Let your voice be heard

Last week, I wrote about Senate Bill 59 in my piece “Michigan Republicans move to make guns easier to get, permit concealed weapons in churches, schools, bars, & stadiums”. S.B. 59 will allow the carrying of concealed weapons in schools, churches, bars, daycares, college dorms, hospitals and stadiums. If made into law, this bill would allow those with a concealed pistol license to carry a concealed pistol in no-carry zones if they complete an additional course.

Rev. Eric A. Stone from the St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Essexville, Michigan has put up a SignOn.org petition to fight this dangerous legislation.

Details after the jump.

While you were looking over THERE…

While the spotlight and media attention was focused on the outrageous anti-worker legislation that Republicans jammed through the legislature last Thursday, they also made sure to throw in some equally outrageous attacks in their War on Women. Bills were passed as part of their overhaul of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan that include prohibitions on access to abortion for Michigan women. Additionally, they passed a bill that will force ALL women covered by health insurance in Michigan to purchase separate riders covering abortion services.

Details after the jump.

More of this, please

Michigan State House Representative from Grand Rapids Brandon Dillon gave the Republicans in the House an earful about their hypocrisy and outrageous behavior in jamming Right to Work for Less legislation through with no public input, no hearings, and no opportunity for Democrats to offer amendments. It’s a thing of beauty

Video and transcript after the jump.

This should be interesting

Next week, the state legislature reconvenes on Tuesday. When they get to work that morning, they will be greeted by thousands of outraged Michiganders who are there to let these lawmakers know that the Right to Work for Less legislation — or Right to Freeload as some are calling it — it an afront to the citizens of the birthplace of labor unions.

I wrote yesterday about the involvement in the rally as well as that of Planned Parenthood. Now, with other groups signing on, we learn that conservative groups have reserved the Capitol Building grounds in an effort to stop their rally.

Details and more after the jump.

This is about making your work worth less Destroying union power is a macro version of the GOP’s War on Voting. Can’t win people with your ideas? Stop them from voting. Relying on a increasingly small group of the richest 1 percent to fund your campaigns? Destroy the groups that bring workers together to fund a permanent progressive movement. But […]

Be there or … hell with that, just BE THERE!

There will be a HUGE rally at the State Capitol Building in Lansing on Tuesday, November 11. Labor groups, progressive allies and Planned Parenthood are teaming up to demonstrate a show of solidarity unlike any we’ve seen yet.

Details and more after the jump.

It’s time for ACTION!

I have a piece up today at the AFL-CIO NOW blog that discusses the travesty that happened at the state capitol yesterday. I wanted to expand on a couple of things that I discussed there. Mainly, that the Republicans, including Governor Rick Snyder are complete and utter hypocrites on the topic of unions and union-crushing Right to Work for Less (RTWFL) laws.

Much more including how YOU can get involved after the jump.

It’s all over but the crying It was a crazy day but the Republicans accomplished what they intended to do. They went from Governor Snyder and Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville equivocating on whether or not they wanted to take on the anti-union Right to Work for Less legislation to passing it out of both chambers with assurances from Snyder […]

Stuff just got real

President Obama has weighed in on the Republican push to destroy unions in Michigan.

Considering that President Obama said nearly nothing during the anti-union war in Wisconsin last year, this is huge.

Thank you, President Obama.

The White House statement after the jump.

This is what happens when you vote Republican

In a move that surprises just about nobody, Governor Rick Snyder announced at press conference this morning that when anti-union Republicans send “Right to Work for Less” (RTWFL) legislation to his desk, he will sign it.

After spending the past year being coy about his position on RTWFL, it was widely suspected that he would support such legislation. With gerrymandered districts ensuring Republican dominance for the foreseeable future, the will of Michiganders as a whole is being thwarted by a cadre of drunk-with-power ideologues that have been waiting for decades to jam anti-union, anti-worker, anti-woman and pro-Big Business bills through the legislature and into law. The perfect storm of the 2010 midterm election and the redistricting that happened the following year gave them their opportunity.

Details after the jump.

THIS is what democracy looks like

Via my good friend Abby Clark, a photo and video from the Michigan Capitol Building this morning. It’s already full of anti-Right to Work protesters by 9:30 a.m.

As Abby puts it, “This is a nightmare that should be getting national meda attention. Michigan is the birthplace of the American middle class as we know it and it’s facing an existential threat as retribution for Proposal 2 and the results of the November 6th elections.”

Video and photo after the jump.