Republicans were not laughing about Brixie’s parking lot prank

Don’t you hate it when someone double parks? The lot is packed. You’re in a rush. And some joker is purposely taking up two spots.

Now, what if the double parker is in your assigned parking spot at work? How ticked would you be?

A couple of weeks ago, state Rep. Julie Brixie, D-Okemos, rolled into the Roosevelt Park ramp about half a block from the Capitol to find her Republican colleague — conservative firebrand and ultra-MAGA Republican Matt Maddock — was in her spot.

The speaker gave Maddock two parking spots in the ramp because he typically drives his large truck into Lansing from Oakland County, and it’s apparently tough to squeeze it into one spot. His spots are No. 92 and 94.

But on April 17, Maddock drove his wife’s BMW and misjudged his parking spots. He parked in spots No. 90 and 92 instead of 92 and 94. Brixie’s spot was No. 90.

Brixie knew the culprit immediately. The BMW’s personalized license plate reads “MMADD.”

And, as it happens, Brixie and Maddock have a little bit of history. In their first term, Maddock proposed selling the international Blue Water Bridge and two state airports to pare down state spending.

Brixie had the Transportation Department run the numbers and discovered neither plan would yield the state much money. It would be more trouble than it was worth. She went to the press about it, and Maddock’s plans quickly died.

This year, Maddock is the majority vice chair of the House Appropriations Committee, which is a big deal. House Democrats initially floated the idea of having Brixie as their minority vice chair.

But Brixie was quickly shot down behind the scenes because she does her homework, knows budgets inside and out and wouldn’t have any qualms about calling out Republicans for foolishness.

In fact, she wasn’t even put on Appropriations this year, where she’s been for her first six years in the House.

Clearly, Brixie doesn’t owe Maddock anything. So, when she saw he took her parking spot, she and a staffer wrapped Maddock’s vehicle in plastic wrap. If Maddock’s wife’s car is precious and needs to take up two spots on the ramp, clearly it wouldn’t hurt to have some added protection, right?

Brixie went to the House floor, took the microphone and announced that a car with the license plate “MMADD” was in the garage with its lights on, hood open and engine running.

Republicans weren’t impressed by the prank. They called in the security video and watched Brixie and the staffer wrap the car, which they turned over to the media.

MeShawn Maddock compared Brixie to a 13-year-old girl and accused her of committing a crime.

Maddock, himself, had an arguably chauvinistic response by claiming Brixie had a crush on him and this was her way of getting his attention.

On Friday, the speaker kicked Brixie out of the Roosevelt ramp to a staff ramp on the other side of the Capitol and banned her from speaking on the floor. The staffer, who bikes to work, is no longer allowed to park under the House Office Building and must use public racks.

Back in the ‘90s, my Wendy’s co-workers filled my Buick Skyhawk with Styrofoam balls on my last day. We also did the plastic wrap thing to a couple of the other guys on their last day.

Apparently, what’s done all in good fun isn’t in politics these days. Whether we’re getting too hypersensitive, or everyone is looking to score some cheap political points, I don’t know.

As silly and impulsive as the Brixie prank was, you’d think we’d all benefit if we’d just laugh it off. Everything doesn’t always have to be so darn serious.

I guess in 2025, it does.

(Kyle Melinn is the editor of the Capitol news service MIRS. You can email him at melinnky@gmail.com.)