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Michigan Government
Gov. Whitmer Orders All Departments to Review Trump Executive Orders on DEI, Transgender Policies
by Jon King, Michigan Advance
In a little-noticed move, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a directive for the heads of state departments and agencies to review executive orders issued by President Donald Trump that would, among…
Michigan ACLU Sues ICE to Obtain Records for Immigrants Being Held in Michigan Jails
by Ann Mullen
The ACLU of Michigan and the national ACLU filed a federal lawsuit on Jan. 22 to force U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Michigan county jails it contracts with, to release records about detained…
County Homeowners May Be Entitled to 25-100 Percent Property Tax Abatements
by P.D. Lesko
In October 2024, Michigan had a foreclosure rate of one in every 3,918 housing units. The counties with the highest foreclosure activity were Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Genesee, and Kent. In 2024, Washtenaw County's Treasurer…
State Orders County Racial Equity Officer Derrick Jackson to Immediately Stop Practicing Social Work and Using the Title “Social Worker”
by P.D. Lesko
Download and read the State's Cease and Desist letter:
CD_Service_Packet_-_Jackson__Derrick_-_68-24-002509Download
On Sept. 9, 2024, the State of Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Bureau of…
On Dec. 23 Gov. Whitmer Signed Legislation to Increase Unemployment Benefits
by Jamie A. Hope
On Dec. 23, 2024, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed into law legislation introduced in Jan. of 2023 that will increase the number of weeks a person can claim unemployment and raise the maximum amount that a person can…
County Asks Trial Court to Force A2Indy to Unpublish “County Sheriff and Dir. of Engagement Lied, Knew About Deputy’s Background Check Rape Investigations”
by P.D. Lesko
In the space of just a few weeks, the Washtenaw County Trial Court has been asked repeatedly by attorneys to sanction The Ann Arbor Independent for the publication of two investigative articles. In the latest instance,…
Trio of Washtenaw County Reps. Behind Legislation to Keep Judges From Denying Bail to Violent Criminals
by Hasan Almasi
Six bills under consideration in the Michigan’s House Criminal Justice Committee would reform state law to limit judges from requiring bail as a condition of release for some accused criminals awaiting trial.
Among…
Ypsi Twp. Trustees “Outraged”: The County Prosecutor Is Soft on Gun Crime
by P.D. Lesko
It was dark at 6 a.m. Oct. 8, 2024, when an Ypsilanti Twp. employee arrived for work at the Township’s maintenance building. Spencer Alexander-McCoy Allen, a felon on lifetime parole, ambushed that employee, pointed a…
District 1 County Commissioner Candidate: I’ll Bring Accountability and Fiscal Oversight to the BOC
by Phyllis Risdon, Candidate for Washtenaw County Commissioners District 1
I am a lifelong resident of Washtenaw County, a proud Air Force mom, and retiree from Dexter Community School’s Technology Department. I have extensive…
A2Indy Wins FOIA Suit: Judge Rules Background Check of Alleged Serial Rapist Hired as a Sheriff’s Deputy Must Be Released
by P.D. Lesko
In June 2024, using money donated by readers to the Ann Arbor Independent's FOIA Fund, the newspaper filed suit in the Washtenaw County Trial Court to compel Washtenaw County to release Sheriff's Deputy D'Angelo…
