A new bridge to Canada
Officials have struck a deal to build a new Canadian-financed bridge linking Detroit and Windsor, Ontario.
The Associated Press released some details this morning:
A summary of the agreement provided Friday morning to The Associated Press states Michigan wouldn't be obligated to pay any of the costs of the bridge. Both countries would be represented on a bridge board, and a Canadian entity would handle design, construction and operation.
A formal announcement from Gov. Snyder and Prime Minister Harper will be made at a press conference later today. We'll post a live stream of the announcement.
Earlier this week, House Republicans took action preventing Michigan tax dollars from being spent on an international bridge project. Advocates for the bridge have been saying no Michigan tax dollars were needed for quite some time.
A referendum on Michigan's emergency manager law headed for November ballot
Michigan's Court of Appeals announced yesterday they will not convene a special panel to review last Friday's decision to allow the emergency manager referendum to go forward.
Challengers of the petition drive said the petitions should not be accepted because the font size was too small. The case could, however, go before the Michigan Supreme Court, as we reported:
The conservative group is challenging the ballot initiative on a technicality that the font size on the petition is too small. They say they will appeal the decision to the Michigan Supreme Court. “This is a controversy of their own choosing. They chose not to go to the State Board of Canvassers in the beginning," Bob LaBrant said. He's with The Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility, the coalition of business groups opposed to the referendum.
Vagina... there, we said it
Yesterday, two Democratic members of the Michigan House of Representatives were barred from speaking in the chamber. One was barred for mentioning her vagina during a floor debate on a package of anti-abortion bills.
Another for an outburst for not being recognized to speak.
MPRN's Rick Pluta reported "this is the first time in memory that lawmakers have been formally barred from participating in floor debates."
State Representatives Lisa Brown and Barb Byrum are both Democrats. Brown made a reference to her vagina in a floor statement. “I’m flattered that you’re all so interested in my vagina,” she said, “but 'no' means 'no.'” Byrum shouted at the presiding officer after she was not recognized to speak. Ari Adler is the spokesman for the House Republican leadership. “It is the responsibility of every member who serves in the House of Representatives to maintain decorum on the House floor and when they do not do that, there can be actions because of that. And the action today is to not recognize either representative to speak on the House floor," he said.
The Representatives were barred from floor debate for one day.
