“We are on it…” This morning the Michigan Democratic Party released emails obtained through a FOIA request suggesting that Richard Baird, Governor Rick Snyder’s “Transformation Manager” who was once paid from the New Energy to Reinvent and Diversify (NERD) Fund, intervened on behalf of Governor Snyder’s cousin George Snyder to ensure he was protected from budget cuts in 2011. The […]

I’m verklempt April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse, the Michigan lesbian couple whose lawsuit against the state of Michigan led to the overturning of our state’s discriminatory same-sex marriage ban weren’t notified of the District Court Judge Bernard Friedman’s decision ahead of time. Instead, like the rest of us, they and their attorney Dana Nessel had to wait until it was […]

Republicans on the wrong side of history yet again Governor Rick Snyder is refusing to recognize over 300 same-sex marriages that took place on Saturday. None of the rights and privileges extended to heterosexual married couples will be given to these newlyweds as Gov. Snyder and Attorney General Bill Schuette pander to their homophobic base in an election year. Unfortunately […]

“We are changing the world today.” “I feel like I can breath now,” Diane VanDorn told me on Sunday after being married to her partner Connie Greer on Saturday at the Washtenaw County Clerk’s office in Ann Arbor. Diane and Connie were one of the first of 300 same-sex couples that were married in Michigan that day. Diane and Connie, […]

The “Explainer-in-Chief” comes back to Michigan Photo by Anne C. Savage, special to Eclectablog It what can only be called a major coup, the Michigan Democratic Party announced today that the keynote speaker for their 2014 Jefferson-Jackson fundraising dinner will President Bill Clinton: “I’m thrilled to welcome one of the great leaders of our time to Michigan to boost Democratic […]

Same-sex marriage makes people cry [All non-Twitter photos by Anne C. Savage, special to Eclectablog.] Around 300 same-sex Michigan couples took advantage of a one-day window when they were allowed to marry legally yesterday. Four County Clerks — Nancy Waters in Muskegon, Barb Byrum in Ingham, Lawrence Kestenbaum in Washtenaw, and Lisa Brown in Oakland — opened their offices on […]

Wasting taxpayer money to appeal to a homophobic Republican base Anne and I spent an incredibly emotional day in the offices in Washtenaw’s and Oakland’s County Clerks today, watching hundreds of same-sex couples getting married. It was a unique experience in both of our lives, one we’ll never forget. We’ll have a full report tomorrow with lots of great photos […]

Now can we just call it “marriage”? In a huge victory for marriage equality, U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman ruled today that Michigan’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional: IT IS HEREBY DECLARED that Article I, § 25 of the Michigan Constitution and its implementing statutes are unconstitutional because they violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to […]

The fight continues Yesterday’s narrow passage of the legislation that will expand the failed Education Achievement Authority experiment statewide was a blow to those of us who rely on data and facts to inform our decisions. With the help of two supposed progressives from Detroit, Representatives John Olumba and Harvey Santana, the bill passed by only two votes. THEIR votes. […]

Lansing, we have a problem The amped-up Emergency Manager laws passed by Michigan Republicans in 2011 and again in 2012 were specifically designed to give far more sweeping powers to the one unelected potentate who assumes control of the school district or municipality. The sweeping away of local elected officials and the snuffing out of local democracy was needed, said […]

House Republicans along with Detroit Democrat Harvey Santana and Independent Detroit Rep. John Olumba passed legislation this afternoon that expands the EAA. The bill passed with a two vote margin. I have rarely been prouder of the House Democrats (with the exception of Santana) who spoke eloquently, passionately, and with facts in hand about how terrible this bill is and […]