👋 Happy Sunday! Summer is usually a quiet time for state political news. Not right now.
Here are five stories to know about this week.
File: A protester waves a Trump flag during a rally organized by a group called the Election Integrity Fund and Force at the Michigan State Capitol, Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021, in Lansing, Mich. (Jake May/The Flint Journal via AP, File)
Remember, after the 2020 election, when 16 Michigan Republicans signed a fake Electoral College certificate to replace Joe Biden’s votes with Donald Trump’s?
Now they could go to jail.
⚖️ Attorney General Dana Nessel charged them with eight felonies each, including forgery and conspiracy.
“The evidence will show that there was no legal authority for the false electors to purport to act as ‘duly elected presidential electors’ and execute the false election documents,” Nessel said.
Dig deeper: Inside the Michigan attorney general’s case against fraudulent voters
The 16 people charged include former MIGOP co-chair Meshawn Maddock and current MIGOP vice-chair Marian Sheridan.
There are also local officials:
Shelby Township Clerk Stan Grot, who was removed from his duties by the Office of Elections.Wyoming Mayor Kent Vanderwood, who remains in office after the city said his actions “did not take place in his capacity as a city official.”Grand Blanc school board member Amy Facchinello, who could face retirement.
🧗 Conviction, however, is an “uphill battle,” according to Notre Dame election law professor Derek Muller.
He told MLive that a similar situation in Hawaii six decades ago means Nessel must prove that the fraudulent voters had “intent” to commit the crimes.“To the extent that these voters believed they were just preserving the record … it’s very difficult for prosecutors to win,” Muller said.
➕ More: Michigan GOP, after hiatus, slams Nessel over Trump voter charges
File photo of Governor Gretchen Whitmer signing a bill into law.
Michigan’s upcoming education budget, signed Thursday by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, is a record $24.3 billion.
📂 What’s inside:
$9,608 in spending per K-12 student, the highest ever and an increase of $458 over last year.More money for districts with the most economically disadvantaged students.Free breakfast and lunch for all PreK-12 students.
There is also:
$225 million to give school employees monthly payments to help pay off student loans.More than $200 million to help reverse learning loss during the pandemic.
🗣️ “This budget was written to help anyone and everyone be able to get here in Michigan,” Whitmer said, “with a strong academic foundation that starts early and continues through higher education and beyond.”
The new fiscal year begins on October 1.
File photo. (Cory Morse | MLive.com)
Cory Morse | MLive.com
The governor also signed a handful of bills this week that passed before the legislature left for summer recess.
🍸 Takeout cocktails, which helped keep bars and restaurants afloat during the COVID-19 closures, are now permanently legal.
“After three years, it’s proven to be a popular new way for customers to support their favorite restaurants and has resulted in zero reported violations or safety issues,” said Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak.
🏟️ Public universities can sell alcohol in stadiums and arenas, after Whitmer signed Senate Bill 247.
The aim is to reduce excessive consumption before matches and generate more revenue.Schools will need to apply for liquor licenses first.
🗳️ The extensions of voting and access rights are now official thanks to Proposal 2 last November.
Whitmer signed legislation implementing six major changes to elections.One change from Proposition 2: early vote counting before Election Day, which will report results more quickly.
FILE: Commissioner Anthony Eid takes notes during a redistricting hearing on draft political maps presented by Michigan’s independent redistricting commission in Detroit on Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021.Nicole Hester/MLIVE.com
Nineteen months since finalizing its maps, Michigan’s redistricting commission is making headlines after an ethics debate boiled over at Thursday’s meeting.
🏎️ Before the meeting:
Commissioner Anthony Eid takes a job as executive director of a nonprofit that once lobbied the commission.Commissioner Rebecca Szetela calls for an ethical discussion and decision on the matter.Commission management and attorneys review the code of conduct and conflict of interest policies.
🔎 The finding: “At this time, our lawyers have no concerns about this issue,” the report states.
But because the lawyers are not directly cited in the report, and after commissioners voted to remove their discussion of ethics from the agenda, Szetela alleged she had been silenced.
“I think there is a cover-up to protect Commissioner Eid from his own behavior and bad decisions,” Szetela said.
Some members came to her defense and others called her airing of complaints inappropriate and embarrassing.
The leadership denied a cover-up, and Eid told MLive about the report, “I think this document speaks for itself.”
🧅 Peel back more layers: Alleged ‘cover-up’ as Michigan redistricting member cleared of ethics violation
Michigan State Police deleted a post showing Barbie in uniform.
The state government jumped on the Barbie movie craze this week, but not all dolls stayed out to play.
👮♀️ The Michigan State Police tweeted a photo of a Barbie in an MSP uniform, trying to recruit.
“From a soldier to a forensic scientist, from a motor transport officer to a pilot, the possibilities are endless,” he said.
But the agency soon deleted the post “out of respect” for female MSP members, it gave as its only explanation.
👩 Governor Whitmer’s Barbie tweets, however, were widely praised:
🗣️ “We hope this campaign helps show people that yes, girls can embrace who they are and do what girls do best: lead,” Whitmer’s chief communications officer, Kaylie Hanson, told MLive.
Bonus: Don’t forget to DNR Barbie!
5 more stories from MLive:
⏮️ 5 Democrats, 1 Republican in House Face Red Flag Removal, Hate Crime Votes
🏭 GOP congressmen hit Ford with new concerns over Michigan battery plant
🏠 Michigan has a housing problem. So what is the legislature doing?
🔎 Michigan legislator Daniel West disappeared 58 years ago. But did it really exist?
🏆 MLive wins 52 AP Awards, including “Rising Star” Journalist honor
