Public Media from Michigan State University

Speaker Cotter Has Bipartisan Support For Asset Forfeiture Changes

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There’s bipartisan interest in the state Legislature in protecting Michiganders from having property unfairly seized by police.

The Michigan Public Radio Network’s Jake Neher reports.

State House Speaker Kevin Cotter wrote in the Detroit News this week Michigan’s civil asset forfeiture laws need to be revisited. He says too many people never convicted of a crime are having their assets taken so that police departments can profit.

Democratic state Representative Jeff Irwin agrees.

“We’ve seen a number of stories recently across the state of citizens who have really been victimized by a misuse of this particular tool,” he says.

Speaker Cotter has promised to hold public hearings on the issue this term.

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Jake Neher is a reporter for the Michigan Public Radio Network. He covers the State Legislature and other political events in Lansing.