14th District State Senator Democrat Sue Shink says she's looking at where she should be putting effort to effectively get legislation passed in a divided Legislature.
Shink says she’s disappointed in the way the Legislature ended with what she called “partisan games” in the House. She says a lot of important bills died when Republicans and one Democrat boycotted the final days of the session.
One bill Shink hopes to bring back did pass the Senate. It would guarantee that juvenile defendants will be appointed an attorney if they can’t afford one.
“That was actually a bipartisan bill that didn’t get passed because the House wouldn’t come back to work. And ironically, it was a Republican House member’s bill, and she also didn’t come back it happen.”
Juveniles in Washtenaw and Jackson Counties can be appointed legal counsel, but it’s not practiced statewide. Shink says having access to an attorney is a constitutional right that should be available for both children and adults.
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