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Michigan Government
Ann Arbor State Representative Jeff Irwin Introduced 16 Bills, 5 Resolutions & 7 Amendments During 2013
ANN ARBOR’S 53RD District Representative Jeff Irwin introduced 16 bills between January and December 2013. All of the Irwin’s bills were referred to committees, where they remain. Those bills included one to legalize marijuana, a bill to…
Let the Polling Begin: With 1 Year Until Governor’s Election, Pundits Weigh In
ON NOVEMBER 8th, Huff Post Politics writer Ashley Woods posted a piece titled, “Michigan Governor Poll Shows Close Race Between Rick Snyder, Mark Schauer.” In her piece Woods writes, “The contest for Michigan’s governor’s race may be closer…
EDITORIAL: When Democrats Vote Like The Republicans They Unseated
ANN ARBOR OFFICIALS who serve in Lansing recently voted on reform bills that require those who apply for welfare and unemployment benefits to be tested for illegal drug use. Those who test positive for illegal drug use would be denied their…
OP-ED: The Political Agenda of the Michigan GOP Has Created Economic Apartheid, Not Jobs
by Rob C. Smith
IN DECEMBER 2012 Governor Rick Snyder was quoted in the Detroit Free Press as saying that “Michigan is well-positioned for a comeback.” A few days later, for the third year, Forbes Magazine ranked Michigan 47th in Forbes’…
Ann Arbor Area State Legislators Get Resolutions Passed (But Few Bills)
Editor’s Note: Representative Jeff Irwin contributes to the newspaper’s “House Calls” column.
52nd District State Representative Gretchen Driskell is planning to run for re-election in 2014. Over the past year, Representative Driskell…
Crosswalk Ordinance Groups Take To Change.org To Try To Exert Influence
Editor’s Note: Kathy Griswold is the Chair of The Ann Arbor Independent’s Editorial Board.
THE WASHTENAW BIKING and Walking Coalition, a small local alternative transportation advocacy group, recently launched an online petition drive to…
OP-ED: Will Michigan’s White, Independent Voters Fall For Gov. Rick Snyder’s Song & Dance Again in 2014?
by Rob Smith
CHAD SELEWSKI IS a good writer. He opines on politics for the Macomb Daily. The Macomb Daily is one of the few newspapers published in southeastern lower Michigan not decimated by the slash and burn newsroom strategy being…
Q & A With Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Mark Schauer
MARK SCHAUER SERVED as a U.S. Representative for Michigan’s 7th congressional district between 2009 and 2011. Schauer was a member of the Michigan Senate, where he served as the Minority Leader, and the Michigan House of Representatives. In…
MCFN Again Lists Sen. Rebekah Warren Among Pols Accepting Most Lobbyist-Paid Hospitality
IN SEPTEMBER 2011, MLive political analyst Susan J. Demas reported that Ann Arbor’s Democratic State Senator Rebekah Warren was one of only four Michigan legislators who had accepted more than $1,800 in free food and drinks from lobbyists…
Ann Arbor State Rep. Jeff Irwin Abstains On Vote That Defines ‘Journalists’
THE HOUSE JUDICIARY Committee recently approved House Bill 4770, which among other things, attempts to define what a journalist is to restrict access to motor vehicle accident reports for a period of 30 days after the accident.
The…