Representative Justin Amash says Congress should begin impeachment proceedings to hold President Trump accountable. MSU has a new president. Kalamazoo’s Vice Mayor will remain director of a state LGBTQ rights organization.
(WGVU) Two weeks after first saying he believes President Donald Trump committed impeachable offenses, Republican Congressman Justin Amash hosted a town hall meeting in Grand Rapids Tuesday night. Amash told the standing room only crowd that Congress should hold Trump accountable and begin impeachment proceedings. The town hall meeting came hours after Amash had doubled down on his position, this time taking aim at United States Attorney General William Barr on Twitter. In a 25-post-tweetstorm Tuesday, Amash accused Barr of “deliberately misrepresenting” the findings of the Mueller report, and that Barr had “used his position to sell the president's false narrative to the American people.”
Kalamazoo Vice Mayor Erin Knott will remain the executive director of Equality Michigan. Knott has led the advocacy group for LGBTQ peopleon an interim basis since December. In a statement, Equality Michigan Action Network Chairman Trevor Thomas says Knott’s commitment to building a more inclusive Michigan, her role as Vice Mayor of Kalamazoo and the many other battles she has waged for everyday people make Knott the right leader for Equality Michigan.
(WKAR) Michigan State University has a new president. Samuel Stanley is the former president of Stony Brook University near New York City. MSU board members announced the decision Tuesday. The university hasn't had a permanent president since Lou Anna Simon resigned because of the Larry Nassar sex abuse scandal. Stanley was selected in a closed process that drew criticism from Nassar's victims and their families. Stanley says he thinks there needs to be culture of accountability and prevention at MSU. Stanley is set to begin his tenure as Michigan State president August first.
(MichiganRadio) Some Democratic state legislators are lashing out at Governor Gretchen Whitmer over her signaled support for changes to Michigan’s auto insurance system. Detroit Representatives Isaac Robinson and Cynthia Johnson say legislation passed last week will not guarantee major rate reductions, but will compromise health care for car accident victims. And they say it doesn’t effectively prohibit the use of non-driving factors like credit scores to set rates. Whitmer says it's a bipartisan compromise that will cut rates and preserve the safety net for accident victims.
(MPRN) A state lawmaker facing multiple criminal charges was in a federal court Tuesday. Traverse City-area Republican Larry Inman faces three charges: attempted extortion, soliciting a bribe and lying to the FBI. He’s accused of trying to sell his vote on Michigan’s former prevailing wage law. That’s a law that the Legislature repealed in 2018 that required union level wages for public construction contracts. A federal magistrate allowed Inman to be out of jail while he awaits a potential trial. But he cannot travel internationally. And he has to get permission if he wants to leave the state. Inman has been voted out of his party’s caucus. But his attorney says the Representative has no plans to resign right now.
(WDET) Great Lakes water levels have risen to near-record levels. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says residents should expect more of the same this summer. A Spokesperson says the high water levels are causing damage to the coast lines across the state. The Corps says water levels and flow rates in the connecting channels of the Great Lakes could lead to localized flooding.
In baseball, Kalamazoo opened the season with a 5-4 loss to Fond du Lac Tuesday night. The Growlers rallied after falling behind 5-1 in the seventh inning, but the Dock Spiders held on to win on opening night. The two teams meet again this morning at Homer Stryker Field.
Battle Creek opened the Northwoods League season with an 8-3 loss to Lakeshore Tuesday night. The Chinooks blew a one run game open with four runs in the fifth inning. The Bombers will host Lakeshore again this morning at C.O. Brown Stadium.