State Dems speculate on connection with Lansing protest and Jan. 6 riot; GOP says 'it's a stretch'

FOX 2 - Lawmakers in our nation's Capitol can't seem to agree on how to investigate the Jan. 6 riot and we seem to be having the same problem here on the state level. Michigan Democrats are pushing for a probe into the state's role.

"We must come together in a bi-partisan way to investigate what role Michiganders played in the lead-up to and the execution of the January insurrection," said State Rep. Donna Lasinski (D).

The U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the U.S. Senate Leader Mitch McConnel are at loggerheads on how to investigate the attack on the U.S. Capitol last January. Two Democrat Michigan legislative leaders want a probe into what happened. 

Some of the demonstrators in the April 30, 2020 protest in the State Capitol where protesters legally carried weapons and were prevented from entering the Michigan House chambers, later participated in the U.S. Capitol riot.

This leads up to the question: "If April of last year really was a dress rehearsal in what happened in January," said State Sen. Jim Annanich (D). "Some of that paranoia and fear of the public is still there and we need to know what is fermenting that."

But the two Democrats are actually calling for an investigation into actions taken last year by members of the state legislature from the Republican party.

"We have had members of our chambers who brought false electors to the Capitol steps to slow a peaceful transfer of power," Lasinski said. "We've had legislators who joined in lawsuits to overturn the 2020 presidential election, and we have seen members participate with and encourage militia members."

That's a direct reference to the Senate GOP leader Mike Shirkey. So has the senator and the House GOP speaker signed off on this request? Not yet.

The GOP chair of the house homeland security committee argues the Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel should look into this and as for the "peaceful protest" last April being a dress rehearsal for what happened in the U.S. Capitol.

"That's a very big stretch," he said. "I am not seeing any demands from Donna Lasinski, the Democrat Senate to call for an investigation into all the violent riots that occurred over the summer where buildings were burned down and people were killed across the state of Michigan. This is nothing short of a political game."