HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT
REP. JAY DEBOYER
CHAIR
COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
9:00 AM
Room 352, State Capitol
Building
The House Committee on Oversight was called to order by Chair DeBoyer.
The Chair requested attendance to be called:
Present: Reps. DeBoyer, Bierlein, Meerman, Paquette, Carra, Bruck, Jaime Greene, Rigas,
Schriver, Woolford, Miller, Pohutsky, Conlin, MacDonell, Mentzer, Tsernoglou and Wegela.
Absent: None.
Excused: None.
Representative Wegela moved to adopt the meeting minutes from July 01, 2025. There being no
objection, the motion prevailed with unanimous consent.
The Chair invited Representative Pohutsky to give an update on a document request from the
Michigan Department of Corrections.
Representative Rigas moved that the House Oversight Committee authorize the Chair of the
committee to execute a subpoena for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
1. The information being sought is necessary to the work of the Committee because:
The Legislature has a right to know information about the programs being implemented by
the State of Michigan or one of its departments.
Any documents regarding the DNR’s investigations, enforcement actions, and prosecutions
undertaken pursuant to the authority of the 2010 Invasive Species Order concerning so-called
“feral swine” would be relevant to the Legislature’s evaluation of potential amendments to the
state of Michigan’s hunting laws and public health laws.
Furthermore, the financial records regarding the DNR’s expenditures to implement the
2010 Invasive Species Order and the funding sources for those actions would be relevant to the
Legislature’s consideration of the annual budget of the DNR.
2. Previous efforts made to obtain the information being sought, without the issuance of a
subpoena, are as follows:
On June 13, 2025, my office sent a letter, co-signed by two of my Democrat member
colleagues, to the DNR. That letter asked the DNR to voluntarily disclose the documents that are
at issue in this motion.
On June 25, 2025, the Oversight Subcommittee on the Weaponization of State
Government met jointly with the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture and Rural
Development and Natural Resources and the Committee on Natural Resources and Tourism. At
that meeting, the committees took testimony about the DNR’s policies and activities relative to
“feral swine” issue.
Later in the afternoon of June 25, 2025, the DNR responded to my office that it would take
150 days – yes that’s right, 5 months – for the department to produce the requested documents.
It appears that the DNR is attempting to run out the clock on this legislative session in an effort to
evade legislative oversight.
3. The party to be subpoenaed is the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
4. A general description of the documents or other things to be produced can be found on
the last page of the subpoena document, which is before each member of the committee.
5. At this time, only a subpoena for the production of records is sought.
The motion prevailed 15-0-2:
FAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. DeBoyer, Bierlein, Meerman, Paquette, Carra, Bruck, Jaime Greene, Rigas,
Schriver, Woolford, Pohutsky, Conlin, Mentzer, Tsernoglou and Wegela.
Nays: None.
Pass: Reps. Miller and MacDonell.
Representative Rigas moved that the House Oversight Committee authorize the Chair of the
committee to execute a subpoena for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
1. The information being sought is necessary to the work of the Committee because:
The Legislature has a right to know information about the programs being implemented by
the State of Michigan or one of its departments.
Any policy memos, scientific studies, and stakeholder consultations that the DNR might
have regarding this program would be relevant to the Legislature’s evaluation of potential
amendments to the hunting laws and public health laws in the state of Michigan.
Furthermore, the financial records regarding the cost of the program and its funding
sources would be relevant to the Legislature’s consideration of the annual budget of the DNR.
2. Previous efforts made to obtain the information being sought, without the issuance of a
subpoena, are as follows:
On October 10, 2024, the Michigan Natural Resources Commission approved a pilot
program for the euthanasia of Canada Geese.
Although the DNR initially began implementation of this pilot program, on May 9, 2025,
DNR Director Bowen confirmed his department's plans to pause the pilot program, citing the
department’s need to “continue to research alternative options for managing human-goose
conflicts and health and human safety concerns for areas with overabundant Canada Goose
populations.”
Given the DNR’s refusal to cooperate with the Oversight Committee regarding the
production of other departmental documents and information, it appeared that making an informal
request for documentation regarding this euthanasia program would only cause delays without
resulting in the production of documents to the committee. Therefore, authorization and
immediate issuance of a document subpoena is requested.
3. The party to be subpoenaed is the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
4. A general description of the documents or other things to be produced can be found on
the last page of the subpoena document, which is before each member of the committee.
5. At this time, only a subpoena for the production of records is sought.
The motion prevailed 16-0-1:
FAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. DeBoyer, Bierlein, Meerman, Paquette, Carra, Bruck, Jaime Greene, Rigas,
Schriver, Woolford, Miller, Pohutsky, Conlin, Mentzer, Tsernoglou and Wegela.
Nays: None.
Pass: Rep. MacDonell.
Representative Woolford moved that the House Oversight Committee authorize the Chair of the
committee to execute a subpoena for the testimony of Elizabeth Hertel, Director, Michigan
Department of Health and Human Services.
1. The information being sought is necessary to the work of the Committee because:
The Legislature has a right to know information about the programs being implemented by the
State of Michigan or one of its departments. Three subcommittees of the House Oversight
Committee have been investigating a variety of issues regarding the operations of the Department
of Health & Human Services.
The Subcommittee on Child Welfare has spent several months investigating CPS-related
issues and residential care issues. Despite many committee hearings on these issues, DHHS
representatives have provided unsatisfactory answers to the House members’ questions, and have
repeatedly stated that Director Hertel would be the better person to answer those questions.
The Subcommittee on State & Local Assistance Programs has been investigating eligibility
verification for assistance programs administered by DHHS. Representatives of DHHS have
repeatedly stated that their current protocols for administering benefit applications are required by
federal guidelines, but they have failed to identify which federal guidelines contain these
requirements. DHHS representatives have also refused requests to testify before the
subcommittee.
Although those subcommittees have sought the cooperation of the DHHS in providing
testimony and documents to the subcommittees, the DHHS has been resistant to adequate, timely,
and transparent cooperation with the subcommittees. It appears that the DHHS is repeatedly
stonewalling the House as its subcommittees seek to investigate these timely and important issues.
2. Previous efforts made to obtain the information being sought, without the issuance of a
subpoena, are as follows:
As I just stated, the subcommittees have repeatedly sought to engage with the DHHS without the
issuance of a subpoena. In addition, Director Hertel was invited to testify on July 22, 2025. She
responded that she was not available on July 22, or on July 29, 2025. She provided no date on
which she would voluntarily make herself available to appear and testify before committee.
3. The party to be subpoenaed is Elizabeth Hertel, the Director of the Department of Health
and Human Services.
4. The subpoena is for the witness to appear and testify before this committee on Tuesday,
September 9, 2025.
The motion prevailed 17-0-0:
FAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. DeBoyer, Bierlein, Meerman, Paquette, Carra, Bruck, Jaime Greene, Rigas,
Schriver, Woolford, Miller, Pohutsky, Conlin, MacDonell, Mentzer, Tsernoglou and Wegela.
Nays: None.
Pass: None.
Chair DeBoyer moved that the House Oversight Committee authorize the Chair of the committee
to execute a subpoena to the Office of the Michigan Attorney General.
1. The information being sought is necessary to the work of the Committee because:
The matter of this criminal referral and any resulting investigation presents issues regarding
conflicts of interest between the Michigan Department of Attorney General and the suspect of the
criminal investigation. The House has an interest in obtaining documents regarding the
investigation into this criminal referral from the Department of State, as the House examines and
debates whether to enact legislation addressing how conflicts of interest such as this should be
regulated by statutory law.
Furthermore, the House has the ability to impeach civil officers of the State of Michigan,
where corrupt conduct in office occurs. In order to faithfully exercise its responsibilities in this
regard, the House is entitled to investigate the Department of Attorney General’s decisions
regarding whether to issue criminal charges in this matter, or whether to create a conflict wall,
given the close relationship between Attorney General Dana Nessell and the subject of the
criminal referral.
2. Previous efforts made to obtain the information being sought, without the issuance of a
subpoena, are as follows:
The Chair of the Committee previously requested from the Department of State and the
Department of Attorney General various documents regarding criminal referrals sent by the
Department of State to the Department of Attorney General for investigation.
Although the Department of State produced only limited documentation regarding those
referrals, the Chair is in possession of the criminal referral in question.
The committee did not otherwise request that the Department of Attorney General
voluntarily produce the documents currently being sought, before issuance of a subpoena.
Given the contents of the documents already in the committee’s possession, regarding Attorney
General Dana Nessell’s personal involvement with the criminal suspect and with this case, it was
determined that the committee should proceed directly to the request for a subpoena.
3. The party to be subpoenaed is the Michigan Department of Attorney General.
4. A general description of the documents or other things to be produced can be found on
the last page of the subpoena document, which is before each member of the committee.
5. At this time, only a subpoena for the production of records is sought.
The motion prevailed 15-0-2:
FAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. DeBoyer, Bierlein, Meerman, Paquette, Carra, Bruck, Jaime Greene, Rigas,
Schriver, Woolford, Miller, Pohutsky, Conlin, Tsernoglou and Wegela.
Nays: None.
Pass: Reps. MacDonell and Mentzer.
Chair DeBoyer moved that the House Oversight Committee authorize the Chair of the committee
to execute a subpoena to the Office of the Michigan Attorney General.
1. The information being sought is necessary to the work of the Committee because:
The matter of this criminal investigation presents issues regarding conflicts of interest
between the Michigan Department of Attorney General and the suspect of the criminal
investigation. The House has an interest in obtaining documents regarding this apparently closed
criminal investigation, as the House examines and debates whether to enact legislation addressing
how conflicts of interest such as this should be regulated by statutory law.
Furthermore, the House has the ability to impeach civil officers of the State of Michigan,
where corrupt conduct in office occurs. In order to faithfully exercise its responsibilities in this
regard, the House is entitled to investigate the Department of Attorney General’s decision to
decline issuing criminal charges in this matter, which involved a high-ranking officer of a major
political party of this state.
2. Previous efforts made to obtain the information being sought, without the issuance of a
subpoena, are as follows:
The committee did not request that the Department of Attorney General voluntarily
produce the documents currently being sought, before issuance of a subpoena.
Given the contents of the documents already in the committee’s possession, regarding
Attorney General Dana Nessell’s personal involvement with the criminal suspect and with this
case, despite the existence of a conflict wall, it was determined that the committee should proceed
directly to the request for a subpoena.
3. The party to be subpoenaed is the Michigan Department of Attorney General.
4. A general description of the documents or other things to be produced can be found on
the last page of the subpoena document, which is before each member of the committee.
5. At this time, only a subpoena for the production of records is sought.
The motion prevailed 17-0-0:
FAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. DeBoyer, Bierlein, Meerman, Paquette, Carra, Bruck, Jaime Greene, Rigas,
Schriver, Woolford, Miller, Pohutsky, Conlin, MacDonell, Mentzer, Tsernoglou and Wegela.
Nays: None.
Pass: None.
There being no further business before the committee, Chair DeBoyer adjourned the meeting at
9:29 AM.
Representative Jay DeBoyer, Chair
Matthew Carnagie
Acting Committee Clerk
mcarnagie@house.mi.gov