“The Ballenger Report” predicted last year that Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer would escape after commiting ‘campaign finance murder,’ and, sure enough, now she has. A group that ran ads last summer featuring Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer clearly violated the Michigan Campaign Finance Act — even newly-elected Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, like Whitmer a Democrat, […]
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DOME MAGAZINE: MSU “Game of Thrones” No Surprise
by Chuck Moss former State Representative February 7, 2019 On the banks of the Red Cedar, the various tribes are celebrating the departure of John Engler as Michigan State University President. They regard it as a win and I suppose it is. Former Governor Engler resigned following the capture of the MSU Board of Trustees by […]
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY STUDENTS TELL MICHIGAN MAPMAKERS HOW TO DO IT
No, not the maps that may be redrawn for the 2020 election if things don’t go well for Michigan Republicans in a federal district court this month. Rather, the new maps that will be drawn up for Michigan’s Congressional and legislative districts by a new independent commission following the U.S. 2020 Census. These new maps […]
JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR REJECTS BID BY MICHIGAN GOP TO DELAY REDISTRICTING TRIAL
by Jonathan Oosting The Detroit News Feb. 4, 2019 Map shows boundaries of Michigan’s congressional districts since 2013. (Photo: U.S. Department of Interior) Lansing — GOP mapmakers focused on protecting U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg from 2012 challengers by making his district more Republican, according to new emails disclosed in a federal gerrymandering lawsuit that is heading to trial […]
AWAITING SOTOMAYOR’S VERDICT: Will Supreme Court Justice Torpedo Trial to Alter Michigan’s Legislative Maps?
A newly-formed group calling itself Voters Not Donors (VND) is backing a legal request of the U.S. Supreme Court to stay a trial to determine whether Michigan’s Congressional and legislative maps have been gerrymandered and must be thrown out. VNP claims that any such trial has been “tainted by the hyper-partisan and unethical actions of […]
TRUMP HAS ECONOMY — AND HISTORY — WORKING IN HIS FAVOR FOR RE-ELECTION
by Jonathan Yates, Iowa View Feb. 2, 2019 Early next year, Iowans will take to the caucuses, leading the nation out of the blocks in picking the next president of the United States. The Democrats posted solid results in the November 2018 midterm races. Closer to home, it was good for the Democrats but not […]
Federal Court Torpedoes Benson’s Redistricting “Settlement’
by Jonathan Oosting, The Detroit News Feb. 3, 2019 Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson discusses a redistricting settlement proposal on Jan. 25, 2019. (Photo: Jonathan Oosting) Lansing — A lawsuit alleging partisan gerrymandering by Michigan’s Republican-led Legislature is heading toward trial next week after a three-judge panel rejected a settlement proposed by Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson […]
MICHIGAN GOP TO U.S. SUPREME COURT: Block Benson’s Proposed Settlement on Alleged Gerrymandering
by Jonathan Oosting, The Detroit News January 25, 2019 Lansing — Michigan Republicans are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hit pause on a federal lawsuit alleging GOP gerrymandering, a move that could disrupt a settlement agreement announced Friday by Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. Benson’s deal with plaintiffs would require Michigan to redraw at least […]
JOCELYN BENSON TO LEGISLATIVE DEMOCRATS: You’ve Got to Take One for the Team
In her rush to change election rules for 2020 so that Michigan Democrats can complete their takeover of state government, has freshman Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson forgotten about term limits and its impact on the state Senate? It sure looks that way. Benson has moved quickly in her first few weeks in office to […]
IS THE PARTY OVER ALREADY? Benson Moves Undercut Whitmer ‘Happy Talk’
Things seemed to be going so well. Now, suddenly, they aren’t. New Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has had the news media eating out of the palm of her rhetorical hand with “kumbaya” calls for bipartisan cooperation between the executive branch’s constitutional officers, all Democrats, and majority Republicans in the state Senate and House of Representatives. […]