Progress Michigan blog posts.
Lansing became Michigan’s first sanctuary city on Monday night. It was a victory for immigration rights organizations, local activists, and the city as a whole. Lansing (where I live and where Progress Michigan has offices) is strongest when families aren’t being ripped apart because of a broken immigration system. One of the possible bumps in…
Yesterday marked the start of National Public Health Week. This is a blog about some of Michigan’s conservative elected officials who clearly did not get the memo. Michigan Republicans have decided to throw established science and concerns for public health out the window by introducing bills that are clearly catered to the anti-vaccine crowd — and…
Attorney General Bill Schuette spoke on 1320 WILS this morning and was asked a simple question, what he thought about Donald Trump’s proposed 97 percent funding cut to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which would cut funding to protect the massive freshwater source from $300 million to $10 million. His answer was a word salad…
Donald Trump has revoked Obama administration guidelines regarding transgender students’ rights. And while every headline, news story, and debate around this topic seems to have centered around students’ right to use the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity, Trump’s actions have nothing to do with bathrooms. Laverne Cox, a TV star and trans rights…
The Michigan House of Representatives is on its third leader in a little over two years. The reason for the high turnover is Michigan’s term limit amendment that caps service at three two-year terms. This short timeframe robs voters of options at the ballot box, eliminates opportunities for elected officials to learn how to…
There’s a story making the rounds about how Donald Trump’s upcoming plan to rescind protections for transgender students in schools involved pushing Betsy DeVos out of the way. According to reports, DeVos was opposed to the move. The New York Times reported, “Ms. DeVos, faced with the choice of resigning or defying the president,…
A dangerous remnant of the 2016 lame duck session has been resurrected and is moving through the legislature. The bill, SB40, would allow Michigan companies near the border that hire out-of-state workers to count those non-Michigan employees toward receiving publicly-funded grants and aid. It’s essentially a signal to corporations on Michigan’s border that they can…
Today is the 180th anniversary of Michigan statehood. The Great Lakes State, Pure Michigan, the Mitten, whatever you call it, Michigan’s natural beauty makes our state a great place to live. Sadly, the last six years of complete Republican control and decades of conservative policies have led Michigan from its perch as a beacon for…
It’s difficult to describe how I felt at the Women’s March on Lansing. Ann Friedman accurately described her experience as being “like drugs.” Jessica Valenti highlighted how it’s “it’s overwhelming to remember that we are not alone. That there are more of us who care about equality – 3 million more to be exact…
Last night, Governor Snyder delivered his seventh State of the State address. The speech was filled with “shout outs” to numerous people and businesses across the state. Snyder took time to pat himself on the back for reinventing Michigan and there was even talk about the quality of the cows in Michigan (second only to…