Ouch. That’ll leave a mark. My favorite Michigan judge at the moment, Ingham County Judge William Collette, today issued yet another spanking to the administration of Governor Rick Snyder. The Snyder administration appealed a ruling made an earlier this week barring them from signing a Consent Agreement with Detroit until after a March 29th hearing. That hearing has been postponed […]

Can’t win for losin’… The Snyder administration was handed another in a long list of legal setbacks today as my now-favorite judge, Ingham Country Judge William Collette, smacked them down again. Recall that Judge Collette had already issued a mighty smackdown to the Detroit Emergency Manager Review Team earlier in the month: An Ingham County judge this afternoon ordered all […]

We all agree, this isn’t easy Last night, the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan held a public panel discussion on Public Act 4 — Michigan’s Emergency Manager law. On the panel were Deputy State Treasurer for Local Government Services Roger Fraser, Chairman and CEO of Michigan Forward Brandon Jessup, Benton Harbor Emergency Manager […]

You don’t have to be a jerk about it Last spring when I published exclusive audio of Benton Harbor Emergency Manager Joe Harris talking about crushing the unions, I was shocked at what he said and, more to the point, how he said it: So, I’ve laid off twenty-five people. I’ve laid off nine police officers. I’ve laid off four […]

A Consent Agreement by any other name is still an Emergency Manager Yesterday, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder presented a Consent Agreement to the city of Detroit. You can read the 26-page Consent Agreement HERE (pdf). HuffPo Detroit has a great run-down of the key parts of the Consent Agreement HERE. There’s some surprisingly egregious stuff in there. Whoa. Here’s the […]

In our last episode… Detroit may avoid Emergency Manager by agreeing to a consent agreementThis morning, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder presented a consent agreement to Detroit city officials. This is basically his last offer before imposing an Emergency Manager on Michigan’s largest city. Michigan Radio reporting news from the Associated Press: Councilman James Tate says the deal includes an advisory […]

There goes another one, just like the other one… As I wrote about in January, the Indiana Senate decisively passed an Emergency Manager bill similar to but different than Michigan’s Emergency Manager Law. The vote was 48-1. Last Friday, the Indiana House passed the Emergency Manager bill unanimously, 96-0. Local governments and school corporations in financial distress could ask a […]

Here are some photos, courtesy of Michigan Forward, from the delivery of over 226,000 petition signatures to the Secretary of States office on Wednesday. Some details along with a statement from Michigan Forward are available in yesterday’s News Round-up. Rally at Central United Methodist Church Another rally shot Brandon Jessup, Rev. David Bullock, Rev. Charles Williams and others delivering petitions […]

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 signaturesYesterday, the Stand Up For Democracy coalition and Michigan Forward delivered well over the 160,304 signatures needed […]

Showtime! Click for a larger version This morning at 11:30 there will be a rally in Lansing, Michigan for those who support the repeal of Public Act 4, Michigan’s undemocratic Emergency Manager law. Then, at 1 p.m., close to 250,000 petition signatures will be delivered to the appropriate officials. 160,304 valid signatures are needed to put the citizens’ referendum on […]

The never-ending story… Muskegon Heights EM review team still hasn’t met – 3 weeks laterMLive reports that the financial review team for Muskegon Heights schools still hasn’t met three weeks after it was formed. The review team assigned to determine whether Muskegon Heights Public Schools needs an emergency manager has yet to meet three weeks after it was appointed. “We’re […]