conduct ourselves. It is also a workplace, and I have a responsibility to make sure the employees of the House feel safe and secure.”
Schriver can still vote on legislation.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer condemned the post last week.
“Michigan’s story is defined by generations of families from around the world who made this beautiful place their homem,” Whitmer said in a statement. “Black Americans who fled segregation in the South for a fair shot at a good life. Finns who settled the Upper Peninsula. Arab Americans who built Dearborn into a beacon of culture and an economic powerhouse. Deep-rooted Dutch communities along the shores of Lake Michigan. Every Michigander is defined by their love for their families, communities, and shared dreams for their children.”
