Friday. March 29, 2024

Government

https://kalamazoo.novusagenda.com/Agendapublic/MeetingView.aspx?MeetingID=237&MinutesMeetingID=-1&doctype=Agenda
https://www.kalcounty.com/board/meetings/
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City
County

KNM: The City and County Commissions will hold their first meetings following the chaotic response to the cold weather emergency in late January and early February. The City Commission meets Monday, February 4, at 7pm. The County Commission meets Tuesday, February 5, at 7pm. Agendas can be found day-before or day-of at the links below. Both meetings include a public comment period.

Published: February 03, 2019

City County
https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2019/01/city-county-officials-see-room-to-improve-kalamazoo-emergency-plans.html
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MLive

Volunteers who have been providing food and shelter during life-threatening winter cold expressed frustration to the City Commission that no government entity provided a clear framework for how their efforts should move forward. “This is a project that is being organized spontaneously by citizens who are stepping up to meet a need,” said the Rev. Sarah Schmidly, a pastor at First Congregational Church. “It is not something that we had a plan for. It is not something that our city has committed resources to communicating about effectively and we’re feeling the pinch of that.” City Manager Jim Ritsema indicated Kalamazoo County hasn’t offered much guidance. He wasn’t aware of a need for more shelter space until Tuesday, he said.

Published: January 30, 2019

MLive
https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2019/01/city-attorney-says-kalamazoo-can-take-federal-grant-without-helping-ice.html
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MLive

MLIVE: Elected leaders are confident the city of Kalamazoo can accept a federal grant that funds a youth outreach program while ignoring language that forces compliance with immigration enforcement agents. Requirements added to U.S. Department of Justice grants in 2017 deny federal funds if cities don’t cooperate with ICE in deporting non-citizens. The conditions clash with a 2018 resolution passed by the City Commission that prohibits resources from assisting federal agencies in separating undocumented children from their families and detaining people based on their immigration status.

Published: January 30, 2019

MLive
https://www.michiganadvance.com/2019/01/22/whitmers-lgbtq-directive-could-face-lawsuit-on-religious-grounds/
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MI Advance

The head of the State Bar’s Religious Liberty section is seeking to file a lawsuit that would challenge Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s new executive directive barring LGBTQ discrimination, according to an email obtained by the Michigan Advance. Tracey Lee, a West Bloomfield family law and nonprofit attorney, wrote to a group of lawyers encouraging them to “identify business owners who receive state funding in Michigan and are willing to do a pre-emptive challenge against Governor Whitmer’s executive directive.” Lee compared the effort to the recent Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission case, in which the U.S. Supreme Court narrowly ruled that a baker was entitled to refuse service to a same-sex couple.

Published: January 25, 2019

MI Advance
https://www.michiganadvance.com/2019/01/25/aclu-optimistic-as-ag-moves-to-settle-same-sex-adoption-case/
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MI Advance

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is seeking to settle a pending lawsuit against the state that challenges Michigan’s law allowing faith-based groups to deny adoption to same-sex couples. The measure was signed into law by Republican former Gov. Rick Snyder in 2015. The case was filed on behalf of the couples by the American Civil Liberties of Michigan and other attorneys and seeks to ensure that LGBT couples in Michigan are treated the same as heterosexual couples by the state’s adoption and foster care contractors. A settlement is now being discussed by all parties. 

 

Published: January 25, 2019

MI Advance
https://www.michiganadvance.com/2019/01/23/senate-gop-votes-to-join-effort-to-halt-gerrymandering-settlement/
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MI Advance

The lawsuit, set to go to trial, asserts that the GOP has gerrymandered Michigan districts to their advantage. The new Democratic AG would like to settle the suit, but the GOP is afraid of how the terms would affect their success in the 2020 elections. Should a settlement happen, it’s likely that fewer than 34 of the state’s contested districts would get redrawn, but it’s unclear how that would impact other neighboring districts. This would take place before the independent redistricting commission established in Proposal 2 of 2018 would meet to draw lines after the 2020 census.

Published: January 24, 2019

MI Advance
https://kalamazoo.novusagenda.com/Agendapublic/
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Agenda

The Kalamazoo City Commission will meet Tuesday, January 29, 2019 at 12:00 p.m. in the City Commission Chambers at City Hall, located at 241 W. South Street. The purpose of this meeting is to consider agenda items originally proposed for action at the January 22nd regular business meeting, which was cancelled due to inclement weather. These items include a public hearing on a zoning ordinance to amend the Residential District Standards; and adoption of the Proposed Fiscal Year 2019 Budget for the City of Kalamazoo. 

Published: January 24, 2019

Agenda
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/23/us/politics/biden-speech-fred-upton.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/24/us/politics/biden-praise-republican-speaking-fee.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
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NYT 1
NYT 2

Joseph R. Biden Jr. swept into Benton Harbor, Mich., three weeks before the November elections, in the midst of his quest to reclaim the Midwest for Democrats. He took the stage at Lake Michigan College as Representative Fred Upton, a long-serving Republican from the area, faced the toughest race of his career. Mr. Biden stunned Democrats and elated Republicans by praising Mr. Upton while the lawmaker looked on from the audience. The local Democratic Party pleaded with Mr. Biden to repair what it saw as a damaging error, to no avail. 

Published: January 24, 2019

NYT 1 NYT 2
https://wwmt.com/news/local/dingell-upton-give-jobless-benefits-to-federal-workers
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WWMT

A Democrat and Republican in Michigan's congressional delegation are proposing legislation to let states provide unemployment benefits to federal employees working without pay during the partial government shutdown. Those workers currently cannot collect the benefits, under guidance to states from the U.S. Labor Department. Reps. Debbie Dingell and Kalamazoo Representative Fred Upton introduced the bill Wednesday. Upton, a Republican, says no federal worker "should be punished because elected officials keep dropping the ball."

Published: January 24, 2019

WWMT
https://www.michiganadvance.com/2019/01/23/ag-to-weigh-in-on-another-gop-lame-duck-law/
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MI Advance

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel “welcomes” the opinion request from Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson that challenges the legality of the newly established law limiting ballot petition drives, Public Act 608 of 2018. The Republican-led Legislature during Lame Duck last month passed the measure limiting the number of signatures that organizers can collect from voters in any single congressional district. The bill was opposed by groups on the right and left, including Right to Life of Michigan, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Michigan chapter, various unions and the Sierra Club. 

Published: January 23, 2019

MI Advance
https://www.michiganadvance.com/blog/michigan-to-issue-feb-food-assistance-early-due-to-shutdown/
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MI Advance

The Michigan Department of Health and Humans Services (MDHHS) plans to issue Food Assistance Program benefits early for February as directed by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. The move is in response to the ongoing partial federal government shutdown, which is now the longest in U.S. history. For food assistance recipients, Michigan will begin issuing February benefits on Saturday, Jan. 19. Those who don’t receive their benefits on that date should receive the funds the following week, officials said. The 1.2 million Michigan residents who receive food assistance will have benefits to feed their families in February even if the partial federal government shutdown continues.

Published: January 23, 2019

MI Advance
http://mcfn.org/node/7137/which-groups-rank-among-the-top-donors-to-the-most-state-lawmakers
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MCFN

If giving large campaign checks to state lawmakers boosts a group’s influence in Lansing, there are some groups that stand to have a lot of power in the new legislative session. The Michigan Realtors and Michigan Beer & Wine Wholesalers top the list, donating to nearly half ot he members of the new legislature.

Published: January 23, 2019

MCFN
http://www.michiganradio.org/post/state-utility-assistance-program-accused-leaving-needy-families-cold
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MIPR

In the past, the state worked with local non-profits to identify people who qualify for help paying their utility bills. However, there was concern that some decisions made by those groups didn’t strictly follow state eligibility rules. So starting this fiscal year, the Department of Health and Human Services took over the job itself. And that is apparently causing problems. A state review process can sometimes drag on for weeks or months. In the meantime, families can’t get help from other sources.

 

Published: January 23, 2019

MIPR
https://wwmt.com/news/forward-focus/forward-focus-public-private-leaders-join-forces-to-tackle-kalamazoos-high-poverty-rate
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WWMT

Nearly one-third of the people living in Kalamazoo - 32 percent - live on incomes below the federal definition of poverty. It's a number city leaders hate. “Our priority has to be that everybody has access to what they need to live a fully human life," City Commissioner Don Cooney said. So, Kalamazoo government and civic leaders are ramping up efforts to reduce poverty, and improve housing. That work, Cooney said, includes projects that partner with local organizations and nonprofit agencies that can help to make the improvements.

Published: January 23, 2019

WWMT
http://mcfn.org/node/7141/michigans-2018-us-house-races-attracted-80-million-double-the-2016-total
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MCFN

The 2018 election saw the most expensive campaigns for the U.S. House in Michigan history as groups funded by top national donors poured money into the state. Much of the $80 million flowed to just two of the 14 races. In both, Democrats had financial advantages and flipped seats that were previously held by Republicans. In West Michigan’s 6th District, Rep. Fred Upton, a Republican from St. Joseph, won another term in the U.S. House in 2018 despite a challenge from Matt Longjohn, a Democrat from Portage, and $1.5 million from a super PAC.

Published: January 22, 2019

MCFN