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Tagged: ruth johnson

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Politics & Government
2:50 pm
Fri March 22, 2013

Michigan Secretary of State supports election change

Michigan Secretary of State, Ruth Johnson.
Credit MI SOS
Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson favors changing current electoral college system.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson says she supports changing the state's current winner-take-all system in presidential elections.

Johnson said Friday during a taping of WKAR-TV's "Off The Record" program that she supports a hybrid of the current system and one that would divide the state's electoral votes proportionally.

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Politics & Government
12:45 pm
Mon February 18, 2013

State to issue licenses to eligible undocumented immigrants

Credit Secretary of State
Secretary of State Ruth Johnson

Beginning Tuesday, certain undocumented immigrants living in Michigan will be able to get driver's licenses and state IDs.

Earlier this month, Republican Secretary of State Ruth Johnson reversed her position and said immigrants who were brought to the United States as children and are eligible for temporary federal work permits can get licenses.

Johnson changed her position after the Obama administration clarified that individuals eligible for the permits, called the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, can obtain licenses.

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Politics & Government
5:58 pm
Tue January 29, 2013

Secretary of State: No change planned during driver’s license policy review

Michigan Secretary of State, Ruth Johnson.
Credit MI SOS
Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson

No changes are planned right now to a policy that denies Michigan driver’s licenses to immigrants brought to the U.S. as young children by parents who entered illegally.

That’s despite a federal rules change that says they are in the country legally.

Michigan is one of a handful of states that continues to deny driver’s licenses to these young immigrants.

Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson’s office said the state’s policy is under review.

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Politics & Government
9:02 pm
Wed December 19, 2012

Young immigrants, ACLU sue Michigan Secretary of State over licenses

Credit Sarah Cwiek / Michigan Radio
Two of the plaintiffs: Ann Arbor high school student Javier Contreras, 17, and University of Michigan student Resilda Karafili, 21.

The American Civil Liberties Union is suing Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson over her refusal to provide driver’s licenses to some young immigrants.

Last summer, President Obama unveiled the so-called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. It gives undocumented immigrants who came to the US as children authorization to live and work here legally for a two-year period. There are an estimated 15,000 DACA-eligible young people in Michigan.

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Politics & Government
4:54 pm
Wed December 19, 2012

Michigan Secretary of State sued for denying driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants

Credit Michigan Sheriffs' Association

The ACLU of Michigan is suing Secretary of State Ruth Johnson over her decision to deny driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants with work permits granted under a new federal-deferred action plan.

The suit was brought on behalf of three young immigrants and One Michigan, a youth-led advocacy group.

There are approximately 15,000 young people in Michigan who are eligible for the federal program.

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Politics & Government
4:19 pm
Wed October 10, 2012

Michigan Secretary of State will not appeal citizenship checkbox ruling

Update 4:19 p.m.

There will be no citizenship checkbox on ballot applications for Michigan voters this November.

Secretary of State Ruth Johnson said she won’t challenge a federal judge’s ruling that the citizenship question is unconstitutional because the election is getting so close.

She did say there could be further legal action after the election.

Johnson says she also intends to press the federal government for naturalization records that would help her clear voter rolls of non-citizens.

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