[NOTE: This piece has been edited to correct a claim that Wayne State University Law School Dean Jocelyn Benson had helped draft the ballot language. This statement, based on civil rights attorney Dana Nessel’s opening remarks, was, apparently, inaccurate. I have corrected this post and issued a correction with audio HERE.] Last night, the Jim Toy LGBTQ Community Center sponsored […]

Thirty-four states along with Washington, D.C. have graduated state income taxes where wealthy people pay a higher percentage than people who make less money. This is also how our federal taxes are configured. Michigan, however, does not. We are one of only seven states with a flat tax. A recent EPIC-MRA poll shows that an astonishing 66% of Michigan voters […]

In one day, it passed out of committee and is up for a House vote. Despite what the bill’s proponents claim, the RFRA would enshrine discrimination on religious grounds into state law. UPDATED following House vote. There’s still time to take action. See below. It’s happening even faster than we’d feared. Following a hearing, the Michigan House of Representatives House […]

This past weekend, Democratic State House Rep. Jeff Irwin from Ann Arbor debated Governor Snyder’s $1 billion in cuts to education funding with Republican Pete Lund on Fox News’ Let It Rip program. Lund used the argument that shoring up the teachers pension fund is “education funding”. Irwin pointed to the diversion of money from classrooms and teaching and higher […]

Senate Democratic Leader Gretchen Whitmer This week, as Michigan’s legislature comes back to work, Michigan Democrats are taking a proactive leadership role on two critical issues. First, Senate Democratic Leader Gretchen Whitmer and House Rep. Gretchen Driskell (maybe we should call them “The Fighting Gretchens”?) announced that they will introduce legislation requiring companies who choose to deny women access to […]

A week from today on Friday, April 4th, 2014 the Ann Arbor-based group Reclaim Our American Democracy (ROAD) is holding their 2014 Michigan Election Reform Conference at Cleary University in Ann Arbor. You can have a look at the brochure for this important event HERE (pdf). Registration is only $25, $10 for students and you may purchase a boxed lunch […]

Democracy is just SO inconvenient sometimes… Last week, the Michigan House Financial Liability Reform Committee me to discuss a bill calling for a federal Constitutional Convention to take up the issue of a federal balanced budget. 20 states have already done so; 34 are required. Whether or not a Constitutional Convention is a good idea is a matter of debate. […]

This week, the Ann Arbor Education Association will be sponsoring a forum on the Governor Snyder’s failed education experiment known as the Education Achievement Authority. I will be speaking at the event and participating in the panel discussion along with Wayne State University professor Thomas Pedroni, State House Rep. Jeff Irwin, Eastern Michigan University professor Christopher Robbins, and others. The […]

The place to be on Labor Day On Labor Day (Monday, September 2nd, 2013), the Ann Arbor Dems, in conjunction with the Washtenaw County Democratic Party, are having their annual “Laborpalooza” Labor Day picnic. This year there will be an all-star cast of Michigan Democrats in attendance including Dean of the House Congressman John Dingell and his wife Debbie along […]

The people are leading their “leaders” This afternoon, a coalition of LGBT leaders and Michigan House Democrats announced package of legislation that will repeal the ban same-sex marriage in Michigan, a position supported by a majority of Michiganders. According to a statement by House Dems, the package of legislation involves two bills and a resolution: The first piece in the […]

This should be a non-partisan issue

As I wrote about last week, the Justice Caucus of the Michigan Democratic Party held a discussion panel at the statewide convention on Saturday titled “Citizens United v. FEC – The Invisible ‘Person’ in Michigan Elections”. Organized by former Washtenaw County Democratic Party Chair and well-known Michigan attorney and activist Stu Dowty, the panel discussion was wide-ranging and covered everything from undisclosed donors in our judicial elections to the repeal of the odious Citizens United Supreme Court ruling.

My write-up after the jump.