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Today — 21 November 2024Main stream

Michigan House Democrats introduce police reform bills

21 November 2024 at 16:28
Michigan House Democrats have introduced a series of police reform bills to set uniform standards for law enforcement across the state when it comes to things like use of force.
Under one of the bills, departments would have to come up with their own use-of-force policies that cover items like standards for when to use physical or deadly force instead of a verbal warning.
Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police Executive Director Robert Stevenson said he doesn’t see a major need for the bill. But he says his group could back it anyway.
“Before, it was policy, and it wasn’t in law. But if you’re going to put something into law, that needs to be very clear exactly what it is that you expect from the departments. So, we just have some minor suggestions. And if they’ll make those changes, then we would support the bill,” Stevenson said.
He said he would like to see the bill amended to clarify that chokeholds would be considered lethal force.
Other bills introduced as part of the package would require officers to intervene if they witness another officer using excessive force and set more rules for search warrants.
A bill would allow so-called “no-knock” warrants if a life is in danger, there’s evidence that a person is aware law enforcement is there, or if announcing police presence would hurt an investigation.
Stevenson said that would be a shift from current policy.
“The way the search warrant statute is written right now in Michigan, it says police must knock and announce. There are no exceptions. So actually, this legislation that they’re proposing allows no-knocks. It just defines when you can use them. So, it’s actually an expansion for us,” he said.
Again, Stevenson said his group would support the bill with some wording changes, like clarifying the difference between refusing entry and not granting entry.
The legislation has a tough journey ahead. It would need to get through the committee process and both chambers of the Legislature in fewer than 10 session days to make it to the governor and become law.

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Before yesterdayMain stream

Trump turns up rhetoric, highlights parts of coalition during Novi rally

27 October 2024 at 18:43
If Saturday afternoon’s rally in Novi were a barbecue, former President Donald Trump may have been serving red meat to supporters.
The Republican presidential nominee marked the first day of statewide early voting in Michigan by describing the disaster that he said would ensue should his opponent, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, win the White House.
Ahead of the rally, screens displayed pictures of garbage piled up with captions like “Kamala’s Border Plan: Make America Haiti.” And speakers in the program stressed what they saw as pending threats to national security.
Trump’s speech turned up the political rhetoric and also claimed without evidence Harris would “kill thousands of people” through her border policy.
“If Kamala gets four more years, she will obliterate our economy, kill millions of jobs, and destroy your families’ finances,” Trump said.
The Harris campaign has ramped up its own attacks of Trump in recent weeks, highlighting Trump’s former chief of staff saying Trump fits the definition of a fascist.
One relatively new part of Trump’s Novi rally was the direct overtures he made to Muslims and Arab Americans, despite his past advocacy of policies like requiring Muslims to register in a database and banning travel from some majority-Muslim countries.
Trump advisor Stephen Miller, who reportedly helped draft the executive order implementing the travel ban during Trump’s time in office, gave his own assessment of those communities’ support.
“Arab voters in Michigan, they want a strong leader. They want a leader they can respect. They want a man who is going to protect and defend their families in this country. And, as you all know, that man is and has always been Donald J. Trump,” Miller said.
The Trump campaign has been working extra to court Muslim and Arab voters after seeing Harris face continued backlash over President Joe Biden’s support of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. The effort is not entirely new, though: Republican recruitment efforts in places like Dearborn took a visible role in the 2022 election as well.
During Trump’s speech, he brought Detroit-area Imam Belal Alzuhiry and other Muslims supporting Trump on stage.
Alzuhiry said he believes Trump will bring peace to the conflict between Israel and Hamas while embracing Trump’s stances on immigration, and social issues.
“We support Donald Trump for his commitment to promoting family values and protecting our children’s wellbeing, especially when it comes to curriculums and schools,” Trump said.
Some higher profile members of Michigan’s Arab American community, however, are remaining deeply critical of Trump.
In a press release from a group including Wayne County Deputy Executive Assad Turfe, signers encouraged Arab Americans to see the possible negatives of a Trump presidency.
“Donald Trump has called for a Muslim ban, the arrest and deportation of 11 million hard-working immigrants who contribute to our economy and internment camps. His xenophobia, bigotry, divisive rhetoric, and incitement to violence, present a real threat to all Americans.  He has not demonstrated any compassion for Palestinians, has not called for a cease-fire and has, instead, urged Netanyahu to ‘finish the job,’” the press release read.
Trump also worked Saturday to expand his support among Michigan’s autoworkers by promoting his new plan for making interest on auto loans for American-made cars tax-deductible — though it would only benefit those who itemize deductions on their income tax forms, a segment of the population that skews wealthier.
Trump says his plan would “cause the car industry to boom.”
“You can have the American dream because you don’t have the American dream without a car for your kids, et cetera, et cetera,” he said.
 
Trump had previously mentioned wanting to jack up tariffs on foreign imports and increase reliance on fossil fuels.
 
Harris has won the endorsement of the United Auto Workers union. But Trump is banking on getting the support of at least some rank and file members.

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Vance messages to auto workers during Oakland Township rally

25 October 2024 at 14:44
Republican vice presidential pick JD Vance discussed economic policy during a speech Thursday in Waterford Township.
The Republican campaign has consistently promoted high tariffs on China and a greater reliance on fossil fuels as policies it says would help the U.S. auto industry.
Vance said tariffs are the main way to keep companies from using cheap labor abroad, despite economists saying companies are likely to push those costs onto consumers.
“If you impose a fat tariff on the people who are trying to import that stuff, then American factories and American corporations invest in American workers,” Vance said.
The campaign for the Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, said she also supports tough-on-China policies when it comes to auto imports.
The Harris campaign accuses Republican nominee Donald Trump of losing thousands of auto industry jobs during his time in office, a period that includes the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Both campaigns have gone out of their way this cycle to reach out to rank and file union workers.
Harris has spoken to multiple union crowds in Michigan, most recently last week in Lansing.
Meanwhile, during Vance’s speech on Thursday, the audience heard from the founder of the group Autoworkers for Trump.
Brian Pannebecker said autoworkers have been receptive to former President Trump’s message, despite criticism from United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain.
“Do not believe what you see in the newspapers, do not believe what you see coming out of Shawn Fain’s mouth. He may have endorsed Kamala Harris but the membership of the UAW is voting Donald J. Trump and JD Vance,” Pannebecker said.
Thursday’s event fell in the context of both the Trump and Harris campaigns making their final election push.
The Trump campaign has stayed the course in recent Michigan appearances, hitting Harris on the economy and border security. It’s tried to paint her as a continuation of President Joe Biden’s policies.
Harris campaign events lately have gone further to frame Trump as a unique threat to American democracy.
During his talk Thursday, Vance responded to recent criticism of Trump from officials in the former president’s administration.
Trump’s former chief of staff, retired Marine Corps General John Kelly, told the New York Times, he believed Trump fit the definition of a fascist.
Several other former members of Trump’s administration have also questioned his fitness for office.
But Vance dismissed the concerns from Kelly, saying he’s “a disgruntled ex-employee.”
“John Kelly was fired by Donald Trump and he’s pissed off about it and he won’t stop talking about it,” Vance said.
Harris is highlighting several former Trump administration officials and Republican lawmakers that have endorsed her. That includes former GOP Congressman Fred Upton, who endorsed Harris Thursday morning.
Despite the endorsements and attacks, the race remains tight in Michigan. In-person early voting starts statewide on Saturday.
Around 18.5% of eligible voters had already cast a ballot either early or absentee by the end of Thursday, according to state data.
Republican Congressman John James said Republicans need to step up and vote early, in stark contrast with Trump campaign messaging during the 2020 and 2016 cycles.
“We wait until the last moment, let the Democrats run up the score, and then we wake up the next morning and we’re surprised when we’ve fallen behind,” James said. “We will secure the election but we also need to turn out our friends and family.”
This year, the Trump campaign is telling its supporters to embrace every voting method available.
 

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Obama, Eminem, elected officials rally Democrats in Detroit

23 October 2024 at 03:55

The campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris leaned into star power Tuesday night with a rally in Detroit featuring former President Barack Obama and Eminem.

The event leaned heavily into the narrative the Harris campaign has been pushing that Trump is both out of touch with working class people and possibly in cognitive decline.

Obama brought up lies Trump has told about the 2020 election being stolen, and false claims that FEMA funds were diverted away from hurricane relief.

Obama said it’s time to stop giving Trump the benefit of the doubt.

“We act like it’s okay. Or at least those who say they support him, they say well, you know, he’s just joking or it’s not that serious. Or, as long as we win, that’s how politics is played. No, it’s not,” Obama said.

Earlier in the speaking lineup, Democratic U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow referenced Trump’s recent comments calling some notable Democrats “the enemy within.”

“What does he mean about that? I assume he means anybody who disagrees with him,” Stabenow said.

In a press release ahead of the visit, the Trump campaign said it’s not worried about the Obama appearance, adding that it suggested Obama himself was out of touch.

Victoria LaCivita is the spokesperson for Trump’s campaign efforts in Michigan.

“You know things aren’t going well for Democrats when they have to fly in Barack Obama from his $12 million Martha’s Vineyard estate and his ‘high eight-figure’ Netflix production deal to campaign for Kamala Harris during the homestretch. And while it’ll probably be a slightly less unhinged affair than what other Kamala surrogates are doing to move the needle, an Obama visit isn’t going to convince Michiganders to vote for another four years of open borders, rising prices, and disaster at home and abroad,” LaCivita said in a statement.

With two weeks left until election day, the presidential race remains tight in Michigan, a key swing state. Tuesday’s rally in Detroit sought to bring enough excitement to the Harris ticket to break through the noise.

Speakers met the crowd with the popular Detroit greeting, “What up, doe?” Obama came on stage to Eminem’s ‘Lose Yourself.’ And Detroit Lions legend Calvin Johnson Jr. gave the first speech to a packed room at the Huntington Place convention center.

Eminem said supporters need to volunteer with the campaign and knock on doors.

“There are still a lot of people who have not made up their minds about this election. And they’re not going to be convinced by another ad or another email. They’re going to get out and vote because of people like you and me. So, with that being said, politics is not a spectator sport,” he said.

Early in-person voting is already open in Detroit and will become available statewide on Saturday.

Both Harris and Trump will be back in Michigan later this week to continue rallying voters. That includes competing events on Saturday.

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Trump talks law enforcement, economic growth during Oakland County roundtable

19 October 2024 at 21:47

Former President Donald Trump sought to bring together various parts of his coalition during an Oakland County roundtable Friday evening.

The talk included a New York businessman, representatives of the law enforcement community and members of the United Auto Workers and Teamsters unions. Each was there to highlight a different part of the Republican candidate’s campaign messaging.

For the union workers, Trump discussed his plans for U.S. trade policy should he win back the White House.

Trump has been using promises to jack up tariffs to appeal to autoworkers in particular. He says raising taxes on imported goods would boost the auto industry.

“The higher it goes, the more likely it is that they build in this country,” Trump said.

Presidential campaigns spend a lot of time in Michigan.

Whichever candidate gets the most statewide votes wins all of Michigan’s 15 coveted electoral votes. Kamala Harris (D) and Donald Trump (R) are nearly tied in most polls of the state’s voters.

The map below shows where we know candidates (and some surrogates) have publicly appeared in Michigan since July 15, 2024.

The height of each county on the map represents the number of voters in the 2020 presidential election.

The colors of each county show which party had the lead in votes and how big the lead was. Dark red means Republicans had a big lead and dark blue means the same for Democrats. Counties that look almost white had both parties nearly tied.

His Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, is also promoting some tariffs, including a 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicle imports.

Economists take a mixed view of tariffs, saying they can protect domestic industries, but companies could just pass the cost of the tariffs along to consumers rather than eating those extra costs themselves. Harris has characterized Trump’s heavy tariff plan as, effectively, a national sales tax.

For law enforcement, Trump renewed his “tough-on-crime” messaging. He called for the death penalty against people convicted in the deaths of police officers, and for greater support for law enforcement indicted for alleged crimes while on duty.

Trump said police should have greater shields from prosecution.

“You have a quarter of a second to make a decision and if it’s the wrong decision, your life is over. So, we’re going to do the immunity thing and we’re going to fight alongside them. We have to stop being so politically correct,” Trump said, presumably referring to the legal doctrine of qualified immunity while speaking with Police Officers Association of Michigan President Jim Tignanelli.

Qualified immunity has been criticized as shielding police officers from accountability when they’re involved in shootings or deaths of suspects.

During the discussion, Trump asked Tignanelli how many he felt were innocent out of the 16 officers that Tignarelli estimates are facing indictment in Michigan.

“Innocent, innocent? Probably about 10 of them,” Tignanelli responded.

Aside from the business and blue-collar worker communities, the roundtable also featured someone from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s former Make America Healthy Again coalition.

Kennedy, who’s still appearing on the ballot in Michigan, tried to end his campaign in states where he thought his candidacy would hurt Trump.

Nancy Jaafar owns a wellness center in Dearborn. She said the Kennedy messaging made her feel a “glimmer of hope.”

“I have to say I am genuinely terrified for humanity in general. The world needs healing and I can only hope that you and your campaign are the catalysts for that,” Jaafar said.

While Trump campaigned Friday in Auburn Hills and Detroit, Harris was crossing the state trying to build her own coalition.

The Harris campaign has been working to bring together supporters including union members, women, and conservatives who worry about a second Trump presidency.

Both campaigns see Michigan as a critical state in their bids for the White House. Harris is in Detroit Saturday to rally supporters on the first day of early voting in the city.

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Harris takes Black male outreach to Detroit

16 October 2024 at 14:51

The presidential campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris is taking its messaging to Black men in Detroit this week.

That’s through the release of a new policy platform and events aimed at Black male audiences, like a nationally syndicated radio appearance with The Breakfast Club host, Charlamagne tha God.

During that interview, Harris fielded questions about the border, the stakes of the election, and how she would advance the Black community if she wins in November. Harris took that chance to highlight parts of her recently unveiled agenda for Black men.

Those include proposals for increased downpayment assistance for first-time homebuyers, and forgivable loans for Black businessowners, before being ribbed by Charlamagne that some of her general talking points have become her “greatest hits.”

“The needs of the Black community are not just about criminal justice,” Harris said. “The community is not going to stand up and applaud just because everybody has a job. That should be a baseline.”

Harris also fielded a question from Detroit rapper Icewear Vezzo, who has said he’s dissatisfied with Democratic politicians, over whether her proposals for the Black community were opportunistic, given the timing.

Harris said her plan “is not new and not for the sake of winning this election,” before continuing into her record working with Black business owners prior to running for president.

The push to shore up Harris’ support among Black men comes at a time when there’s been reporting that her Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump, was making inroads in that community.

In that vein, the Harris campaign hosted an event this week in Detroit also geared toward Black men. Harris was not there, but it featured range of speakers, including political commentator Bakari Sellers and actors Don Cheadle and Delroy Lindo.

Lindo said he got involved after hearing about doubts young Black men had about Harris.

“For me, it’s a question of coming out, meeting people where they are, if I can, talk to as many young people as I can, and try to understand why are you feeling that way. Well, let me tell you what I feel, let me tell you what I understand. And see if we can have a meeting of the minds,” Lindo said.

Campaign staff said the Tuesday event built upon ones in other states.

BET personality Jeff Johnson, who also spoke, said this is the first presidential election he’s seen campaigns discuss what he calls the “complexity of Black men.”

“To help make Black men the center of this election is a blessing and I’m excited about that. And I think it gives us an unbelievable opportunity to really show who we are and what our power is in a way that the country has never paid attention to before,” Johnson said.

Trump is also trying to engage Black audiences. A few months ago, he visited a Black church on Detroit’s west side.

The Trump campaign says he has a history “delivering for Black Americans.”

Janiyah Thomas is Black media director for the campaign.

“Under his leadership, we saw historic job creation, rising wages, and real opportunities for building generational wealth. In contrast, the Harris-Biden administration’s policies have reversed these gains, leaving many Black families burdened by higher living costs, stagnant wages, and a surge in crime,” Thomas said in a statement.

The statement went on to criticize Harris for some of the ways she’s campaigned for the Black vote.

“While Kamala Harris panders to Black voters with collard green recipes and cheap ads at the BET Awards, Team Trump is actively making inroads with Black voters,” Thomas said.

Both Harris and Trump will be in metro Detroit on Friday.

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Walz talks manufacturing in Macomb County

14 October 2024 at 14:07

The Democratic nominee for vice president gave a manufacturing-focused speech to a crowd at Macomb Community College Friday.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he and Vice President Kamala Harris, the party’s presidential nominee, would build upon policies like the CHIPS Act and the Inflation Reduction Act should they win.

“That empowers American workers, revitalizes manufacturing communities, leads us into industries of the future and keep out-innovating and outcompeting the rest of the world. We never fear the future. You build the future and this gives us the opportunity to do it,” Walz told the audience.

The bulk of Walz’s roughly 20-minute speech featured heavy criticisms of former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee.

Higher tariffs on imports have made up a key part of Trump’s economic pitch to voters this cycle. It’s a strategy that he employed during his presidency as well. Economists have questioned how well his record of raising taxes on Chinese-imported goods served American manufacturers during his time in office.

Speaking Friday, Walz accused Trump of breaking promises concerning manufacturing jobs.

“Look, he lost the GM Transmission plant down the road. I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. He promised to fight for union workers. Repeatedly turned his back on them,” Walz said.

Walz gave his remarks with members of various trade unions — including the United Auto Workers, Laborers’ International Union of North America, and Operating Engineers — standing behind him, according to the campaign.

The Trump campaign has also done its fair share of attacking Harris and Walz on their records concerning the auto and manufacturing industries during stops in southeast Michigan.

Trump says policy proposals from the Harris-Walz campaign, especially in support of electric vehicles, would cost American manufacturing jobs. Walz is also facing criticism for voting against the auto industry bailouts in the late 2000s.

“Today, Tim Walz has to explain to Michiganders how Kamala Harris will bring change while saying there’s nothing she’d do differently to change the policies that have devastated our state over the past 3.5 years. That’s a tall order, because there’s a lot of Michiganders who would have liked things to be done differently,” a written statement from Trump Michigan spokesperson Victoria LaCivita read. “Michiganders want leadership that is able to lower inflation, cut taxes, protect our automobile industry, and close our southern border. Kamala wasn’t able to do any of this over the last three and a half years — and clearly she doesn’t have any intention to do so now,” 

Both campaigns see auto workers as in play this election cycle despite the UAW’s endorsement of the Democratic ticket.

Other major unions, like The Teamsters, have sat out endorsing one candidate over another, though the Michigan Teamsters have endorsed Harris.

Still, the Trump and his vice-presidential pick, Ohio Senator JD Vance, both showed up to southeast Michigan this week.

Thursday, Trump used a speech to the Detroit Economic Club to warn that the “whole country would end up like Detroit if Democrats win this election.

Walz used Friday’s speech to hit back at Trump.

“City’s growing. Crime’s down. Factories are opening up. But those guys, alls they know about manufacturing is manufacturing bull — every time they show up,” Walz said.

Absentee ballots are already available and being returned this election cycle. Meanwhile, early in-person voting in Detroit begins Saturday, Oct. 19.

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Poll reveals gaps in public understanding of election security

11 October 2024 at 14:17

New polling from the Democracy Defense Project found a vast majority of voters would have confidence in election results if a dozen practices went into use.

That list included steps like securing paper ballot storage, double checking close elections with hand counts, and cleaning up voter rolls.

The problem is each of those measures is already in place.

Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum, a Democrat, said most people didn’t think about how elections are run until misinformation and conspiracy theories began to spread.

“Once the questioning of the election, the integrity of our elections has already begun, we are trying to make up for the loss of faith and we have to rebuild the trust now. The clerks didn’t do anything to lose the faith but now we have to rebuild trust,” Byrum said during a press conference Thursday.

Byrum said it’s important for candidates to watch what they say and avoid creating further distrust in election results.

In the Democracy Defense Project poll, over 75% of people said they felt initial confidence in the election process, though there were stark differences between Republicans and Democrats.

That number broke down to a little over 60% confidence from supporters of former President Donald Trump and over 90% of supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump supporters also saw concerns like people who weren’t eligible to vote casting a ballot as a higher threat than Harris supporters did.

There are very few reported cases of voter fraud.

Byrum asked people with concerns to get involved.

“If you question, please, large jurisdictions are always looking for Republican precinct workers. So please contact your local city or township clerk. And it’s not a volunteer job, you actually do get paid, not well, but you do get paid,” Byrum said.

Overall, members of the Michigan team for the Democracy Defense Project say they view the poll as demonstrating a path forward and away from election denialism.

Education and outreach were listed as ways to rebuild the trust with the general public, who may not be in tune with how elections are run.

Former Republican Governor John Engler is on the board for the Democracy Defense Project. He said news outlets need to also do more to explain that U.S. elections are secure.

“And all of the media is no match for the internet. You’re being killed by social media. The conspiracy theorists on the internet dwarf whatever, and, I would say, minor, efforts have been made by traditional media,” Engler said.

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Detroit Evening Report: Detroit imam signs onto national letter endorsing Harris

10 October 2024 at 21:00

An imam in Detroit is signing onto a letter from more than 20 Muslim religious leaders from around the country in support of Vice President Kamala Harris in her presidential campaign.

It’s a response to heavy criticism Harris has faced for her and President Joe Biden’s support of Israel in its war with Hamas in Gaza.

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Imam Mika’il Stewart Saadiq said Harris shouldn’t take the punishment for Biden’s policies.

“We don’t believe that it should fall upon everyone who he’s affiliated with, who is not the commander in chief. The Vice President is not the commander in chief. The Vice President, she works for her boss,” Stewart Saadiq said.

Harris has said she does not support any changes in U.S. policy when it comes to sending weapons to Israel. Stewart Saadiq said he interpreted her words to be more in favor of continuing American allyship with Israel, accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being a “bad friend” in that partnership.

Both the letter and the Harris campaign say the Vice President has been reaching out to Muslim and Arab leaders, using a meeting last week with folks from the Washington D.C.-based group, Emgage, in Flint as an example.

That lack of a support for a policy shift, however, has led to pro-ceasefire groups working against Harris this election cycle. One of those groups, Abandon Harris, recently endorsed Green Party Candidate Jill Stein as an alternative. The organization held a press conference Wednesday afternoon in Dearborn to formally announce its pick.

Stewart Saadiq acknowledged the pain and frustration communities across the state and country are feeling as war in the region continues and spreads. But he said a previous letter he saw encouraging Muslims to vote third party didn’t have as much perspective from African American imams.

“Those that possibly were of generations of Americans that really gained civil rights victories and descendants of those who gained civil rights victories for all of us, especially minorities,” Stewart Saadiq said.

He previously told WDET that he would not “spit in the face of [his] ancestors,” when discussing his views on the election. When asked to clarify Wednesday, Stewart Saadiq said he sees accomplishments of the American civil rights movement as at risk this election.

“A lot of these things that we’re trying to evolve, and to really try to gain all of our humanity as African Americans, they’re under assault,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Trump campaign is trying to make its own inroads into Black and Muslim communities, highlighting criminal justice legislation and public safety policy stances.

Both campaigns are likely to continue trying to court Muslim voters since the group could make a critical difference as the race remains tight in Michigan.

Reporting by Colin Jackson, Michigan Public Radio Network

Read more: Michigan Muslim voters say they feel misunderstood by Republicans and Democrats

Other headlines for Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024:

  • The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services was awarded more than $1.3 million for juvenile justice reform. The money comes from the U.S. Justice Department and will go toward efforts to reduce racial disparities in the juvenile justice system and programs aimed at keeping youth in the community.
  • Detroit’s casinos continue to bring in tax money for the city and state. The three gaming establishments reported nearly $102 million in revenue for the month of September.
  • It’s been a busy celestial year so far — between the total solar eclipse this past April and lots of chances to see the northern lights across Michigan. But if you missed the aurora borealis this past weekend, it’s not too late to see a storm with the naked eye.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org. 

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Vance, Republicans stress voting during Eastern Market stop in Detroit

9 October 2024 at 12:27

Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance and other Republicans worked to get out the vote during a stop in Detroit Tuesday.

Absentee ballots are already available in Michigan. And some jurisdictions are already able to begin their early in-person voting periods.

The mandatory early voting period begins on Oct. 26.

Vance said supporters of him and former President Donald Trump should embrace those methods.

“I’ve got to be honest with you. I don’t like the fact that we’ve gone from election day to election season in this country. But it is what it is. And if the Democrats are going to take advantage of every avenue to vote, then Republicans, we’ve got to do it too,” Vance told a crowd at Detroit’s Eastern Market.

That stands in stark contrast to messaging during the 2020 presidential race.

In that election, Trump disparaged absentee voting despite ample evidence that it was safe and secure.

The rally was an opportunity for Republicans to try to expand their base in Michigan during what has been a tight presidential race between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

It was Vance’s first event in the Motor City since he signed on as Trump’s running mate, according to the campaign.

In the heavily Black city, the campaign welcomed a speaking lineup that included a pastor and a choir member of a Black church Trump campaigned at this past summer, a woman who discussed being laid off from her auto job, and a congressional candidate.

Despite the handful of Black speakers, the audience for Vance’s mid-afternoon talk appeared to be largely white. Though speeches tried to reach a broader audience.

Martell Bivings Jr., a candidate running for Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, encouraged attendees to build support in Detroit.

“It may not be the coolest thing to say you are a Republican in Detroit. But the time is coming where they will be wearing a shirt and saying it was cool to be a Republican in Detroit,” Bivings said, telling the audience to, “be a Republican in Detroit before it’s cool.”

Throughout the program, speakers implored attendees to reach out into their circles and communities and engage with so-called “low propensity voters.”

During his own speech, Vance pitched to young people.

“To young people, I want you to be able to own a slice of your own country. I want you to be able to build something, build some wealth for you and your family,” Vance said.

While this was his first campaign trip to Detroit proper, Vance has been to the region multiple times in recent weeks. Last week, he spoke in Auburn Hills.

Many of the talking points overlapped between the events. Especially on the topics of immigration, the economy and auto industry.

During the Auburn Hills visit, the Detroit News asked whether a second Trump presidency would honor a commitment to help convert a Lansing GM plant for electric vehicle production. Vance tiptoed around that answer.

The Biden Administration had promised a $500 million grant for the factory.

When asked to clarify, Vance told supporters that wasn’t enough.

“$500 million dollars when you have an EV mandate that’s going to cost 117,000 auto worker jobs, I think that Michigan autoworkers deserve more,” Vance said, citing a statistic provided by the America First Policy Initiative.

The “EV mandate” likely refers to an Environmental Protection Agency rule released earlier this year limiting tailpipe emissions in passenger vehicles. It would apply to cars made in model years 2027 to 2032.

In 2021, President Joe Biden signed a largely symbolic executive order setting a goal of carbon emission-free vehicles making up half of all vehicles sold by 2030.

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Detroit Evening Report: Child labor bills get first state Senate committee hearing

8 October 2024 at 20:30

A bill package getting a hearing Tuesday before the Michigan Senate Labor Committee would create more oversight of child labor in the state.

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The bills would create a centralized state registry of children in the workforce rather than relying on each school district to keep track. The package would also toughen penalties for having kids work in unsafe conditions.

This isn’t the first time lawmakers have tried to update Michigan’s child labor laws since a New York Times investigation revealed extreme cases in West Michigan.

House bills to add more teeth to the state’s child labor laws have been before the full chamber for almost a year. And another to create a centralized way to monitor children in the workforce received a committee hearing in May but haven’t seen action since.

Opponents to those efforts say they could overcomplicate the child work permitting process.

-Reporting by Colin Jackson, Michigan Public Radio Network

Other headlines for Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024:

  • The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education Advancement and Potential is hosting a series of free webinars about the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, with the first set for 6:30 p.m. this evening. 
  • The city of Detroit is gearing up for its Halloween in the D festivities on Oct. 31, during which several police stations and fire engine houses across the city will host Trunk or Treat events. on Oct. 31. Visitors are encouraged to come in costume.
  • The Detroit Police Athletic League is inviting young people to join its Youth Voice Council. The youth-led program is made up of 13- to 18-year-olds who will receive mentorship and training. 

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

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Michigan Legislature approves $126M school spending bill

26 September 2024 at 19:32

Michigan schools could be getting an extra $126 million for school safety efforts next fiscal year, on top of what was originally planned. That’s under a spending bill passed in the state Legislature Wednesday.

The additional spending is to make up for cuts to per-pupil mental health and school safety grants that had been made in the original version of the state’s fiscal year 2024-2025 schools budget that passed this summer.

Under the state’s current budget, for fiscal year 2023-2024, the grants received $328 million between restricted and general fund dollars. The new budget had slashed that number to $25 million in ongoing school aid funding and $1.5 million in one-time funding.

Democratic state Rep. Regina Weiss (D-Oak Park) said that was because federal money that had supported the program was running out.

“It was always a priority, especially of House Democrats, to make sure that we were doing everything that we could to find additional dollars. So, we worked all summer and were able to find a fund that was underutilized that we could lapse early that freed up funding,” she said Wednesday.

Weiss said that new fund would be from a soon-expiring pot of money that also supported school mental health efforts.
With the new spending, the mental health and school safety grants would receive more than $150 million total in the upcoming fiscal year.
During a committee hearing for the supplemental budget bill Wednesday, Rep. Nancy DeBoer (R-Holland) pointed out that would still be less than half of what the grants got in the past.
 
“This means the schools will install only half the door locks or half the security cameras that they might otherwise. It means only half the students that need mental health support might receive them,” DeBoer said.
The legislation ultimately passed the House with wide bipartisan support by a vote of 98-11.
In the Senate, however, Republicans had harsher words for the deal. In that chamber, it didn’t get enough votes to take effect immediately.
State Sen. John Damoose (R-Harbor Springs) accused Democrats in legislative leadership of shutting Republicans out of the process until the very last moment. He criticized the bill for using one-time funding to supply the grants.
“You think a school can hire a school resource officer knowing that the funding is gone next year? You don’t think people can see through this?” Damoose said.
But Democrats defended the plan as something schools they represent are in favor of.
“That flies right in the face of what my local superintendents are telling me. So, those who are on the ground, in the classrooms every day, doing the work are elated right now,” state Rep. Matt Koleszar (D-Plymouth) said.
The legislation is now on the way to the governor for her signature.
 

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MN First Lady to visit Michigan Democratic field office 

23 September 2024 at 14:35

The wife of the Democratic nominee for Vice President is coming to Michigan Tuesday.

Minnesota First Lady Gwen Walz is planning to speak with supporters at an Ann Arbor field office shared with the state Democratic Party.

Her husband, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is running along side current Vice President Kamala Harris in her presidential bid.

The Gwen Walz appearance is happening as the Harris-Walz campaign has been hammering their Republican opponents for their record on abortion access and reproductive health care.

The event underscores the importance of Michigan as a key battleground state this electron cycle.

State Democrats and the Walz campaign have opened over 50 coordinated campaign offices across the state. According to the campaign, over 41,000 volunteers have joined since August 1.

Thursday, Harris was interviewed by TV personality Oprah Winfrey in Farmington Hills.

On Tuesday, Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, rallied supporters during a townhall-style event at a hockey arena in Flint. That same day, his running mate, JD Vance spoke to West Michigan voters in Sparta.

Polls have consistently projected a tight race in Michigan. And intensity could rise as overseas absentee ballots become available Saturday.

Domestic absentee voting begins on Sept. 26.

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Republicans, servers lobby for tipped credit; Supreme Court answers questions

19 September 2024 at 13:28
Michigan Republicans are teaming up with some tipped workers to push for a change to new state minimum wage policies that are set to take effect next year.
Those policies would eventually require businesses to pay tipped workers the full minimum wage by 2030, rather than the separate lower minimum wage that tipped workers currently make.
 
Some service workers are concerned that eliminating Michigan’s tipped credit could reduce their earnings, however, supporters say the change will benefit workers and result in more stable wages.
Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Twp) said the extra costs would be catastrophic for the service industry.
“It doesn’t get the headlines when two people are laid off at this restaurant. Three people are laid off at that restaurant. Two people are laid off at that restaurant. But when you’re dealing with thousands and thousands of restaurants across the state, it easily adds up,” Nesbitt told reporters Wednesday.
The shift in Michigan’s minimum wage policy stems from a 2018 ballot measure that what was then a Republican-controlled Legislature adopted into law before it went before voters. Lawmakers then significantly weakened the law before it went into effect.
Earlier this year, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that practice, known as “adopt and amend,” unconstitutional.
But state agencies said they needed clarity on how to implement the law, given that the original timelines had passed.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court answered those questions, laying out a specific timeline and guidance for how to phase in the wage increases.
Attorney Mark Brewer, who represented the campaign behind the ballot measure in court, was pleased with the response.
“The executive branch had asked the court to clarify its opinion and offered several ways to weaken that opinion, to water down the minimum wage increase. And the court rejected all of those,” Brewer said.
The decisions open the door for the Michigan minimum wage to rise to over $15 an hour by the end of the decade, regardless of tipped status.
Whether the current state Legislature makes any changes to the portion of that law that would phase out the tipped wage credit, as it’s often known, however, remains to be seen.
Earlier this week, labor unions penned a letter to Democratic legislative leadership, asking them to keep the policy in place as is.
But Wednesday morning, the group, Save MI Tips, which formed in the wake of court battles over adopt and amend, rallied supporters on the state Capitol lawn, calling for the minimum wage for tipped workers to stay below the general minimum wage, with employers making up the difference if it’s not covered by tips.
Danny Napper is a server who said the phasing out of tipped credit will lead to fewer service industry workers and a worse customer experience.
“I’m going to be working way more hours for way less money. And what is that going to do to me? That is going to piss me off, along with all the other server-bartenders,” Napper said.
But Brewer said he felt the original court decision was already fair to businesses.
“Employers got a lot of benefit out of that decision because the court wiped out billions of dollars in backpay liability,” Brewer said, adding “We have these greedy employers who continue to say that paying somebody $15 an hour, which isn’t even a livable wage, is too much.”

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Trump talks assassination attempt, border, trade in Michigan town hall

18 September 2024 at 14:23

The auto industry, trade, and an apparent assassination attempt over the weekend were some of the major discussion points during former President Donald Trump’s campaign event in Flint Tuesday night.

The town hall-style event was one of the Republican presidential nominee’s first public appearances since an alleged would-be gunman was caught outside of Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Trump brought up a proposed tariff increase on auto imports from Mexico while joking about the incident.

“I’m telling you right now, I’m putting a 200% tariff on them, which means they’re unsellable, unsellable in the United States. And then you wonder why I get shot at, right? You know, only consequential presidents get shot at,” Trump said.

During his talk, Trump also promised to increase tariffs on imports from China. He brought up India and Brazil as well while discussing his views on U.S. trade deficits.

Democrats say Trump’s policies cost American manufacturing jobs while he was in office, and would drive up prices if he’s elected to a second term.

“Under Donald Trump’s watch, Michigan lost 280,000 jobs as he handed out tax giveaways to billionaires and corporations,” a statement from U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat, said. “A second Trump term would be even worse.”

Early in the evening, Trump launched familiar attacks against policies in support of a transition to electric vehicles.

“You’re going to have electric cars. But you’re going to have 7%, you’re going to have 9%, whatever it may be. And maybe, someday, the technology becomes so good that you can do more. You know, it’s fine. But, right now, the battery technology isn’t there for long term. I would say, I love the electric car but it doesn’t go far enough,” Trump said.

He seemed less willing to forcefully disparage electric cars than in past speeches. Trump brought up his relationship to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whose company is the largest EV manufacturer in the world, and who has endorsed Trump for president.

Most of the questions at the discussion came from his former White House press secretary and current Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

The first audience question, however, came from a UAW worker at Ford who asked about Trump’s views of the major threats against Michigan’s auto manufacturing industry.

Trump responded with a warning about the threat posed by nuclear proliferation, arguing global instability could hurt automakers.

Elsewhere, Trump returned to other familiar campaign topics like the southern U.S. border and crime.

Trump again, proposed an approach that human rights groups have said would violate international law.

“Look, unless you have the death penalty for drug dealers, you’ll never get rid of the drug problem. Get that through your head. Alright? Put that through your head,” Trump said.

Some audience members at the Dort Financial Center, where the event was being held, wore shirts bearing phrases like, “I’m voting for the felon” in an apparent reference to Trump’s New York convictions for financial crimes.

Trump did not mention his legal troubles during the townhall, though he has denied wrongdoing in the past.

Trump’s pick for vice president, Ohio Senator JD Vance, also stopped in Michigan Tuesday. He held a rally near Sparta in Kent County.

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Rep. James tries to drum support for federal education tax credit legislation

30 August 2024 at 14:23
Michigan Republican Congressman John James is working to build support for federal legislation that would offer tax breaks in exchange for donations to groups that offer educational scholarships for K-12 students. Those scholarships could go toward expenses like tutoring or private school tuition.
James said it’s time to re-think the country’s education system.
“The Education Choice for Children Act will empower parents, not bureaucrats, not union bosses, or a system that has cheated and denied millions of children, overwhelmingly minority children, overwhelmingly on the socially economic low end in both rural and urban areas,” James said.
Under the federal proposal, the scholarships would be available to kids in households under 300% area median gross income — a measure of the midpoint of an area’s income distribution.
The plan isn’t far off from proposals floated in Michigan in recent years — though public school advocates point out the state constitution bans public money from funding private education.
Supporters of the scholarship program say it would be different from a voucher program that would directly compensate families for private school tuition.
But critics, like Jennifer Smith, the director of government relations for the Michigan Association of School Boards, disagree.
She criticized the plan as a school voucher program by a different name.
“The idea is the same. They’re trying to shift money from the public tax collections and public money to the private schools. And even though it may be called a tax credit, it’s going to have the same effect,” Smith said.
With only a few months left before the general election and Democrats in control of the U.S. Senate and presidency, it’s unlikely the federal proposal will advance much further this session.
 
But supporters hope it comes back next year.

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Karamo forcibly removed from Michigan GOP convention; party chooses Fink, O’Grady for state Supreme Court

26 August 2024 at 13:21
The Michigan Republican Party accomplished its goal of choosing candidates for statewide offices including Michigan Supreme Court, state school board, and university boards of education during its nominating convention Saturday in Flint.
 
The party chose State Rep. Andrew Fink (R-Hillsdale) to run for the state’s open Supreme Court Seat and Circuit Judge Bill O’Grady to run for the final four years of a partial term currently being filled by Justice Kyra Harris Bolden.
 
Fink pledged to be neutral in his rulings regardless of his personal beliefs.
 
“If it just always happens to be where your preferences and your interpretation are the same, you probably should take a step back and reconsider your approach to these cases,” he said.
 
Incumbents Nikki Snyder and Tom McMillan won their race to get on the ballot again for state school board.
 
Sevag Vartanian and Carl Meyers won the University of Michigan Board of Regents nomination, edging out current regent and former Party Chair Ron Weiser.
 
Mike Balow and Julie Maday won the nominations for Michigan State University Board of Trustees, taking down sitting Trustee Dan Kelly.
 
Delegates selected Wayne State University Governor Michael Busuito and newcomer Sunny Reddy to run for Wayne State University Board of Governors.
 
Many of the speeches during Saturday’s program at the Dort Financial Center in Flint called for unity, spreading the party’s reach, and attacked Democrats on the economy and culture war issues like transgender rights.
 
Party members heard from speakers like South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Mike Rogers. People who once had been relative outsiders, like Dr. Sherry O’Donnell also were mainstays on the stage.
 
Despite the olive branches, old tensions arose at times during the convention.
 
Soon after official party business began, a group of attendees unsuccessfully moved to replace the Kalamazoo County delegation led by county party chair Kelly Sackett with a slate of competing attendees led by Republican state committee member Kim Harris.
That’s after the county party had been ordered to redo the delegate selection process.
Later in the morning, former state GOP Chair Kristina Karamo was escorted out of the building.
Flint police led Karamo to her car by her arms as she spoke with reporters and accused current and past party leadership of calling the police on her while she was advocating for a state Supreme Court candidate.
 
“My goal now is to help candidates get elected. That’s what I’m here to do today is to help Alexandria Taylor and other Republican candidates get elected. My goal is to help our country. But these people want to disturb us because they hate not just me but all of us and what we represent. So, of course, they’d want us gone,” Karamo told reporters.
 
Police threatened to arrest Karamo for trespassing, though she was wearing an all-access credential during the encounter.
 
In a statement to reporters, MIGOP spokesperson Victoria LaCivita said credentials can be revoked at any time.
 
“She was offered a guest credential, she refused. She was asked to take a seat, she refused. She was asked to politely leave, but refused. Law enforcement was called and escorted her out of the building, causing an interruption,” LaCivita said.
 
Earlier on in the day, smaller spats between Karamo’s allies and supporters of her successor, Chair Pete Hoekstra arose again.
 
While contesting control of the party earlier this year, Karamo’s camp accused Hoekstra of being an old guard insider who lost his ties to the party’s grass roots. Meanwhile, Karamo’s opponents accused her of sowing division within the party and leading it to financial ruin.
 
Hoekstra, like Karamo’s predecessor during the 2022 election cycle, received boos as he took the stage.
 
“It’s obvious, some of you don’t like me. That’s okay. I’m not on the ballot. I’m not looking for your votes. I’m looking forward to putting together the organization that is a winning team. In Michigan we are tired of losing,” Hoekstra told the crowd. “Everyone is welcome to join that team.”
 
Around 40 minutes away, in Lansing, Michigan Democrats were having their own state nominating convention and rallying to elect their candidates to office.

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