HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
REP. TULLIO LIBERATI
CHAIR
COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, February 7, 2024
12:00 PM
Room 307, House Office Building
The House Committee on Government Operations was called to order by Chair Liberati.
The Chair requested attendance be called:
Present: Reps. Liberati, Pohutsky, McFall, Posthumus, Greene.
Absent: None.
Excused: None.
Representative McFall moved to adopt the meeting minutes from November 1, 2023. There
being no objection, the motion prevailed by unanimous consent.
The Chair laid HB 4927 before the committee:
HB 4927
(Rep. Arbit)
A bill to designate the month of April of each year
as Chaldean and Assyrian Heritage Month.
Joanne Wisely, representing the Office of Representative Noah Arbit, testified in support of
HB 4927.
Dr. Erin Hughes, Assistant Professor of Political Science and Director of the Sarguis Modern
Assyrian Heritage Project at California State University Stanislaus, testified in support of HB
4972.
Dr. Adhid Miri, Director of Special Projects at the Chaldean Community Foundation, testified
in support of HB 4972.
The following person submitted a card in support of HB 4927, but did not wish to speak:
Ron Khoury, representing the Chaldean-American Chamber of Commerce.
The Chair laid HR 148 before the committee:
HR 148
(Rep. Aragona)
A resolution to urge the President of the United
States to provide assistance and medical aid to the
community of Qaraqosh/Bakhdida, Iraq, following
a devastating fire at a local wedding.
Representative Posthumus moved to adopt substitute (H-1) to HR 148. The motion prevailed
5-0-0:
FAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Liberati, Pohutsky, McFall, Posthumus, Greene.
Nays: None.
Pass: None.
Representative Aragona introduced HR 148 and testified in support of the resolution.
Alexander Karana, representing Nineveh Rising, joined the Representative to testify in
support of HR 148.
Christopher Salem, representing Nineveh Rising, joined the Representative and testified in
support of HR 148.
Joseph Arabbo, representing Nineveh Rising, joined the Representative and testified in
support of HR 148.
Ranna Salem, representing Nineveh Rising, joined the Representative and testified in support
HR 148.
Joe Tinpan, representing Nineveh Rising, joined the Representative and read in a letter on
behalf of Haitham Behnam, father of a victim of the Bakhdida Fire. Questions and discussion
followed.
The following people submitted a card in support of HR 148, but did not wish to speak:
Yousef Autoo, representing the Baghdede Federation.
Joseph Kayat, representing the Baghdede Federation.
Nasreen Mikha, a Victim of Bakhdida Fire.
Yahya Mikha, a Victim of Bakhdida Fire.
David Enyia, representing himself.
Representative McFall moved to report out HR 148 with recommendation, as substitute (H-
1). The motion prevailed 4-0-1:
FAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Liberati, Pohutsky, McFall, Greene.
Nays: None.
Pass: Rep. Posthumus.
There being no further business before the committee, Chair Liberati adjourned the meeting
at 12:38 PM.
Representative Tullio Liberati, Chair
Legan Rose
Committee Clerk
LRose@house.mi.gov