michigan constitution

Is legalizing gay marriage on Michigan's horizon?

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:45:57 +0000

Yesterday, Minnesota’s governor signed a bill that made gay marriage legal in the state.

Could Michigan be the next state to make steps towards legalizing gay marriage?

Given the state’s current constitutional amendment that bans gay marriage, probably not anytime soon. But more Michiganders support gay marriage than they did a year ago.

According to a state-wide poll released to The Detroit News and WDIV-TV Channel 4 on Tuesday, 56.8% of Michigan residents support gay marriage. That’s a 12.5 percentage point increase since May 2012 when 44.3% of Michiganders supported gay marriage.

Opinions have drastically changed since January 2011, when only 38% supported gay marriage.

Republican opinion has shifted the most – 36.5% of Republicans supported gay marriage in the most recent poll compared to the 20% who supported it in 2012.

5 things to know about Proposal 3: 25 by '25

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 15:56:28 +0000

Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) promote the use of renewable energy by requiring that a minimum percentage or amount of energy sold in a state come from sources like wind, solar, biomass, or hydropower.

There are currently 29 states with some sort of RPS in place. Michigan is one of them.

Michigan’s current standard, passed by the legislature in 2008, calls for 10 percent of retail electricity sales to be derived from renewable sources by 2015.

Muddying the Michigan Constitution?

Lester Graham — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 11:00:00 +0000

You’ve got a lot to decide on election day. It’s not just who will be president, or elected to Congress or to the state legislature. There will be five state constitutional amendments. Some people are concerned about whether adding a lot of Constitutional amendments muddies a document that is designed to be a clear guide for the state.

Michigan high court orders lower court to rule on "Protect Our Jobs" ballot proposal

Mark Brush — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 15:40:14 +0000

The Michigan Supreme Court ordered the Court of Appeals to issue a ruling by Monday on whether the "Protect Our Jobs" constitutional amendment proposal should go on the November ballot.

The referendum seeks to to protect collective bargaining rights in Michigan.

Court says Michigan and U.S. constitutions include right to bear tasers

Rick Pluta — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 21:03:48 +0000

A court has ruled Michigan’s ban on private citizens owning Tasers and stun guns violates the right to bear arms that is protected in the state and federal constitutions.

Michigan’s ban on Tasers and stun guns will be relaxed come August. That’s when a new state law will allow people with concealed weapons permits to carry the devices. These cases date back to 2011 and 2010. A convenience store worker was arrested for carrying a stun gun on the job; another person was arrested in his home for possession of an illegal weapon.

The non-lethal devices rely on a surge of electricity to disable their targets. The Michigan Court of Appeals says the weapons are not sufficiently dangerous or unusual to be banned. The court did not address restrictions like Michigan’s new concealed weapon license requirements.

Commentary: Ballot insanity

Jack Lessenberry — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 15:08:40 +0000

There are two very different proposals this year that would dramatically change life in Michigan. Both have evidentially gotten way more than enough signatures to qualify to be on the November ballot. But opponents of both are fighting hard to prevent people from having a chance to vote on them. And what this ought to say to all of us is that our state constitution is fundamentally flawed.

Commentary: Referendum madness

Jack Lessenberry — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:50:45 +0000

If everyone who is trying to get a referendum on something on the ballot this fall succeeds, every conscientious person may end up having to spend half an hour in the voting booth in November.

Failed Reform

Jack Lessenberry — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 15:10:59 +0000

I heard something last week that gave me a little bit of hope our state might be moving towards slightly more open and honest politics. Jocelyn Benson, a law professor at Wayne State, is leading a drive to amend the Michigan Constitution to require complete and immediate disclosure of corporate campaign contributions.

Doing that would make a lot of sense. Two years ago, a lot of people, including me, were dismayed when the United States Supreme Court ruled that no limits could be placed on campaign contributions made by either corporations or unions.

Going for Broke

Jack Lessenberry — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:44:51 +0000

For weeks, I heard rumors that a coalition of unions were going to try to get a state constitutional amendment on the ballot to prevent the legislature from making Michigan a so-called "right-to-work" state. That is, one where workers could no longer be required to join or pay dues to a union. Well, the unions revealed their proposal yesterday.

Congressman John Conyers seeks review of Michigan’s emergency manager law

Jennifer White — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:20:30 +0000

Gov. Rick Snyder's administration has placed the city of Flint under an Emergency Manager. Meanwhile, financial reviews are underway for the cities of Inkster and Detroit.

On December 1, Democratic Congressman John Conyers sent a letter to the Justice Department, requesting an immediate review of Michigan’s emergency manager law, arguing that the law is unconstitutional.

Congressman Conyers spoke with Michigan Radio's Jennifer White.

Former Michigan Attorney General Frank Kelley: Speaking Frankly

Jack Lessenberry — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:53:33 +0000

Former Michigan Attorney General Frank Kelley issued more formal opinions about the constitutionality of various Michigan laws than any attorney general in history.

Not Guilty As Charged

Jack Lessenberry — Mon, 23 May 2011 15:29:06 +0000

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/michigan/local-michigan-970109.mp3

How many of the forty-four thousand prisoners sitting in our state’s prisons do you think are actually innocent of the charges which put them there? None? A handful? Maybe … one percent?