EAST LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – Many communities are standing in solidarity with MSU in the wake of the mass shooting.
Eaton County commissioners were involved in a fierce debate over a resolution that called for funding for mental healthcare and to address gun violence.
The measure failed by one vote after some commissioners said they were concerned about the details of the resolution.
The push for legislative action that one commissioner had hoped to be bipartisan instead ignited a fiery debate at the start of last night’s meeting.
Commissioner Jacob Toomey wrote the resolution which asked area leaders to express their positions on school safety matters. On Thursday, he said he’s disappointed by the no-vote.
“Our values do not seem to be aligned with consoling the people that were lost and forging a path forward.”
The resolution faced staunch Republican opposition. Some members of the board said they wanted more time to review and rewrite the motion.
Commissioner Brian Droscha said he felt like the resolution supported an anti-gun rights agenda.
“The state of Michigan, the governor, the courts, no one has the right to take that away from us. This kind of legislation, this kind of stuff is moving us towards that,” he said.
But Commissioner Toomey said the resolution did not call for any exact law to be passed.
“I truly wanted this to be a bipartisan approach because this is not a Democrat issue or a Republican issue, it’s an American issue and one facing the people of Eaton County,” said Toomey.
But despite that debate, things got personal between commissioners
“Lastly I’m so happy that you two have three kids that have evaded abortion so they could be in a public school cause your party is really about abortion, killing children in the womb,” said Droscha to Commissioner Terrance Augustine during Wednesday’s debate.
Once tempers cooled the day after the debate Droscha said the resolution might have passed if it was written as just one sentence.
Toomey said he plans to still have talks with commissioners about the resolution. As for Droscha, if new language is brought forward he said he would consider reviewing it.
