Feb. 12 (UPI) — A Republican state lawmaker from Michigan was stripped of staff resources and a committee post on Monday following his reposting of a social media graphic advocating a racist conspiracy theory.
Freshman state Rep. Josh Schriver of Oxford, Mich., saw his state-supplied staff reassigned to other lawmakers and has been removed from the House Natural Resources, Environment, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation Committee in a move announced by House Speaker Joe Tate.
Tate, a Democrat from Detroit, said Schriver’s reposting last week of a graphic authored by a right-wing commentator about the “great replacement” theory on the X social media platform amounted to “racist, hateful and bigoted speech.”
“Representative Schriver has a history of promoting debunked theories and dangerous rhetoric that jeopardizes the safety of Michigan residents and contributes to a hostile and uncomfortable environment for others,” Tate said.
While Schriver will still be able to participate in voting, the speaker said he is taking advantage of his discretion to allocate resources and committee assignments within the Capitol chamber.