“Fiscal Responsibility” – I don’t think that means what you think it means

The absurdly named group Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility is taking their disenfranchising and deceitful case regarding the Public Act 4 repeal petition font size to the state supreme court.

Keep in mind that they already lost at the Court of Appeals level, including a rejection by the entire 28-judge appeals court panel. The Court of Appeals made it very clear the long-established precedent regarding “substantial compliance” of petitions is governs this case. {more…}

Signs, signs, everywhere signs

This is a collage of photographs I took during the Vaginas Take Back the Capitol event last week.

Click on “Read Full Story” below to see an interactive image of the poster where you can zoom in on the image to see the signs better or download the large file to print.

Drunk with power

Michigan male Republican legislators seem to have no filter when it comes to dealing with opposition. If they think it, they say it.

And tweet it.

They just can’t help themselves

Just one day after thousands gathered at the Michigan state Capitol to decry the denigration and diminishing of women in the legislature, Republicans continue to show themselves for the utter pigs that they are. This time, it’s State Rep. Wayne Schmidt from Traverse City on Michael Patrick Shiels’ radio show who continued their blatant war on women.

With friends like these… Tucked inside the Michigan Democratic Party platform is the following statement: We believe that women should have access to reproductive medical services and professional advice when they need it. We pledge our support for reproductive freedom, giving a woman the right to make her own choices in this matter. But we respect the individual conscience of […]

“If saying ‘vagina’ is controversial, then the men that believe that need to look at what they feel about vaginas.”

Tomorrow, starting at 5:00 p.m. Eve Ensler, creator of The Vagina Monologues brings this wildly successful play to the steps of the state Capitol Building. With help from state legislators, activists and progressive leaders around the state of Michigan, they will perform The Vagina Monologues in front of the building where Republicans have basically banned the word from being uttered.

Ensler is the founder of the group V-Day, dedicated to ending violence against women and girls all over the world.

The reading of The Vagina Monologues at the state Capitol was the brainchild of Carla Milarch, the associate artistic director at the Performance Network in Ann Arbor. You can find out more information about the “Vaginas Take Back the Capitol” event and RSVP on their Facebook page HERE. Also, be sure to share your ideas for signs to be carried at the event HERE and by tweeting using the hashtag #MIvaginasigns.

With the story of Republicans publicly censuring and banning their female colleagues from speaking on the floor of the state House because they exercised their free speech rights going national, Ensler is getting interview requests from all over. In fact, this has actually become an international story and she has been interviewed about it by the BBC in England.

I spoke with Ensler by phone this afternoon about the “Vaginas Take Back the Capitol” event and the reading of The Vagina Monologues on the Capitol steps.

INOKIYAR*

On the heels of the now-national story of Michigan legislators being banned from speaking for mentioning the words “vagina” and “vasectomies”, it’s worth having a look back into the ancient history of earlier this year.

Why? Because they are guilty of far more egregious behavior toward women than having their sensibilities offended by all of these “v” words.

And then some.

The Republican War on Women, Michigan-style

Ari Adler, spokesperson for Republican House Speaker Jase Bolger, sent a letter to the Capitol press corp saying the Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer and Democratic House Representative Barb Byrum threw “temper tantrums” on the House floor this week. That’s what Republican men call it, I guess, when female legislators dare to speak out.

Much more GOPocrisy more after the jump.

Oh, grow up.

Michigan House Representative Lisa Brown was banned from speaking on the floor of the state House today. Why? Because Michigan Republicans are afraid of vaginas.

The the terrifying and unconscionable act of verbal vaginaism that got her banned after the jump (video and SO much more.)

Desperation breeds desperation Last Friday, the Detroit Free Press published a blistering editorial condemning the Michigan Court of Appeals judges who ruled to delay a decision on the font size issue related to the petitions to put the repeal of Emergency Manager Law — Public Act 4 — on the November ballot. The editorial, titled “Stall tactics bring shame on […]

We’re watching and we vote

State House Republicans today tabled a vote on a package of anti-woman, anti-choice bills that is being called the most regressive legislation of its kind in the country. With hundreds of protesters filling the Capitol building and grounds, mostly women dressed in pink t-shirts sporting the phrase “Women are watching and we vote”, a vote scheduled today was tabled.

Photos and video after the jump.