Civil Rights
Return to tradition: How a year of harvest culminates in an Indigenous ‘Turkey Day’ feast
“Everyone has their own way of doing it,” Sault Tribe citizen Nathan Wright says, balancing his weight while carefully bending down in the jiimaan (canoe). He takes the wooden harvesting sticks and gives two hard knocks to the manoomin (wild rice) strands between them, letting loose a flurry of spindly seeds around his feet. Yards […]
Wayne County board certifies Nov. 8 election results
The Wayne County Board of Canvassers on Tuesday unanimously approved the Nov. 8 general election results. Wayne is one of 83 counties in Michigan where results are certified. The board consists of two Democrats and two Republicans who are nominated by local political party organizations. Richard Preuss and James Britton are the Wayne County Democrats. […]
Michigan redistricting advocates tout new process after first election under new maps
The 2022 midterm elections featured a number of competitive congressional and legislative races across the state, from Traverse City to Midland and from Grand Rapids to Downriver. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who won reelection by 11 points, will enter her second term with a 56-54 Democratic majority in the House and a 20-18 Democratic upper […]
Whitmer taps Bolden as first Black female Michigan Supreme Court justice
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Tuesday afternoon that state Rep. Kyra Harris Bolden (D-Southfield) will be joining the state Supreme Court upon current Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack’s retirement. Bolden will be the first Black woman to serve on the high court and is Whitmer’s first appointment to the state’s Supreme Court. Michigan […]
‘My life should not be up for debate’
After five people were killed in a mass shooting at a Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ club late Saturday night, many in the Michigan LGBTQ+ community around Michigan are concerned about their safety amid increasing hate crimes nationwide. “I feel fear, anger, disgust, concern. Hearing the news, it was this overwhelming feeling of just, not again. We’ve […]
Congressional Hispanic Caucus welcomes new House members, reflects on Latino vote
The campaign arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus welcomed the highest number of Democratic Latino lawmakers elected to Congress, during a Friday event at the Democratic National Committee headquarters. CHC BOLD PAC chair, Democratic U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego of Arizona, said continuing to reach out to Latino communities and young voters will be key to […]
MPSC approves much smaller rate increase for DTE after activists pushed back
The Michigan Public Service Commission authorized last week DTE Electric Co. to implement a $30.6 million rate increase effective Friday — but that’s significantly less than the company’s original request. In January, DTE Electric filed an application seeking a $388 million rate increase, but opponents in Southeast Michigan fought back against a hefty price increase […]
Voters in Michigan’s abortion deserts helped pass Proposal 3
After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, Michiganders had the chance to vote on whether abortion would stay legal in the state. The statewide proposal ended up passing on Nov. 8 by a 13-point margin, even finding support in deeply Republican counties and counties with no current access to abortion care. […]
Whitmer, Gilchrist thank college-aged voters
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist penned a letter to Michigan’s college students Thursday thanking them for showing up in record numbers in the midterm election. “No matter why you went to the polls or who you voted for, thank you. You waited in line — sometimes for hours — to make your […]
Lawrence interested in USPS post, toasts Jeffries as a consensus-builder among Dems
Retiring U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-Southfield) told the Advance on Thursday that she supports U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) as U.S. House minority leader and she’s interested in a U.S. Postal Service appointment. The news comes after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the first woman in history to hold the gavel, announced Thursday she […]
State officials indicate a criminal investigation is underway into Sen. Bumstead
A state senator from West Michigan, who made election integrity a key issue in his reelection campaign, is under criminal investigation after allegations of signature fraud were made against him in late 2016, the Michigan Secretary of State’s Office has confirmed. On Nov. 7, 2016, Clerk Jennifer Badgero in Newaygo County’s Brooks Township filed a […]
U.S. Senate Democrats make a last-ditch push for a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers
WASHINGTON — Democratic U.S. senators have set a December deadline for passing bipartisan legislation that would create a pathway to citizenship for more than 600,000 undocumented people who were brought into the country as children — but they don’t yet have enough Senate Republican votes to make it a reality. During a Wednesday press conference […]