This Week in PM Blogging:
It doesn’t get much more cold than this. The day after Christmas, Gov. Snyder signed legislation that would take away food assistance from people if they refused to take a drug test. Programs like this have been disasters in other states.
As Progress Michigan kicks off the New Year, we resolve to continue speaking truth to power and holding officials from both parties accountable as we fight for a more just and equitable Michigan.
If you find yourself watching Selma at a theater near you, consider this: Is the battle for voting rights truly over?
TWIP Clips:
Agema, again
Republican National Committeeman Dave Agema has been on a racist and Islamophobic tirade as of late. During the holidays, he posted an article that said black people were lesser than everyone else. He called the article “enlightening.”
And shortly after the shooting at Charlie Hebdo, Agema was at it again, this time attacking Islam and pondering why all Muslims weren’t considered enemies by the state.
We called Agema out for exactly what he is: a “bombastic ignoramus” and urged the Michigan GOP to purge him from leadership and cancel him as a speaker at a Tea Party event this weekend.
NRA vs. Survivors
There is a bill sitting on Gov. Snyder’s desk that would allow domestic abusers and stalkers to carry a concealed weapon. The bill has been chastised by anti-gun violence and domestic abuse survivor advocates and just today we called on Snyder to veto the legislation.
Gov. Snyder has a nasty habit of siding with corporate lobbyists like the NRA over the wellbeing of Michiganders. Call Snyder’s office and tell him to veto this legislation.
Detroit Retirees Fighting Back
Detroit Active and Retired Employees Association (DAREA), a group of Detroit retirees, held a press conference Thursday to announce that they are still working to save their meager pensions and what’s left of their health care plans. If you want to support folks fighting for their economic lives after decades of work, go here.
Progressive Reads:
Inviting African-American Mothers to Sell Their Breast Milk, and Profiting