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UPDATED: Ct. of Appeals rejects special panel on Emergency Manager law repeal petitions – referendum WILL be on the ballot

By on June 14, 2012 in Emergency Manager Law, Public Act 4

Halle-freakin-lujah

Information is just coming out but various news sources are reporting that the Michigan Court of Appeals has declined to convene a special 7-member panel to review the correctness of a 30-year old decision regarding “substantial compliance” of referendum petitions.

Because of this, for now at least, the referendum to repeal Public Act 4, the Emergency Manager law, WILL on the November ballot.

I suspect that those who benefit most from keeping the law on the books will appeal to the state supreme court and ask that they put a stay on the decision until a ruling is made. However, this is a huge victory and, hopefully, shows that our Michigan judiciary is not entirely a tool of the Republican party.…


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UPDATED: Michigan Court of Appeals delays ruling on Emergency Manager repeal petition signatures, weighs forming a 7-judge panel to review

By on June 8, 2012 in Emergency Manager Law, Michigan Republicans, Public Act 4

This is unprecedented

The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled today that the petitions for the repeal of Michigan’s Emergency Manager law did NOT comply with the law. This is despite the sworn printer’s affidavit and expert analysis proving otherwise.

However, the Court also said that prior rulings relating to “substantial compliance” compel them to allow the petitions and to validate the signatures.

However Part 2, they also said they believe that the prior rulings were in error and that they shouldn’t be held to them. In an unprecedented move, they decided to poll all 28 members of the Court of Appeals on whether they should appoint a seven-judge conflict resolution panel to hear the case and stayed its decision ordering the referendum be placed on the ballot until that panel rules.…


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Michigan elections officials had proof Emergency Manager repeal petitions were legal but kept it secret

By on May 16, 2012 in Emergency Manager Law, GOPocrisy, Lies, Public Act 4

Astonishing

I find myself using the word “astonished” or “astonishing” a LOT lately when it comes to Michigan politics. My level of cynicism seems to be rising exponentially as each week passes when I see the outrageous and egregious things that Republicans are doing in our state.

But this might take the cake.


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Pontiac in the crosshairs — Emergency Manager Lou Schimmel shares his wisdom

By on May 2, 2012 in Emergency Manager Law, Emergency Managers, Pontiac, Public Act 4

Pontiac – we build excitement?

There’s a pretty well-written, well-researched and fair piece about Michigan’s Emergency Manager crisis at Governing.com. It focuses heavily on Pontiac and their history with EMs including their current one, Louis Schimmler.

There wasn’t a lot in the article that I didn’t already know but there were two things that caught my attention…


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Where is the media on the font-size challenge to Public Act 4 repeal petitions?

By on April 16, 2012 in Emergency Manager Law, Public Act 4

Hello? Anybody out there?

I really have to ask the question, “Where is the mainstream media on the challenge to Public Act 4 repeal petitions?” This is not just a wonky, technical discussion. This is an attempt to silence the voices of nearly a quarter million Michiganders on a concocted technicality. (If you’ve missed my previous posts on this, you can read them HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.)

So, where IS the media on this? Many news groups gleefully reported the challenge in the first place. However, except for one piece by Michigan Radio (and The Rachel Maddow Show, of course, [watch their segment HERE]), there’s been no digging into the Sterling Corporation who runs Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility, the group who is challenging the petitions.…


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More on Emergency Manager law repeal effort being derailed by petition FONT SIZE

By on April 10, 2012 in Emergency Manager Law, Public Act 4

Desperation is SUCH an ugly thing

Yesterday I reported that a group known as Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility is challenging the petitions for the repeal effort against Public Act 4 — Michigan’s odious Emergency Manager law. The basis of their complaint is that the font size of part of the petitions is too small.

It turns out that there is some case history on this very topic in Michigan…


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Opponents of Emergency Manager law repeal challenging petitions due to FONT SIZE

By on April 9, 2012 in Emergency Manager Law, Public Act 4

FONT SIZE???!

[NOTE: This post has been updated HERE.]

In a clear act of desperation, a group opposing the repeal of Public Act 4 — Michigan’s Emergency Manager law — are challenging the petitions because they say the font size is too small.

[O]pponents of the referendum drive say they’ve found what they’re calling a “fatal error” on the petitions.

The group Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility says the petition itself is printed in the wrong type size, which is contrary to state law.

The group will ask a bipartisan state elections panel to throw out all the petitions at a hearing expected to be held later this month.

…


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Tuesday morning Emergency Manager Law round-up – 4/3/2012

By on April 3, 2012 in Emergency Manager Law, Emergency Managers, Public Act 4

Yes, it’s still the law

In what appears to be a never-ending saga of a ham-handed, clumsy implementation of a constitutionally-questionable law, the Snyder administration has finally won a court battle which put Flint Mayor Dayne Walling out of a job (again) and Emergency Manager Michael Brown back in (again). This and the continuing battles in Detroit and elsewhere to make the Snyder administration obey the law, in this case the Open Meetings Act, have slowed down the relentless push to install Emergency Managers in struggling cities across the state.

I should say that I don’t think the Governor actually relishes the thought of all these cities being his responsibility.…


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Snyder recall language submitted, clarity hearing set for April 9, 2012

By on April 2, 2012 in Emergency Manager Law, Emergency Managers, Public Act 4, Recall Rick Snyder, Rick Snyder

Second time’s a charm

Michigan Rising has risen like a phoenix from the ashes of the first attempt to recall Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and is giving it a second try. Last week, they submitted petition language in Washtenaw County. They had no trouble getting their language approved last year so there is little reason to believe they will have any problems this time either.

Here is their press release from earlier today:

Michigan Rising has filed new language to recall Governor Rick Snyder. The language was filed on March 26th in Washtenaw County. The clarity hearing will be held in Washtenaw County on April 9th at 1:45 p.m.…

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Mich Secretary of State confirms 225,885 signatures submitted for repeal of Emergency Manager law

By on March 29, 2012 in Emergency Manager Law, Emergency Managers, Public Act 4

Stop Public Act 4!

The Michigan Secretary of State’s (SOS) office has confirmed that the Stand Up for Democracy coalition has turned in 24,151 valid sheets containing 225,885 signatures, exceeding the 161,305 needed to put the law on hold and the referendum on November 2012 ballot. [NOTE: this does NOT mean the signatures themselves have been validated, just that they have turned in valid petition sheets containing that many unvalidated signatures.]

The SOS has pulled a random sample of signatures that
opponents may challenge. There is a 10-day challenge period
that ends on April 9. The random sample (chosen through a formula) has 3,451 signatures.…


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