Michigan in unanimous vote against indefinite detention

LANSING, Mich. (Dec. 5, 2012) – The Michigan House of Representatives unanimously voted in favor of House bill 5768 (HB5768) today.  Representative Tom McMillin, who introduced the bill, showed his excitement for its passage, and his expectations for the State Senate.

“My bill opposing NDAA’s indefinite detention and taking away due process and prohibiting MI government from participating passed the House today. On to the State Senate!”

Due to support from a wide coalition of grassroots activists across the political spectrum, the bill passed unanimously. The final vote was 107-0. HB5768 asserts that no State employee or agency will assist the Federal government – in any way – in the detainment of people under the 2012 NDAA. The Obama administration has aggressively argued in court that the executive branch has this power. The bill states, in part,

“no agency of this state, no political subdivision of this state, no employee of an agency of this state or a political subdivision of this state acting in his or her official capacity, and no member of the Michigan national guard on official state duty shall aid an agency of the armed forces of the United States in any investigation, prosecution, or detention of any person pursuant to section 1021 of the National Defense Authorization Act…”(click here for a full report)

HB5768 was first introduced on June 14, 2012 by Representatives McMillin, MacMaster, Irwin, Ananich, Foster, and McBroom, and was referred to the Committee on Government Operations.

The bill will now move on to the Senate for further consideration and concurrence.

This podcast will brief anyone interested in stopping the indefinite detention of American citizens through a contravention of their basic constitutional rights to a writ of habeas corpus, reasonable bail, to know the charges against them and confront witnesses, and the right to legal counsel.