How to turn your middle class into a pyramid scheme I went to see a comic perform in Grand Rapids a few years ago and he said, “So, this is the tip of the pyramid?” And the crowd sighed out laughter, knowing exactly what he meant. Grand Rapids, Michigan is the city Amway built. While the company may deny that […]

The time for this conversation is NOW

Early yesterday morning, just hours before the horrific mass shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, the Republican-led Michigan legislature passed S.B. 59, a bill that would allow concealed weapons in public schools, churches, and day care centers. Aware of the backlash that was likely to occur after the Connecticut shooting less than 10 hours later, Michigan Republicans released an astonishing statement on their Facebook page.

That statement and a discussion of the issue of gun control laws after the jump.

Will this session NEVER end???

The Michigan legislature concluded its inflamed duck session yesterday by passing another flurry of highly partisan legislation before they lose some of their votes.

The highlowlights of what they did yesterday after the jump.

I suspect we all know the answer to THAT question…

H.B. 5711 is a bill that is was passed by the Michigan Senate last night that puts onerous requirements on facilities providing abortions — so onerous that most people paying attention believe it will shut down large numbers of clinics that offer these services.

Tucked away into this bill is a ban on the use of “telemedicine” — the use of computers, the internet and telephones to connect patients and physicians — by physicians to authorize medical abortions by, instead, prescribing medication.

Why is this important? Because just this past summer, Gov. Snyder was all about the utter awesomeness of “telemedicine”

Details after the jump.

It IS impressive…

If you thought the speed with which Michigan Republicans went to chit chatting about making Michigan a Right to Work for Less state and actually accomplishing that was impressive, you should keep watching because they aren’t done yet, not by a long shot. The frantic pace continued yesterday, just one day after they kicked unions to the curb and brought a record number of people to the Capitol to protest.

Read about the four major pieces of legislation that passed in the House after the jump.

Not that this is a surprise or anything… The American Legislative Exchange Council is a national pro-business, anti-worker group that creates model legislation for use by its conservative members who are in state legislatures. Not surprisingly, ALEC’s fingerprints are all over the new laws that make Michigan the country’s 24th Right to Work for Less state as shown by some […]

“It is the certainty that they possess the truth that makes men cruel.” – Anatole France If you’re like me, you want to turn green and climb to the top of the Empire State building to swipe at planes when you hear average, non-billionaire Americans telling you what they heard on Fox News: “Right to work” is a victory for […]

More genius from Anne C. Savage:

Larger version suitable for sharing and pinning after the jump.

Let your voice be heard

Last week, I wrote about Senate Bill 59 in my piece “Michigan Republicans move to make guns easier to get, permit concealed weapons in churches, schools, bars, & stadiums”. S.B. 59 will allow the carrying of concealed weapons in schools, churches, bars, daycares, college dorms, hospitals and stadiums. If made into law, this bill would allow those with a concealed pistol license to carry a concealed pistol in no-carry zones if they complete an additional course.

Rev. Eric A. Stone from the St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Essexville, Michigan has put up a SignOn.org petition to fight this dangerous legislation.

Details after the jump.

More of this, please

Michigan State House Representative from Grand Rapids Brandon Dillon gave the Republicans in the House an earful about their hypocrisy and outrageous behavior in jamming Right to Work for Less legislation through with no public input, no hearings, and no opportunity for Democrats to offer amendments. It’s a thing of beauty

Video and transcript after the jump.

This should be interesting

Next week, the state legislature reconvenes on Tuesday. When they get to work that morning, they will be greeted by thousands of outraged Michiganders who are there to let these lawmakers know that the Right to Work for Less legislation — or Right to Freeload as some are calling it — it an afront to the citizens of the birthplace of labor unions.

I wrote yesterday about the involvement in the rally as well as that of Planned Parenthood. Now, with other groups signing on, we learn that conservative groups have reserved the Capitol Building grounds in an effort to stop their rally.

Details and more after the jump.