Civil Rights
Chang talks pink wave and Lame Duck, stays mum on Scott
Last week was a long one in Lansing. As the two-year session ends, legislative Republicans have fired off dozens of bills, some of which are designed to usurp power from incoming Democratic executives. On Wednesday, Dec. 12, the House held a marathon session that actually ended at 3 a.m. the following morning. And on Friday, […]
Schuette and Nessel, who faced off on same-sex marriage case, haven’t met during transition
The Lame Duck session has been marked by a partisan power struggle, with the GOP-led Legislature fighting to strip powers from newly elected Democratic statewide officials. But the actual transition of power has been very collegial overall, with three of the four top new leaders meeting with their term-limited counterparts. However, Attorney General Bill Schuette, […]
Susan J. Demas: Snyder’s next act hinges on his Lame Duck legacy
Rick Snyder is a man with a plan. He always has been. That’s part of how he rose from being raised in a modest 900-square-foot home in Battle Creek while working summers at the Gun Lake Northside Grocery to becoming the CEO of Gateway and, later, the 48th governor of Michigan. Snyder picked up his […]
Michigan’s manic Lame Duck session continues to mesmerize national media
Michigan’s frenetic end-of-the-year legislative session before Democrats assume all top statewide offices continues to command the attention of national outlets. Reporters from national outfits like CNN attended the exit interview last week of GOP Gov. Rick Snyder and Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, eager to see if the term-limited governor would show his hand on signing […]
North Carolina gov. who endured power grab fundraises for Whitmer
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, who knows a little bit about legislative power grabs, sent out a fundraising pitch this week for his fellow Democrat, Michigan Gov.-elect Gretchen Whitmer. After Cooper won election in November 2016, the GOP-controlled Legislature called a special session. As North Carolina Policy Watch reported, Republicans quickly moved to claw back […]
Anti-abortion telemedicine legislation moves to governor’s desk
Gov. Rick Snyder has often said that he’s focused on economics, not social issues, but that hasn’t stopped his fellow Republicans from sending anti-abortion legislation to his desk. This time it’s a permanent ban on telemedicine exams for abortion backed by Right to Life of Michigan and the Michigan Catholic Conference. In 2012, Michigan enacted […]
Michigan House approves limits to voter proposals
Late last night, the GOP-controlled Michigan House approved new rules for petition drives. Legislation would limit the number of signatures that could be collected from voters who live in any one part of the state, something a prominent Democratic attorney decried as unconstitutional. In a 60-49 vote around 11 p.m., the lower chamber passed House […]
Michigan Legislature passes Nassar bills
Legislation aimed at curbing future sexual abuse crimes, like those of former Michigan State University Dr. Larry Nassar, passed the Michigan Legislature last week. The Associated Press reported that the bills received unanimous approval in the state Senate and are now awaiting the signature of Republican Gov. Rick Snyder, who signaled his support for helping […]
Coleman A. Young sworn in as Michigan senator on this day in 1964
On Dec. 10, 1964, Coleman A. Young was officially sworn in as a member of the Michigan Senate. During his nine-year tenure, Young, who had previously been an elected to the Michigan Constitutional Convention of 1961 and 1962, championed civil rights and collective bargaining issues. While in Lansing, Young served as minority floor leader and […]
Michigan State Police is a long way from true diversity, critics say
Only two of the current Michigan State Police 128-member training class — the first in several years — call Detroit home. What’s more: only one of them is a person of color. The NAACP argues that is a clear indication the agency continues to lack ethnic and gender diversity, cultural sensitivity and understanding — […]
Former elections chief: Campaign finance panel would deadlock
Michigan’s former top elections chief is speaking out against Republican efforts to strip campaign finance oversight from the secretary of state’s office. The state’s former Bureau of Elections director, Chris Thomas, retired in 2017 after a 36-year career in five different administrations of both parties. He told the Michigan Advance that Republicans’ plan to move […]
Clinton torches Michigan GOP for ‘dangerous’ moves limiting new Dem leaders’ power
Updated, 10:49 p.m. Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, has weighed in on Lame Duck legislative sessions in Michigan and Wisconsin. In a series of tweets on Thursday, she attacked Republican efforts in both states to limit the power of incoming Democrats who won major statewide elections in November. Clinton, who narrowly lost in […]