Tag Archives | Sugar Law Center

Civil rights law groups file suit against Snyder administration to halt use of Emergency Financial Managers

By on September 27, 2012 in Emergency Financial Managers, Emergency Manager Law, Emergency Managers, Michigan, Rick Snyder

Zombie fighters are on the case

In early August, after an intentionally absurd legal battle, Public Act 4 — Michigan’s anti-democratic Emergency Manager law — was repealed. Attorney General Bill Schuette immediately declared that the former version of the law, Public Act 72 — the Emergency FINANCIAL Manager law — was back in force. The lengths to which Schuette went to justify this decision were nothing short of epic.

Now a group of civil rights attorneys has stepped up to slay the zombie beast. Click through for details.


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Public Act 4 repeal signatures delivered + Michigan Emergency Manager New Round-up

By on March 1, 2012 in Detroit, Emergency Manager Law, Emergency Managers, Highland Park, Rick Snyder

It just goes on and on and on and on

Lots of news to cover today. Make sure you click through to the jump page if you’re reading this from the front page of Eclectablog.

  • Stand Up For Democracy coalition delivers 226,637 petition signatures
    Yesterday, the Stand Up For Democracy coalition and Michigan Forward delivered well over the 160,304 signatures needed to put the repeal of Public Act 4 – Michigan’s Emergency Manager Law – on the November ballot to the Michigan Secretary of State’s office in Lansing.

    Here is Michigan Forward’s statement:

    Today, Michigan Forward, the Stand Up for Democracy Coalition and countless volunteers and supporters representing the labor, civic, and faith based communities from around the State of Michigan submitted 226,637 signatures to repeal the “Local Government and School District Fiscal Accountability Act,” known as Public Act 4 (PA 4).

    • …


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Sugar Law Center lecture & fundraiser a rousing success, Emergency Manager plaintiffs honored

By on November 18, 2011 in Emergency Manager Law

On Wednesday this week, the Sugar Law Center held their annual reception and fundraiser called “ESSENTIAL: Advocacy for Community Justice”. The event started with the first annual Leonard Grossman Memorial Lecture given by civil rights attorney Michael L. Pitt.


Michael L. Pitt

All photos by Anne C. Savage. Click any photo to see larger versions. Please do not reuse without permission. Seriously. Be courteous. Ask first.

From the lecture program:

Michael Pitt has earned a nationwide reputation as a litigator and in employment and civil rights cases. He is also widely known as a civil rights advocate who has taken on enormous challenges and won.…

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Sugar Law Center to host lecture and fundraiser – November 16, 2011

By on November 8, 2011 in Uncategorized

Friend of the Blog™ (hey, if Stephen Colbert can have a Friend of the Show™…) Sugar Law Center is having a very special night next week, Wednesday, November 16th. First, they are hosting the Leonard Grossman Memorial Lecture. As you know if you read this blog regularly, Sugar Law Center is suing the State of Michigan over the Emergency Manager Law (Public Act 4.) They have taken this issue by the horns and have already had some incremental victories. I fully endorse this organization and encourage you to support them in whatever way you can.

So, first, the lecture:

The Leonard Grossman Memorial Lecture:
Movement Lawyers and Citizen Activists—Essential Collaboration For Justice
by Attorney Michael Pitt

Free and open to the public

Michael Pitt is a nationally acclaimed litigator in employment and civil rights cases.

…


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Rick Snyder & Public Act 4 dealt another blow from the Michigan Supreme Court

By on November 3, 2011 in Public Act 4, Rick Snyder

Back in August, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder sought to bypass the normal court process and asked the Michigan Supreme Court to make a decision on the lawsuit challenging Public Act 4, the so-called Emergency Manager Law. (Details on the lawsuit filed by the Sugar Law Center and the Center for Constitutional Rights can be found HERE.)

Sugar Law Center proceeded to file a response challenging that request in September.

Today the Supreme Court spoke and the news, once again, is not good for the Governor. (I say “once again” because the Supreme Court already smacked down Governor Snyder just last week.) Instead of accepting Governor Snyder’s request to bypass the normal judicial process, they have asked both parties to submit briefs in support of their positions regarding the Governor’s request.…


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1st of two lawsuits challenging Michigan’s Emergency Manager Law dismissed

By on October 4, 2011 in Emergency Manager Law, Public Act 4

As I reported back in April, two pension boards in the City of Detroit filed suit in the U.S. District Court challenging the Republican-passed Public Act 4 — The Emergency Manager Law. From a now-unavailable Detroit Free Press article:

The City of Detroit’s two pension boards have challenged part of the state’s new emergency financial manager law, calling it unconstitutional and a threat to the pension systems.

The lawsuit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Detroit, claims the law gives the governor and state treasurer unbridled power to appoint emergency managers with “czar-like powers” that could usurp collective bargaining rights of city employees who negotiated pension plans.

…


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Response filed challenging Gov. Snyder’s request for Supreme Ct. intervention on PA 4 suit

By on September 16, 2011 in Emergency Manager Law, Emergency Managers, Public Act 4, Rick Snyder

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how Governor Rick Snyder has asked the Michigan Supreme Court to intervene in a Sugar Law Center lawsuit on behalf of 28 Michigan citizens, challenging Public Act 4, the Emergency Manager Law. Snyder asked the Court to expedite the process and make an instant decision, avoiding the discovery process and fact-finding that takes place as suits wend their way through the lower courts. This week, the Sugar Law Center has filed a response challenging the governor’s request. Here is their press release detailing their response filing.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, September 15, 2011
Contact: Tova Perlmutter, 313-993-4505

Response Filed Challenging Snyder Supreme Court Request
Sugar Law Center Says Fast-Tracking Emergency Manager Suit Short-Circuits Justice

LANSING, MI – Lawyers for 28 Michigan citizens challenging the state’s emergency manager law have filed a response with the Michigan Supreme Court opposing an extraordinary request by Governor Rick Snyder that the high court bypass normal procedures and immediately take up a legal challenge to the controversial law.

…


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Report from the Pontiac Financial Martial Law Act lawsuit press conference

By on June 23, 2011 in Emergency Financial Managers, Emergency Manager Law, Emergency Managers, Michigan, Pontiac

I want to draw your attention to sureujest‘s fine Daily Kos diary covering yesterday’s Pontiac press conference held by Sugar Law Center and plaintiffs in the lawsuit to declare Michigan’s Financial Martial Law Act unconstitutional.

In it she has photos, video and interviews from participants. Here is an excerpt:

At the late afternoon press conference in Pontiac, MI today I spoke with Attorney Julie Hurwitz (of Goodman & Hurwitz PC), who is acting as representation in the suit.

Ms. Hurwitz (pictured above) told me that all legal representation for the civil suit against the State of Michigan is voluntary. Ms.

…


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BREAKING: Major lawsuit attacks Michigan’s Financial Martial Law Act as unconstitutional

By on June 22, 2011 in Emergency Financial Managers, Emergency Manager Law, Emergency Managers, Michigan

I have a piece up at A2Politico.com that reveals the breaking news that 28 Michigan residents along with the Sugar Law Center for Economic & Social Justice and the Center for Constitutional Rights have filed a lawsuit in Michigan challenging the constitutionality of Public Act 4, the so-call “Financial Martial Law Act” recently passed by Republicans.

The defendents in the complaint are none other than Governor Rick Snyder and State Treasurer Andy Dillon.

Here are the main points of the complaint (a link to the complaint can be found in the A2Politico article):

  1. This lawsuit arises from violations of Plaintiffs’ constitutional rights under the Constitution of the State of Michigan of 1963.

…


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