HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
COMMITTEE ON ELECTIONS
REP. PENELOPE TSERNOGLOU
CHAIR
COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
Tuesday, December 10, 2024
10:30 AM
Room 327, House Office Building
The House Committee on Elections was called to order by Chair Tsernoglou.
The Chair requested attendance be called:
Present: Reps. Tsernoglou, Wegela, Hope, Koleszar, Byrnes, Churches, Smit, DeBoyer.
Absent: None.
Excused: None.
Representative Smit moved to adopt the meeting minutes from December 3, 2024. There
being no objection, the motion prevailed by unanimous consent.
The Chair laid HB 6171 before the committee:
HB 6171
(Rep. Skaggs)
A bill to amend 1966 PA 261, entitled "An act to
provide for the apportionment of county boards of
commissioners; to prescribe the size of the board;
to provide for appeals; to prescribe the manner of
election of the members of the county board of
commissioners; to provide for compensation of
members; to prescribe penalties and provide
remedies; and to repeal acts and parts of acts," by
amending sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 (MCL
46.401, 46.402, 46.403, 46.404, 46.406, and
46.408), sections 1, 2, and 3 as amended by 2011
PA 280.
Representative Skaggs testified in support of HB 6171.
Professor Daniel Magleby testified in support of HB 6171.
Julie Matuzak testified in support of HB 6171.
Kris Pachla testified in support of HB 6171. Questions and discussion followed.
Jamie Lyons-Eddy, representing Voters Not Politicians, testified in support of HB 6171.
Questions and discussion followed.
Larry Kestenbaum, representing the Michigan Association of County Clerks, testified in
opposition to HB 6171.
The following people submitted a card in support of HB 6171, but did not wish to speak:
Robert Joerg, representing the Michigan Laborers District Council.
Aaron Squeo, representing United Food and Commercial Workers Local 876.
Ryan Sebolt, representing the Michigan American Federation of Labor and Congress of
Industrial Organizations.
Beth Kelly Byrd, representing the Service Employees International Union Michigan.
Erin Schor, representing the Michigan Department of State.
The following people submitted a card in opposition to HB 6171, but did not wish to speak:
Bill Zaagman, representing the Michigan Association of County Clerks.
Joseph Bridgman, representing Livingston County Clerks.
Elizabeth Hundley, representing Livingston County Clerks.
Kristi Cox, representing Livingston County Clerks.
Scott Urbanowski, representing himself.
Sheri Ritchie, representing the Michigan Fair Elections Institute, Pure Integrity Michigan
Elections, Stand Up Michigan, the Freedom Alliance Project, Mid-Michigan Women for
Conservative Values.
Madeline Fata, representing the Michigan Association of Counties.
Representative Hope moved to report out HB 6171 with recommendation. The motion
prevailed 6-2-0:
FAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Tsernoglou, Wegela, Hope, Koleszar, Byrnes, Churches.
Nays: Reps. Smit, DeBoyer.
Pass: None.
There being no further business before the committee, Chair Tsernoglou adjourned the
meeting at 11:25 AM.
Representative Penelope Tsernoglou, Chair
Hazel Campbell-Crawley
Committee Clerk
hcrawley@house.mi.gov