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AG will offer opinion, but says Legislature should ban LGBTQ discrimination
Attorney General Dana Nessel said during Friday’s Michigan Civil Rights Commission (MCRC) meeting in Detroit that she’s fully prepared to offer an opinion on if LGBTQ people are included in the state’s non-discrimination act. The MCRC voted last year that the word “sex” in the 1977 landmark Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act does includes sexual orientation […]
Gilchrist visits Detroit homeless shelter during frigid weather
Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist today visited a westside Detroit Rescue Mission center that provides food, shelter and other services to the city’s homeless population. He met with the nonprofit’s staff and served lunch to about two dozen men who are seeking to stay warm during today’s frigid weather. “These are the coldest wind chills […]
It’s an uphill battle to quash Lame Duck in Lansing
A bipartisan measure sponsored by more than two dozen state House members would eliminate the final period of a two-year legislative session commonly referred to as Lame Duck. But killing the post-election session requires changing Michigan’s Constitution. And it’s a high bar to do so — two-thirds of the House and the Senate must approve […]
On this day in 1984: Senate Republicans seize majority
On this day in 1984, Senate Republicans took the majority for the first time in 10 years. They have kept their vice grip on the upper chamber to this day. The GOP’s 1984 majority came after winning two special elections, essentially referendums on the 1983 Gov. James Blanchard-supported income tax increase. That set up Republican […]
Detroit nonprofit vows to continue fight against ‘illegal’ tax foreclosures
It was a living nightmare. “We were stuck in the dark,” Sonja Bonnett recalls. “We were losing our home. We didn’t know how to tell our kids that. We woke up every morning with that heaviness on our minds, trying to figure out how we were going to do this.” The 38-year-old wife and […]
Whitmer declares state of emergency due to ‘extreme’ weather
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed a formal order declaring a state of emergency in Michigan. The measure, which she said she will file Tuesday morning with the Secretary of State, is designed to help address threats to public health and safety related to the extreme winter weather conditions across forecast for Michigan’s 83 counties over […]
Engler’s 1991 tax cut: ‘Robin Hood in reverse’
When Gov. John Engler offered his first tax cut proposal to the Michigan Legislature on this day in 1991 — which chopped $4.2 billion over three years — one prominent House Democrat called out the conservative Republican. State Rep. Perry Bullard (D-Ann Arbor) said at the time: “It is a Robin Hood in reverse […]
AG could weigh in on Elliott-Larsen, but GOP leader doesn’t favor adding LGBTQs
The Michigan Civil Rights Commission (MCRC) will consider asking Attorney General Dana Nessel to review an opinion of her predecessor, Bill Schuette, to decide whether the term “sex” in the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act includes sexual orientation and gender identity. This comes on the same day that House Speaker Lee Chatfield (R-Levering) said on “Off […]
MSU study: Michigan school funding lower now than 25 years ago
Some 25 years after Michigan dramatically changed how it funds its public schools, a new study suggests that financial investment has declined more sharply here than in any other state. A Michigan State University report found that after adjusting for inflation, Michigan’s education funding in 2015 was only “82 percent of what it was in […]
Activists sue to remove marijuana as controlled substance
A group of pro-cannabis groups and legendary poet John Sinclair have sued the Michigan Board of Pharmacy and its chair, Nichole Cover, seeking to remove the body’s continued listing of marijuana as a controlled substance under state law. Under Michigan law, the Board of Pharmacy is charged with the duty to regulate, control and inspect […]
AG to weigh in on another GOP Lame Duck law
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel “welcomes” the opinion request from Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson that challenges the legality of the newly established law limiting ballot petition drives, Public Act 608 of 2018. “Restricting the right of Michiganders to participate in the political process is a serious subject matter,” said Nessel, a Democrat. “PA 608 […]
Workers struggle without paychecks as government shutdown hits day 32
Sarah, a federal employee who didn’t want to give her last name or the agency where she works, talked to the Michigan Advance on Tuesday about taking a job at a local Denny’s just to help make ends meet. She’s one of more than 5,000 Michigan workers who are missing paychecks during the partial federal […]