Courts
8 Republicans introduce articles of impeachment against Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel
A group of eight Republican state representatives on Thursday introduced a resolution bringing articles of impeachment against Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel that has little chance of being adopted. State Reps. James DeSana (R-Carleton), Neil Friske (R-Charlevoix), Joseph Fox (R-Fremont), Rachelle Smit (R-Martin), Matt Maddock (R-Milford), Steve Carra (R-Three Rivers), Josh Schriver (R-Oxford) and Angela […]
Michigan Supreme Court hears 2020 election robocall misinformation case
Two far-right operatives who made tens of thousands of calls spreading misinformation about voting across Midwestern states ahead of the 2020 presidential election, had oral arguments taken Thursday in their robocall voter intimidation criminal case in the Michigan Supreme Court. Investigators who have looked into calls made in Michigan, Ohio and New York estimate that […]
Repeal of Michigan’s Engler-era drug immunity law passes House
A bill repealing a Michigan law preventing state lawsuits against drug manufacturers passed the state House of Representatives on Wednesday. Senate Bill 410, sponsored by Sen. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor), passed 79-30 in an overwhelming show of support for the rollback of the 1995 law. It’s now up to the Senate to approve the final […]
Anti-abortion protesters gather at Michigan Capitol as lawsuit is filed to overturn Proposal 3
One year after Michigan voters passed landmark abortion rights laws via Proposal 3, over 1,000 people rallied to eliminate it during a “march for life” at the Capitol building. Earlier the same morning, Right to Life of Michigan, the event’s organizer, filed a lawsuit alongside other Michigan organizations in federal court asking for legal intervention […]
Federal lawsuit argues Hamtramck’s LGBTQ+ Pride flag ban is unconstitutional
A federal lawsuit filed Monday alleges the city of Hamtramck’s Pride flag ban violates free speech rights and numerous other state and federal laws. The lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Detroit was filed on behalf of former Hamtramck Human Relations Commission members Russ Gordon and Cathy Stackpoole. The Hamtramck residents were fired from the commission […]
Michigan sexual abuse statute of limitations package could remain an ‘orphan’
Bills expanding the amount of time victims would have to sue their perpetrators and eliminate the statute of limitations for more criminal sexual conduct offenses were not put up for a vote last week during a marathon House session, even though they were on the agenda. In the past, the bills have had bipartisan support, […]
Whitmer signs bipartisan bills supporting crime victims
Bipartisan legislation aimed at supporting crime victims was signed Monday in Detroit by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The package of four bills, two sponsored by Democrats and two sponsored by Republicans, provide increased access to support services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, add privacy protections and allow oral impact statements to be given virtually. […]
Program to protect the addresses of Michigan violence survivors has its first participants
Less than two months ago, Michigan’s Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) launched and interest and support for it is strong, Program Coordinator Karen Hall told the Michigan Domestic & Sexual Violence Prevention & Treatment Board (MDSVPTB) at their meeting Friday. Back in September, the Michigan Attorney General’s office launched the ACP, which allows survivors of different […]
A sweeping report on a Michigan school shooting finds multiple failures and a troubled aftermath
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. As America emerged from the pandemic, communities continued to experience a rising tide of gun violence. School shootings and the rate of children and teens killed by gunfire both reached all-time highs […]
Medical exceptions to abortion bans often exclude mental health conditions
More than a dozen states now have near-total abortion bans following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, with limited medical exceptions meant to protect the patient’s health or life. But among those states, only Alabama explicitly includes “serious mental illness” as an allowable exception. Meanwhile, 10 states with near-total abortion bans (Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia […]
Legislation expanding gun restrictions for domestic abusers clears Michigan House
Legislation that will extend gun restrictions to those who are convicted of domestic violence-related misdemeanors is on its way to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for her signature following passage Wednesday by the Democratic-led Michigan House. Senate Bill 471, sponsored by state Sen. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit), Senate Bill 528, sponsored by state Sen. Sue Shink (D-Northfield Twp.), […]
Michigan is the only state that criminalizes surrogacy contracts, but bills aim to change that
It took nearly two years for Tammy and Jordan Myers of Grand Rapids to adopt their biological children, who are twins, after they were born via a surrogate in 2021. It was a process, Tammy Myers told lawmakers on Wednesday, that was “heartbreaking, offensive and extremely costly.” Michigan’s current laws don’t allow for contracts for […]