Anne and I are pleased to be part of the host committee for an upcoming fundraiser for the gubernatorial campaign of Mark Schauer and his running mate Oakland County Clerk Lisa Brown. The fundraiser is being sponsored by our amazing friends at Citizens Against Government Overreach (CAGO) and the Michigan Education Association PAC. The reception is from 4:30 – 6:30 […]

“Politics is all about power for them. Politics should always be about people for us.” Michigan Democrats took over the newly-renovated Cobo Hall in Detroit last night in a show of forceful solidarity unlike anything I’ve seen in the recent past. A sold out crowd of over 2,200 packed the venue, over 700 more than attended the event in 2012 […]

Keep it classy, Nolan Detroit News editorial page editor and columnist Nolan Finley is known for his anti-Democrat, pro-corporate positions. His sharp-elbowed jabs at Democrats and liberals are part of his persona. However, his most recent effort to denigrate Democrats, in this case gubernatorial candidate Mark Schauer and his running mate Lisa Brown, is beyond the pale, even for him. […]

A fierce warrior for women, for marriage equality, and so much more Democratic candidate for Governor Mark Schauer announced this morning that Lisa Brown as his running mate for Lt. Governor. Brown is a former two-term State House Representative in Michigan’s 39th District and is currently the County Clerk for Oakland County. A statement from the candidate himself: Lisa Brown […]

Initiative highlights the need for policy solutions, citizen engagement and more women in leadership. You’d think we’d be done fighting for women’s rights, but there’s still work to do. And Organizing for Action (OFA) is standing with women and helping them be heard. On Thursday, Mootown Ice Cream & Dessert Shoppe in Detroit hosted the first local launch of a […]

Chapeau: doffed

2012 was a year full of politics in Michigan. As a political writer, particularly one writing from the progressive side of things, I never had a single day where there wasn’t something happening in Michigan worth writing about. We weren’t far into 2012 before I realized that women were standing up and speaking out in larger numbers and with a louder, stronger voice than any other group of people in our state. So much so that I have taken to calling 2012 the Year of Michigan Women in Politics.

Progress for Michigan

Last night, the most effective progressive action group, Progress Michigan, held their September fundraiser at the Majestic Theater in Detroit. Supporting this essential organization is critical for maintaining a positive force for political action in the state of Michigan. The progressive community knows this and their leaders showed up to demonstrate that support both financially and in person.

Photos and report after the jump.

Vagina POWER!

l-r: Rep. Rashida H. Tlaib, Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer, Rep. Lisa Brown, Eve Ensler, and Rep. Stacy Erwin Oakes

Yesterday, Monday, June 18, 2012, upwards of 5,000 women and men and children descended on the state Capitol in Lansing, Michigan to reclaim that place of power for women and their vaginas. After being told that uttering the word “vagina” was dirty and “lacked decorum”, Representative Lisa Brown and her colleague Barb Byrum were censored and banned from speaking.

Eve Ensler, the creator of The Vagina Monologues worked with Senator Rebekah Warren and others to stage a reading of the groundbreaking and magnificent play on the steps of the Capitol. But, what transpired there was more than just a theatrical event. It was an empowering event and a tranformative event for the state of Michigan. The thousands that gathered shared their anger and disgust and their refusal to continue being treated like children or second class citizens.

Follow us after the jump for many photos, video and more.

Powerful women are powerful

A newly formed group called the Michigan Women’s Power Assembly is kicking off tomorrow with a daylong meeting in Detroit. Their focus is to “broaden and update the women’s movement and tackle public policy assaults on women’s rights.

The event will take place this Saturday, June 16th from 8 am to 5 pm on the campus of Wayne State University at the McGregor Conference Center and is open to the public. Registration is $20 and includes lunch and childcare. Scholarships are available. Register at www.miwomenspowerassembly.com.

More information after the jump.

Oh, grow up.

Michigan House Representative Lisa Brown was banned from speaking on the floor of the state House today. Why? Because Michigan Republicans are afraid of vaginas.

The the terrifying and unconscionable act of verbal vaginaism that got her banned after the jump (video and SO much more.)

The state House passed a bill today that would prohibit schools from deducting union dues from teachers’ paychecks. The bill doesn’t say they don’t have to provide this service, it says they are prohibited from providing this service. Why? It’s definitely not a cost-saving measure. School administrators agree that the cost to schools for providing this service to teachers is […]