Nearly two months ago, the federal government made billions of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds available to the states. Michigan is in line for over $5 billion in relief funding, including $2.1 billion to re-open schools in our state. However, so far, none of that money has been allocated and, if its not used by the end of March, we […]

I really tried to see “both sides” of this “reopen the schools” debate for the longest time…I know how hard it is to try to get anything done with little kids at home in normal times–multiply that by 100 during this pandemic. And I get the frustration that comes with trying to juggle work, bills, child care, and all the […]

This past weekend, Michigan Democrats pulled off a remarkable feat: they held a statewide convention to choose leadership for issue caucus groups, Congressional District organizations, and the top spots in the Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) itself completely remotely. The event went remarkably smoothly. MDP staff were present in the various meetings to assist with voting and other procedural issues that […]

When a Trump-supporting bail bondsman is your chief critic, that says … everything I don’t typically write about the failings of mainstream media sources because, in general, I think they do a pretty good job, considering the environment they are working in. But an article in this morning’s edition of The Detroit News is so bad that it warrants comment. […]

The Michigan State Legislature, under the leadership of Mike Shirkey and Lee Chatfield has furthered the ‘boys club’ misogyny that has been present for years, its leaders have actively supported the insurrectionist militias that have attacked the Michigan and U.S. Capitol buildings, and has been incredibly backward in its view of LGBTQ+ rights. It being February, and Black History Month, […]

Jeff Irwin on Twitter: @JeffMIrwin Jeff Irwin’s Facebook page: Facebook.com/SenatorIrwin Jeff Irwin’s website: IrwinForSenate.com The Oversight Committee is meeting again to call into question the results of the election. Instead of talking about fixing unemployment or how to open schools safely, we are here to advance Republican party politics with baseless and non-specific allegations of fraud. pic.twitter.com/1TB9lZyUU2 — Jeff Irwin […]

I have taken the past couple of days to reflect on how Mike Shirkey and the Republicans in the Michigan State Legislature have contributed to the culture of misogyny and support of the insurrectionist militias that have attacked the U.S. Capitol. But these are not their only sins. They have also victimized and persecuted members of the LGBTQ+ community through […]

Yesterday I highlighted the bad behavior of the Michigan Senate Majority Leader, a handful of his colleagues, and the sexist environment that they have engendered through decades of underrepresentation for women in the halls of power in Lansing. But misogyny is not their only sin, so I thought it appropriate to share another.  The recent impeachment trial of Former President […]

In spite of most of the US public being supportive of public education, our schools, and our children’s teachers, a small but vocal minority has been growing increasingly rambunctious about reopening schools. Recently, Dr. Ben Linas, a physician in Brookline, MA, added his apparently cranky voice to this debate, penning a piece for Vox titled, “I’m an epidemiologist and a […]

The Mike Shirkey I knew when I served in the Michigan House of Representatives was just as bad as the one we see today. I called him vile in 2012 and that description continues to hold true.  Being term-limited has only emboldened him to say terrible and misogynistic things out loud because he knows that he will never be held […]

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