The governors of several states are sending hundreds of additional National Guard troops to the nation’s capital.

Trump administration officials reportedly say some National Guard members in Washington, D.C. may now carry firearms, reversing previous assurances that all troops would be unarmed.

That worries one former Detroit police chief and deputy mayor.

Isaiah McKinnon was a young police officer working with National Guard troops when violence broke out in Detroit during July of 1967.

McKinnon says he’s had concerns for decades whenever the U.S. military mixes with the nation’s civilian population.

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length

Isaiah McKinnon: I’m always skeptical because my experiences going back to the late 1960’s with the National Guard were not good. I hope that people understand this is not a dig at the National Guard troops themselves. But I think that if we use people who are not trained in law enforcement, it’s like a police officer going to war in a foreign country. You’re not trained for that. You’re trained to deal with domestic type situations. And that bothers me. Because when I saw the National Guard here in Detroit and the things that they did, it was frightening and scary.

Quinn Klinefelter, WDET News: That would have been during the 1967 Detroit riots or rebellion, depending on who you talk to, when you were not the chief but a police officer. Why was working with the Guard scary?

IM: They assigned a squad of National Guard people with me, a young officer. We were riding in Jeeps. I had been in Vietnam as an Air Force person and watched the military, and I was impressed with how they reacted to certain situations. But these National Guard people in Detroit, they were young people too. They asked me, “How are we going to do this? What are we going to do?” And I said, “Guys, listen, what we’ll do is we’ll look for looters. We’ll look for people that’s doing wrong things and bad things. And if we have to lock them up, that’s what we’ll do.” Well, as we’re driving in our Jeeps down the streets and patrolling one National Guard member said, “There’s someone moving up in the window on one of the streets.” It was, I think, Chicago Blvd. He started shooting at the window. I said, “Wait a minute! Did you see anyone? Did you see a gun or something?” “No, but it was suspicious.” You don’t shoot on suspicions. Those are the things that scared me because they had no idea of what they were there for. Doing things like shooting the street lights out because they don’t want people to see them. Now, we are years past that. But what are these guys [in Washington, D.C.] going to do when they come into a community? If there’s a domestic situation, are they thinking that they have to use ultimate force to take someone down?

QK: In a military situation, that’s what they would do, right? Try to get rid of the lights or that kind of thing.

IM: Yeah. But I saw National Guardsmen shoot at people and thank God they missed. In fact, my brother, who is now deceased, he told me a similar story. He was walking down 12th Street in Detroit and a number of National Guard people came in that area. They told the people to leave and the people started yelling and screaming back at them, which is a normal thing that people in these kinds of situations do. So, they started shooting at people. And I’m going, again, my God. These are the experiences that I’ve had and other law enforcement people have had. We don’t want to knock the National Guard. But when you bring someone into a domestic situation one has to be trained, for their safety and for the safety of the people that they might be interacting with.

QK: Now, to be fair, a Pentagon spokesperson claims that these particular National Guards people have been trained in de-escalation tactics and crowd control. And I know the Guard does help in certain natural disaster situations. But the Pentagon is also saying that the National Guard in Washington is going to, “Provide a safe environment for law enforcement officers so they can make arrests and be a visible deterrent for violent crime.”

IM: I would have to see it to believe it. I think people say things to make it sound better. But the reality is that you don’t know until they’re there and they have these interactions with people, someone screaming, yelling, throwing bricks and bottles at you. Do they start using ultimate force on them? Police officers have gone through countless hours of training about dealing with these kinds of situations. You can’t just go into a city and say, “My people are trained, they can handle that to relieve the officers.” So they relieve the officers and then what happens? What is making something safer for a police officer who’s responding to a situation or patrolling an area? It appears to be a convenient thing to say. But the reality is, we’ll see as things go on.

QK: You have experience as an officer and police chief and also as a deputy mayor. So you’ve been on both sides of governing and running a police department. President Trump says there is an emergency situation in Washington, D.C., so therefore he’s had to act. Others say they fear he could do the same thing in some other large cities. From your vantage point, do you fear that this could be the precursor, somehow, of the president, in effect, trying to take over police departments across the country?

IM: The proof is in what is happening right now. You had the mayor of Los Angeles who said, “We don’t need you.” The governor said the same thing. So did the mayor in Washington, D.C. If there’s a need to make the officers safer, let us hire more officers who are trained regularly to handle these kinds of situations. We’ve seen what has happened in other locations, whether it’s untrained officers or untrained troops that go in, it does not help the situation in that respective city. There’s a distrust of police officers. But there’s even more distrust of someone who comes in who the community doesn’t even know. I’ve seen this in all my years and it’s frightening to me, when you bring in troops. Someone said to me last night, “Dr. McKinnon, I never thought we would see troops patrolling the streets of our cities when there’s not a rebellion, there’s not a riot, there’s not these horrible things going on, but under the auspices of ‘We’re going to make things safer for the police.’” The way you make things safer for the police is, number one, hiring more law enforcement officers. Number two, you deal with the mental health situations of people and other things to calm or quell the actions that are going on in a respective location.

Listen to the latest episode of the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts. Michigan elected officials and the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center are urging U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement to release detained refugees. Six Hmong and eight Laotian refugees were detained on July 30th after receiving a letter from ICE and reporting for what they believed was a routine check in. The refugees were transported through several sites before finally arriving in Louisiana. Immigration advocates believe that is the final stage before being deported to Laos. State Representative Mai Xiong says the U.S. does not have a memorandum of understanding with Laos, and anyone deported there could be in danger.

These individuals fled, their family members fled persecution from Laos. Their parents, in particular, were involved in the the war in the 1970s in the Vietnam War, the secret war. They were recruited by the US to fight alongside American soldiers, and so they are in imminent danger.

The Michigan Immigrations Rights Center, the Asian Law Caucus and others sent a letter to ICE urging the agency not to deport these individuals since they are not in the U.S. illegally and can face persecution for aiding the U.S. government. The letter also called for transparency in the deportation process. Reporting by Bre’Anna Tinsley

More headlines from Monday, August 11

A new study shows Michigan teachers are among the lowest-paid in the country. Researchers at Michigan State University say the starting salary for a new teacher is almost $5000 lower than the national average. Experienced teachers earn about $3000 less than average. The report also shows Michigan teachers earn about 23% less than workers in other fields with similar levels of education and experience. Public opinion polls cited in the report show strong support for paying teachers more money. Reporting by Pat Batcheller The Hannan Center is accepting nominations for its 70 Over Seventy Awards. The honor and annual event spotlight people 70 and over who have and continue to make an impact on Detroit and Michigan. Anyone can nominate someone who is working, mentoring, creating or otherwise impacting community at hannan.org/70overseventy. Call 313-833-1300 extension 16 with questions. The Phoenix and Cielo Rooftop Detroit are hosting an alcohol-free, smoke-free, and vape-free “elevated nightlife experience” this Friday. Organizers say the 21 and over substance-free event will offer panoramic views of the Detroit skyline with a high-energy vibe and free tastings from craft mocktail makers B. Nektar and Ted Segers, who make “regal… non-alcoholic brews for serious drinkers.” The party starts with a live DJ spinning at 9pm Friday and runs to 1am, no entry fee required. Cielo Rooftop is located at 600 West Lafayette Boulevard Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

A Wayne State success program is providing an evening of jazz an poetry to raise money.

The Crockett-Lumumba Scholars provides assistance to incoming freshman as they transition to college. Students in the program are also enrolled in courses that teach them about their cultural roots, community building, and social responsibility. 

This Saturday, August 16th, Crocket-Lumumba Scholars will host Homegrown: An Evening of Detroit Jazz and Poetry at the Gretchen Valade Center for Jazz. The fundraiser will feature renowned artists Marion Hayden, Michigan’s Poet Laureate Dr. Melba Joyce Boyd, Allen Dannard, and Tariq Gardner. 

David Goldberg, the director of Crockett-Lumumba Scholars, and Dr. Melba Joyce Boyd joined the show to discuss the program’s importance.  

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro

State Representative Mai Xiong wants answers about why ICE detained Hmong refugees in Detroit.

She says the people detained are not undocumented immigrants — they are refugees who entered the U.S. legally. The incident has sparked fear and confusion in Southeast Michigan’s Hmong community, prompting calls for accountability.

This issue hits home for Xiong, Michigan’s first Hmong American legislator and a former refugee herself. She represents Warren in Michigan’s 13th House District.

She joined The Metro’s Robyn Vincent to explain what she knows and the lingering questions that remain.

The Metro contacted Detroit’s ICE field office and the Detroit Police Department for details. Detroit Police said they did not know about the detentions. ICE has not responded.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

More stories from The Metro

This summer is tracking to be the hottest on record… but it could be among the coolest summers we have for the rest of our lives. That’s the takeaway of a recent article from the Union of Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit made up of climate scientists founded at MIT in 1969. Scientists have warned of global warming for decades now, and the need for more urgent action. That’s because avoiding the worst effects of manmade climate change will require cooperation on a global scale.

But a large paradigm shift must involve city governments and local power players too. Detroit’s primary election for mayor and city council is this coming Tuesday, August 5, and whoever takes the reins as Detroit’s next mayor will be in a unique position to get Detroit ready for the climate that has already changed significantly.

Ellen Vial is the Detroit Program Manager for the Michigan Environmental Council. The council is a coalition of organizations that have created a thorough, 48-page environmental voter guide, and Ellen is on The Metro this morning to discuss the depths of our climate crisis and what Detroiters can do about it.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

More stories from The Metro

Reforesting urban environments faces one significant yet overlooked hurdle: bringing residents to the table.

Dr. Christine Carmichael recognized this when doing research in Detroit in 2013 with nonprofit group, The Greening of Detroit. What she learned prompted her to create her urban forestry consulting group, Fair Forests, and write her book, “Racist Roots: How Racism Has Affected Trees and People in Our Cities – and What We Can Do About It,” which came out in 2024.

Today, Dr. Carmichael advises forestry efforts on national, state, and local levels on how to best address resident concerns and wants to make tree planting a positive experience for all involved.

Her work focuses on the unique roles community members, arborists, nonprofits and governments play in urban forestry.

In her words, “How can we think about who has what type of power, and how can we share that better, and provide people with the resources they need to address all these issues around tree canopy?”

Carmichael emphasizes connecting with neighborhoods and learning their heritage narratives to see how they’ve experienced change over time.

How history shapes the tree canopy today

During the time of its peak population, Detroit had such a dense tree canopy that it was called “Tree City.” Then a combination of disease, invasive pests and neglect killed half a million trees while magnifying injustices in the city’s landscape.

A lot of people want to move on from the past, but failing to see the bigger picture avoids key issues that created our modern tree canopy.

“People are living in the present consequences of the past decisions,” Carmichael says, reflecting on how historic racist policies like redlining still impact rates of homeownership among Black Americans today. “And we need to change those decisions to make things better.”

A result of redlining in the city

Carmichael says that when she started her work around a decade ago, the ties between redlining and reduced tree canopy weren’t proven. But foresters noticed that disadvantaged neighborhoods tended to have fewer trees and less healthy trees.

Redlining was the 1930s policy of evaluating property as “hazardous” if its occupants were Black. Owners of redlined property were ineligible for government housing investment funds.

Redlined neighborhoods are often recognized as environmental justice areas today.

Environmental injustice can include the dumping of waste, the placement and lax regulation of polluting industrial sites by the city, neglecting to address infrastructural issues, and more.  Carmichael adds, “A common way to think about it is that people are being treated unfairly and are not being meaningfully included in decisions about the environment that they’re living in.”

Having outsiders make decisions on what happened to the environment in these neighborhoods has negative consequences. Redlining segregated neighborhoods and denied people the help needed to care for their property.

It’s only logical that people lost trust in the city and outside organizations.

Not only are trees more vulnerable to disease and hazardous when they aren’t maintained properly, but the lack of tree canopy has an impact on people’s health. “So, people experiencing higher heat-related issues, more air quality issues, mental health, cardiac…” Carmichael lists.

Detroit as an epicenter

Carmichael said that Detroit and its near-monoculture of elm trees made it an epicenter for Dutch elm disease.

When Dutch elm disease swept through the city at the same time as the ’67 Rebellion, the mass removal of elm trees with little notice was another injustice residents suffered.

It created a unique heritage narrative that Carmichael noticed among residents she interviewed. “Many, most of whom had lived during the ’67 Rebellion, had this feeling that the trees were removed because the government wanted to surveil neighborhoods from overhead in helicopters, not because the trees were diseased.”

The consistent exclusion and lack of resources given to certain neighborhoods created environmental injustices that worsened as the city lost much of its population to white flight. The forestry department shrank, and diseased and dead trees were left to languish in residential areas.

When emerald ash borers struck in the ’90s, more trees were lost and damaged. Again, residents were not as informed or engaged as they should have been.

“It was more like a reactionary, oh, these trees are dying, we’ll just take them down,” says Carmichael. “There were limits to urban foresters’ understanding of how to manage those things. They were new threats, but I think there could have been a lot more proactive effort to organize with the community.”

Despite being at the forefront of these ecological issues, Detroit missed an opportunity to address environmental injustice, according to Dr. Carmichael. The same failures can be seen in other urban environments that followed.

Detroit could have been an example of how to better protect the tree canopy with environmental justice in mind.

Modern approaches to inclusive urban forestry

As Detroit was less able to fund municipalities like forestry departments, neighborhood community groups stepped up to care for their lands. When nonprofits came onto the stage to fill the gaps left by forestry departments, there was a need to engage better with residents on the ground level that wasn’t being met at the time of Carmichael’s research.

Meaningful engagement between outside tree planting groups and neighborhoods requires a lot of funding. Carmichael credits the Inflation Reduction Act for allowing urban forestry groups to begin to make the necessary efforts to reduce barriers for the communities they work with.

But now that funding is reduced, and nonprofits have to work with fewer resources once more. That may mean that they can’t prioritize residents as much as they need to, as getting trees in the ground and similar metrics are what appeals to funders.

Still, Carmichael argues that it’s essential to look at reforesting efforts beyond the lens of efficiency and profit maximization. It’s not just about how many trees you can plant, the shade provided and the carbon sequestered, but also about the people who will be impacted by those trees.

Those same people are paramount when it comes to long-term maintenance of the tree. If urban foresters can show them specific things to look out for, residents can make sure the trees stay healthy and don’t become hazards like they have in the past.

“Essentially, it’s about educating,” says Carmichael. It’s not about the benefits of trees, as most residents already know all the good a tree can do; they just need support on making sure those benefits come without so many drawbacks. “The emphasis should be more on educating the funders about what activities are needed to both increase the canopy and support the residents.”

This story is part of WDET’s ongoing series, The Detroit Tree Canopy Project.

Editors Note: This article was edited on 8/1/25 to correct the statement that IRA funding for urban forestry is gone. IRA funds are still supporting efforts in Michigan, but have been reduced. We deeply apologize for the error.

The Michigan Court of Appeals is allowing a case filed by the family of a murdered Oxford High School student to move forward.

The family of Hana St. Juliana alleges the Michigan State Police failed to fulfill a legal obligation to act on information that could have averted the 2021 mass shooting.

The case never made it to the argument stage in the Michigan Court of Claims. The judge ruled the family missed the deadline to notify the state of its plans to file a wrongful death lawsuit within six months of the shooting.

But, in a unanimous opinion released Friday, a three-judge Court of Appeals panel reversed that decision. The court said that clock did not start until a probate judge named St. Juliana’s father as the personal representative of her estate.

“The state of Michigan attempted to use a technicality to deprive our clients of their day in court and we are pleased that the Court of Appeals saw past that and is going to allow this case to proceed,” said Kevin Carlson, the attorney for the St. Juliana family.

The complaint outlines reports of concerning behavior by the shooter that were submitted to the Michigan OK2Say tipline, which serves as a central location to report crimes, threats and concerns regarding schools and students. It says the Michigan State Police failed to live up to its responsibilities to investigate reports submitted through that system. It also says a school official and an Oakland County deputy sheriff dismissed the concerns.

Carlson said the 2013 law that set up OK2Say puts the final legal responsibility to check on those tips with the state.

“The question in this case, and the focal point of this lawsuit, is going to be why did the Michigan State Police not intervene to prevent the shooting at Oxford High School?” he  told Michigan Public Radio.

The Michigan State Police did not respond to a message seeking comment. The state could appeal the decision to the Michigan Supreme Court.

St. Juliana and three classmates were killed in the November 30, 2021, mass shooting. Seven others were injured.

Carlson said unless the state appeals, his next step is to seek unredacted versions of police reports related to the shooting. 

The Oxford High School shooter has asked the Michigan Supreme Court to order a new hearing before a judge to reduce his sentence of life with no chance of parole.

The shooter’s new legal team says his previous counsel failed to take crucial steps to protect his interests before the then-16-year-old pleaded guilty to multiple counts of murder, terrorism, assault, and firearm violations. Four students were killed and seven people were injured in the mass shooting.

The shooter’s new lawyers from the State Appellate Defender Office (SADO) argue that at a minimum a new judge should hear expert testimony on fetal alcohol syndrome, a troubled home life and other mitigating factors before imposing a new sentence.

“Though his offense is heinous, how our courts treat even those who have committed the most heinous crimes matters deeply,” said the brief arguing for the Supreme Court to hear Ethan Crumbley’s case. “The tragic nature of Ethan’s crime cannot give courts an excuse to overlook errors that occurred in his legal proceedings. The circuit court did more than overlook these errors. It blithely and repeatedly found that nothing could or would make a difference in the sentence imposed – death in prison, for someone 15 years old at the time of their offense.”

SADO attorney Jacqueline Ouvry said this appeal is not about relitigating the convictions, but requiring the court to consider “mitigating factors” that should have been part of the sentencing decision. Ouvry said that would align with court precedents that require unique considerations for younger defendants, even those charged as adults with violent offenses.

“They involve chronological age, which includes brain development,” she told Michigan Public Radio. “They involve the family and home environment a child grew up in, and the possibility of rehabilitation.”

“Ethan was 15 when he committed his offense,” she said. “He was very much a youth at the time.”

Ouvry said the case is also relevant because there are other defendants convicted as teens or young adults in state custody who are entitled to new sentences under court rulings.

“It matters how we sentence those who have done even the most heinous crimes and there are several hundred people in Michigan who because of recent court decisions will be resentenced for heinous crimes,” she said.

The Michigan Court of Appeals declined to reconsider the sentence in May, and a spokesperson for Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald’s office said the Supreme Court should let that be the final word.

“The facts are undisputed: On November 30, 2021, the shooter murdered Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre, Hana St. Juliana, and Justin Shilling, wounded seven others, and terrorized an entire community,” said Public Information Officer Jeff Wattrick in an email to Michigan Public Radio. “We are confident the Supreme Court will concur with the lower courts and uphold his sentence.”

The shooter’s parents are serving prison terms for manslaughter convictions. They were charged with failing to act on signs their son’s mental condition was deteriorating and for failing to secure the semi-automatic firearm used in the shootings.

The Michigan Supreme Court refused to dismiss the charges in a 2023 decision that was the first time that allowed for parents to be held criminally liable for a school shooter’s actions.

Two protesters were arrested on Detroit’s west side Monday after police say they attempted to prevent Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from detaining a resident in the neighborhood.

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ICE was in the area to arrest a Honduran man who had already been deported twice but returned to the U.S. each time. Protesters say the immigration officers failed to show a signed warrant for his arrest. Officers used pepper spray on protesters when confronted.

At a Detroit City Council meeting Tuesday, Councilmember Gabriela Santiago-Romero said ICE could have avoided the protest by simply showing a signed warrant.

“The family knew their rights. They said they didn’t show us the warrant. They didn’t even leave me a copy of the warrants,” she said. “That, to me, seems like a very basic, simple solution to this not getting out of hand…” 

At least one of the two protesters arrested have been charged in federal court for allegedly blocking ICE agents from leaving after making the arrest.

Police Chief Todd Bettison says protesters should stay peaceful, and warned that anyone who interferes with federal agents will be arrested.

Other headlines for Wednesday, July 2, 2025:

• The Department of Natural Resources’ explorer guide program is offering more than 100 free activities over the July Fourth holiday weekend. DNR guides will lead programs at 30 state parks Friday through Sunday, with activities ranging from poetry writing to fossil-hunting. 
• The Brightmoor Artisan Collective will host a Nigerian cooking class at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 9, offered in partnership with the Detroit Partnership for Food Learning and Innovation program through Michigan State University Extension. The registration fee is $15 per person. Register by emailing edwar649@msu.edu.
• The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) is hosting a drop-in summer studio, with the next session taking place on Thursday, July 3. Visitors of all ages will have the chance to make art with some creative prompts and materials provided. Next week, MOCAD will welcome families for its Family Day with free exhibitions for kids, teens and parents.

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

The director of the Michigan State Police spent an hour and a half Tuesday testifying and taking questions from lawmakers about morale in a department that appears skeptical of his leadership.

Col. James Grady II had to answer for trooper and officer surveys showing widespread dissatisfaction with his leadership. Grady told House lawmakers he does not trust the accuracy of the trooper and command officer union surveys. He said the department has its measuring tools that do not show similar results.

But, mostly, Grady said that is because he is not hearing complaints from the troopers and officers under his command.

“They tell me how happy they are with the work that they’re doing — that they’re satisfied with the work that they’re doing, that they’re satisfied with the support that they have in our agency,” he said. “So, I get it face to face because I am that type of person that will strike up a conversation with anyone.”

But Rep. Jaime Greene (R-Richmond) said it is not just the union surveys that are concerning. Committee members have been meeting with MSP staff, who she said shared in private interviews that they feared retaliation. She read some of the responses to him.

“These are from your own officers that they feel as if they are being retaliated against,” she said. “How have they come to that conclusion?”  

Grady repeated he does not believe officers under his command fear retaliation. Grady also said he doesn’t believe the Michigan State Police has a serious morale problem. The proof of that, he said, is officers showing up and doing their jobs and the reduced violent crime rate in Michigan.

But Rep. Jason Woolford (R-Howell) told Grady he should take those union survey findings seriously.

“When people lose faith in their leader, the result is a cascade of issues, and we’re seeing that,” Woolford said. “There’s low morale, poor cohesion and, at the end of the day, a mission that’s going to be compromised.”  

Both the Michigan State Police Troopers Association and the Michigan State Police Command Officers Association have called on Grady to resign.  

Grady was a 25-year veteran of the department in 2023, when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed him to the post. In a statement sent to Michigan Public Radio, Whitmer Press Secretary Stacey LaRouche said the governor remains confident in Grady.

“Thanks to the work of Colonel Grady and troopers across the state, in partnership with local law enforcement, Michigan has seen major drops in violent crime recently,” she said. “He’s also had troopers’ backs by fighting for pay raises for the men and women who risk their lives every day to keep our state safe. We have full confidence in Colonel Grady to continue getting the job done.”

A state House committee voted Wednesday to advance legislation to blunt the impact of a Michigan Supreme Court decision on automatic life-without-parole sentences for young adults.

The bills could allow for longer sentences for 19- and 20-year-olds convicted of first-degree and felony murder, among other serious crimes, and allow prosecutors more time to review cases for potential resentencing.

“Life without parole was not given out lightly to begin with,” said Rep. Sarah Lightner (R-Springport), who chairs the House Judiciary Committee and sponsored the bills. “You have to remember these people are murderers.”

The court ruling released in April struck down automatic life without parole for 19- and 20-year-olds convicted of first-degree and felony murder as unconstitutional cruel and unusual punishment. It followed a similar ruling applying to defendants 18 years old and younger.

Now, people who already got mandatory life sentences are being resentenced. Sometimes, that will be to multiple shorter prison terms. The current default in Michigan is for sentences to be served concurrently.

Lightner said concurrent prison terms are not tough enough. “There’s only justice given to the first victim,” she told Michigan Public Radio. “There’s nothing in law that says you have to stack the sentences consecutively, because we have concurrent sentencing.”

Consecutive years-long sentences would effectively be life in prison in some cases.

Deborah LaBelle, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan said the Michigan Supreme Court decision is clear on young lifers. She said sentences of life with no chance of parole for young defendants should be rare.

“They should, when they have had the opportunity to mature and grow, be looked at again and determined whether in fact they have been rehabilitated and should be able to at some point rejoin the community,” she said.

LaBelle says the legislation would probably be found unconstitutional if signed into law because it would force consecutive sentences automatically without court hearings.

The bills, which now go to the House floor, were adopted on party-line votes.