I guess this is something to be sort of happy about:
http://www.freep.com/...
A group of seven large Michigan businesses, including Chrysler, pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and the Detroit and Grand Rapids chambers of commerce have joined a coalition urging the state Legislature to expand Michigan’s anti-discrimination Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include sexual orientation.
The coalition also got a signal of encouragement from some unlikely fronts. Gov. Rick Snyder stopped short of explicitly endorsing the expansion, but said, “I don’t believe in discrimination, and I look at it as a healthy thing for the Legislature to consider sometime this year.”
He wouldn’t say whether he would sign the bill if it came to his desk.
“I hope when they return from their summer recess that it is an issue that is taken up seriously, and there is some resolution on the issue,” Snyder said.
The issue, which has widespread support from Democrats, also got the nod from U.S. Senate candidate Terri Lynn Land, a Byron Center Republican. - Detroit Free Press, 5/29/14
Of course Snyder's remarks were encouraging and received praise:
http://www.hngn.com/...
Brad Williams, vice president of government relations for the Detroit Regional Chamber, said it is time to address the law that people view as discriminatory, according to the AP.
"We know that the Legislature needs to hear from the business community to push this issue up to the top," Williams said, the AP reported. "We plan on spending the summer talking to them a lot on the issue, and we're hopeful that come fall we'll be able to take it up and get the issue off the table."
The gay rights group Equality Michigan is pushing to amend the discrimination law in 2014 as a precursor to a planned 2016 ballot drive to overturn Michigan's constitutional ban against same-sex marriage, according to the AP.
The comments from Snyder, who is seeking re-election later this year, were welcomed by the state's leading gay rights group and Senate Democratic Leader Gretchen Whitmer of East Lansing, as well, the AP reported. - HNGN, 5/29/14
Hold your praise there people. Though Snyder says he's against discrimination, actions speak louder than words. And judging Snyder's past on LGBT rights, it's fair to assume he's all talk:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
But while Snyder's new public support for LGBT rights may finally push action on the civil rights act, he hasn't spoken on the most current equal rights issue for Michigan's LGBT residents: gay marriage. A federal judge overturned the state ban on gay marriage in March, finding it unconstitutional, though an appeals court shortly issued a stay as they consider the case. Snyder is named as a defendant.
In the day between the ruling and the stay, 300 couples were married. Snyder said that the marriages occurred legally, but that they would not be recognized by the state and therefore not eligible for state benefits, a position described as "head-spinning" by one of the lawyers who challenged the ban. On Thursday, the ACLU filed a motion asking for federal district court to recognize the marriages.
After the gay marriage ban was overturned, Snyder refused to rehash his personal opinion on marriage while speaking with an MLive reporter.
"I've been focused on jobs, it's my main message, and I'm staying consistent with that," he said.
Gay rights supporters have said Michigan's hostile environment dissuades LGBT individuals, their allies and young people from living in the state, which could hurt economic recovery. - Huffington Post, 5/29/14
While Snyder's argument is based on economics, voters shouldn't forget that his opponent, Mark Schauer (D. MI) has been a strong supporter of marriage equality and LGBT rights:
http://www.dailykos.com/...
I came across a Facebook post yesterday that made me look twice. It had a black background and the iconic Michigan mitten in the colors of the LGBT rainbow. The post was from Mark Schauer, the Democratic challenger to Michigan’s anti-equality governor, Rick Snyder. As a Michigander, this was a first for me. A candidate for state-wide office is looking to attract voters to his campaign by trumpeting the need to make Michigan the next state to go equal.
Wow.
It has been common practice in Michigan, for Democratic candidates to be supportive of LGBT equality, but only if someone else brings up the subject. The way of the savvy politician here has always been to acknowledge your position pro or con and then move onto economic issues as quickly as possible. Move along. Nothing to see here. But Mark Schauer isn’t just announcing he’s gay-friendly, he is using marriage equality as a major issue in his campaign.
The link Mark posted on Facebook did not lead to the standard campaign donation page I expected to find. It led to a sign up “petition” for people who are pro-marriage equality. It’s a common way for politicians to gather email addresses for fundraising and to find dedicated campaign volunteers – Michiganders interested in an issues the campaign intends to highlight. The more someone cares about marriage equality, the harder they’ll work for a candidate who supports it.
The hidden message in that Facebook link, is that Mark Schauer plans on making Governor Rick Snyder’s anti-equality stance front and center as a campaign issue.
Mark Schauer was minority leader of the Michigan House, a member of the Michigan Senate, and his wife Christine is Calhoun County Treasurer. He is an experienced politician. Yet he seems to have made the political calculation that hearts and minds have changed since 2004, when a “DOMA” amendment was approved by Michigan voters. - The New Civil Rights Movement, 11/13/13
Snyder was the one who said that Michigan's gay marriage ban saved the state money:
A motion filed Friday by attorneys for Gov. Rick Snyder asks a federal judge to continue Michigan's ban on domestic partner benefits for same-sex couples who work for state and local governments.
The motion asks Judge David Lawson to rule in favor of the state in a lawsuit filed by five same-sex couples. The motion argues that the 2011 law banning the benefits "eliminates local government programs that are irrational and unfair" and promotes "financially sound" local agencies.
In June 2013, Lawson issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting the state from enforcing the law, Public Act 297, saying the plaintiffs in the case had a good chance of proving at trial that the law violates the equal protection guarantee of the U.S. Constitution.
"The plaintiffs fortify their position with statements from the sponsors of the legislation
suggesting that Public Act 297 targets same-sex partners and was motivated by animus," Lawson wrote in his order granting the injunction, which did not require public employers to offer the benefits if they were not previously. - MLive, 2/17/14
So yeah, I don't think anyone would doubt me about being skeptical about Snyder's remarks. I think this is just a late attempt to move towards the center just in time for his re-election bid. Of course one could argue this was another late attempt to move to the center:
http://www.bloomberg.com/...
While Congress is mired in bickering and investigations, Michigan’s push to help Detroit is a glimmer of cooperation -- one opposed by Americans for Prosperity, a group funded by Charles and David Koch to advance free-market ideas and oppose Democrats. Its Michigan chapter is planning an election-year campaign against lawmakers who voted for the deal.
“The Senate hasn’t even voted and the mayor of Detroit is looking for another billion-and-a-half dollars from foundations and government,” said Scott Hagerstrom, director of the organization’s Michigan chapter, referring to a campaign to raise more money for blight removal in the city. “You have political leadership in Detroit that just doesn’t get it, engages in the same behavior that got them in the position they’re in.”
Yet an April poll showed two-thirds of likely voters supported Snyder’s offer. And Walsh said the margin of House support may encourage the Senate, where Republican majority leader Randy Richardville has been a supporter. - Bloomberg, 5/29/14
Then again, Snyder doesn't need to worry about offending his billionaire backers because he already has one:
http://www.mlive.com/...
Michigan Republican Gov. Rick Snyder is getting a big re-election assist from businessman and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Buzzfeed political editor Katherine Miller reports Bloomberg will host a June 5 fundraiser for Snyder at his New York home, with contribution levels starting at $1,000.
A spot on the "host committee" will reportedly cost $6,800 per person -- the maximum donation allowable under a new law Snyder signed last year -- or $13,600 for a couple.
Snyder campaign spokesperson Emily Benavides confirmed the scheduled event but did not discuss further details. - MLive, 5/16/14
So yeah. Now Snyder's approval ratings aren't good, even outside of Detroit:
http://michiganradio.org/...
Impressions of Republican Gov. Rick Snyder are more negative than positive among voters, even when you factor out the heavily Democratic city of Detroit, according to a poll released yesterday.
This poll was commissioned by Michigan Radio and its partners in the Detroit Journalism Cooperative.
The poll is unique because it does not include voters from the city of Detroit.
Among the data was a question asking how voters would rate the job Rick Snyder has done as Michigan’s governor. Since Snyder is a Republican and voters in Detroit are overwhelmingly Democratic, you might expect Snyder to do really well outside the city. But 52% of voters rated Gov. Snyder as having done a
fair to poor job; 46% thought he’d done a pretty good to excellent job.
That 46% approval rating is a little higher than recent polls of Michigan voters, including Detroit. Those polls have Snyder’s approval rating hovering around 40%. - Michigan Radio, 5/14/14
But Snyder still leads in the polls:
http://www.clickondetroit.com/...
According to the Local 4/Detroit News poll, 45% of voters surveyed support Gov. Rick Snyder’s re-election bid while 35.2% say they’ll likely back expected Democratic nominee Mark Schauer. Eighteen percent of voters are currently undecided.
By a 42.5%-39.2% margin, Michigan voters have a favorable opinion of the governor.
A majority of voters have currently not heard of or had no opinion of Shauer, 12.3% had a favorable opinion and 17.2% had an unfavorable opinion of the likely Democratic nominee for governor. - Click On Detroit, 5/28/14
So Schauer's main problem is he's still unknown and that needs to be fixed ASAP. That's why he wants to debate Snyder:
http://www.mlive.com/...
Democratic challenger Mark Schauer is proposing a series of four debates with Gov. Rick Snyder in the run up to the November general election.
The former Congressman floated a debate schedule in a letter to the Snyder campaign last week and made his push public on Wednesday just minutes before the governor began his opening remarks at the Detroit Regional Chamber's annual Mackinac Policy Conference.
"It's a reasonable number, and it's tied to giving people in each media market around the state a chance to see the two candidates side by side," Schauer said outside the Chippewa Hotel in downtown Mackinac Island, where he was scheduled to headline a Michigan Democratic Party fundraiser later Wednesday.
"I think this is an essential part of our democracy, to give the public a chance to give each of us a chance to express our vision and values, respond to the questions in a live format. I welcome it, and I hope Rick Snyder does as well." - MLive, 5/28/14
Of course debates won't be the only thing to get the base out for Schauer:
http://www.mlive.com/...
If the Tea Party can do it, why can’t the state Democratic party?
It’s all about anger.
When Obamacare was adopted the anger in certain segments of the electorate spawned the Tea Party and while that movement did not do so hot during recent primary elections around the country, the anger still drives those folks.
As state Democrats ponder how to jump start their followers to get them to the polls in November, anger is at the center of that effort.
“I’m so mad, I’m going to vote,” is the theme.
Nobody wants to talk about this but based on soundings around here and based on the issues the party is pounding you can figure this out.
When the Dems blast the governor about raising the senior pension tax, it’s all about exploiting senior anger over that.
When the Dems criticize the governor for allegedly cutting education, the message is aimed at angry parents who want the best schooling for their kids.
When the Dems contend the governor loves to cuddle up to big corporations, they hope the anti-business segment of the voters will be angry with the governor for being one of them and not one of us. - MLive, 5/29/14
And Democrats are angry:
http://www.wlns.com/...
The state Democratic Party chair has a challenge, lots of democrats often stay home in the race for governor every four years.
Mr. Johnson wants to anger the democrats to get them to the polls and Mr. Schauer says they are angry.
“One thing that Governor Rick Snyder and an extreme legislature have done is unify democrats,” said Mark Schauer.
The democrats claim that individual citizens do not feel better about their economy, even though the state has improved.
“The Michigan voters don’t need to be told they’re better off four years from now. They just need to take a look at what’s outside their door. Are the roads any better? Are the classrooms any less crowded? Are there more jobs? The answer’s no,” said Lori Johnson, state democratic chair. - WLNS 6, 5/29/14
If you want to get involved or donate to Schauer's campaign, you can do so here:
http://markschauer.com/