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In a new taping of Off the Record Friday morning, Michigan political reporters confirmed what had been quietly buzzing around the Capitol: Democratic State Representative Alabas Farhat has been stripped of his leadership role after casting a surprise “no” vote on a Republican-backed sentencing bill.
The fallout — swift and pointed — was described on air by Off the Record panelist Simon Schuster of Bridge Michigan, who said tensions on the House floor were unusually high.
“At one point, it looked like they were very much in each other’s faces,” Schuster said. “And in the end, Farhat voted no, Hall stripped him of his post, and Farhat came out swinging — saying, ‘Lansing is in disarray.’”
Farhat, a Democrat from Dearborn, had been serving as vice chair of the powerful House Appropriations Committee — an unusual appointment by Republican House Speaker Matt Hall. That role was revoked within hours of Farhat’s vote against a juvenile sentencing reform bill that GOP leaders believed he would support.
The bill would have ended mandatory life sentences for 19- and 20-year-olds in Michigan, effectively expanding juvenile justice reforms. With a slim majority and several GOP members absent, Speaker Hall needed Democratic support — and Farhat was reportedly seen as a potential yes.
Instead, Farhat opposed the bill, and the legislation failed.
Hall’s office has not publicly addressed the decision to remove Farhat from the Appropriations post. But political reporters and lawmakers now see the move as a warning shot to any Democrat — or Republican — who breaks ranks.
“It was a clear message,” one Capitol staffer told Off the Record. “You vote against us, we’ll pull your seat out from under you.”
Farhat denies ever promising his vote to Republican leadership.
“I read the bill. I had serious concerns. I voted my conscience,” Farhat told Off the Record in a phone call Friday afternoon. “If being honest and independent costs me a title, I can live with that.”
Friday’s Off the Record taping painted a broader picture of dysfunction inside the Michigan House, where Republicans hold a fragile majority and face growing infighting.
Jordyn Hermani with Bridge Michigan noted the political irony of Hall’s decision.
“Speaker Hall gave Farhat that vice chair role. That was a big gesture. But when Farhat didn’t fall in line, Hall took it away. So when he gives, he taketh away.”
Schuster added that the entire session was marked by confusion, miscommunication, and political gamesmanship.
“It wasn’t just that Hall couldn’t get Democrats to support him,” Schuster said. “He couldn’t even get all his own members to show up.”
At least three Republican lawmakers were absent during the key votes, further weakening Hall’s position.
Farhat’s vote aligned with the rest of the Democratic caucus, which remained united against the sentencing bill. Sources inside the Capitol say Democratic leaders supported Farhat’s right to vote independently and have privately bristled at what they see as Speaker Hall’s heavy-handed leadership.
“This is why you don’t trust power-sharing with people who pull the plug when it’s politically convenient,” one Democratic lawmaker told Off the Record anonymously.
Asked whether he feels targeted, Farhat was blunt.
“There’s no confusion about what happened. I said no to something I couldn’t support. That’s called doing your job.”
The political drama comes at a precarious moment for state government. The Legislature is weeks behind schedule on the budget, and Speaker Hall has so far failed to pass a full spending plan through his chamber.
Friday’s taping made clear that the Farhat incident may only worsen the climate of mistrust and gridlock.
“They’re going to have to figure this out fast,” Schuster said. “Or this ends with a government shutdown.”
WKAR News has requested comment from Speaker Hall’s office and will continue reporting on the fallout from this week’s failed votes and internal shake-ups.
This story was written and edited with assistance of generative AI tools.
