(WDET) - The Democratic National Committee says the party will hold its second presidential primary debate in Detroit. It’s another sign that Michigan will be a battleground in the next election. Democratic Party officials say they plan back-to-back presidential candidate debates in Detroit at the end of July. Democratic Party Chairman Tom Perez says Detroit’s diversity and ties to the labor movement fit well with, in his words, “the values and character of the Democratic Party.” President Donald Trump won the state in 2016 by less than one percent of the vote, in part by promising to bring jobs back to to a working class he said Democrats had forgotten. Democrats took notice and many of the party's high-profile candidates have already campaigned in Michigan this year.
Kalamazoo City commissioners have blocked proposals for two new historic districts. They say the proposals were an over-reaction by the city’s Historic Preservation Commission to plans by two religious groups to tear down old buildings. First Congregational Church plans to demolish the former Reformed Church building on Academy to make way for a new kids’ nature park. First Congregational pastor Nathan Dannison says the project will benefit the community. Kalamazoo City commissioners also blocked a proposed historic district on the old campus of Nazareth College on Gull Road. It would have complicated plans by the Sisters of Saint Joseph to tear down part of its old chapterhouse.
(Kalamazoo Gazette) A student who brought a loaded gun to Kalamazoo Central High School last month says he was trying to protect himself. The Kalamazoo Gazette reports the 16-year-old, whose name was not released, told authorities that individuals from Kalamazoo had threatened him with assault, and that’s why he brought a revolver with three bullets in it to school. Officials and administrators at Central searched the student and found the gun after getting a tip from a parent.
(MPRN) The Michigan Supreme Court will weigh in on how Republicans in the Legislature dealt with a voter-initiated measure to increase the state minimum wage. GOP leaders also asked the Supreme Court to issue an opinion on the new law that requires employers to offer workers paid sick leave. The measures were headed to the ballot last November. But Republicans in the Legislature adopted the laws first and then changed them after Election Day. That was before adjourning for the year. The new laws were more employer-friendly than the original versions. Democrats say the GOP actions circumvented the will of the voters. Republicans in the Legislature are hoping to avert a legal challenge by asking the Republican-majority Supreme Court to give its OK. It’s only an advisory opinion, but that opinion could give a pretty strong indication of how the justices would rule. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat, has also been asked to give a legal opinion.
(Detroit Free Press) - Amtrak says it's exploring options for re-launching a limited passenger train service to Canada. The railroad expressed interest in reviving service between Detroit and Toronto in a grant request to Congress. That line hasn't operated since the late 1960s. A spokesperson for Amtrak says it’s looking for ways to update and expand its passenger rail network and sees “promise” in the Chicago-to-Ontario corridor. But Amtrak didn't give Congress a construction timeline.
(Kalamazoo Gazette) - The Kalamazoo Public Schools have won a big state grant for security upgrades. The district will get nearly $443,000 from the Competitive School Safety Grant Program. The money will pay for new two-way radios and loudspeakers outside elementary and middle school buildings. Similar equipment will also be installed at the district's high schools. KPS officials say the equipment will help them communicate in situations involving school lockdowns or evacuations. The district is also spending four million dollars from a bond issue approved by voters last year on security improvements.
(Gongwer News Service)- The State Senate Democratic Office and its chief of staff face complaints about sexual discrimination and harassment. The complaint was filed by a former senior attorney and policy adviser. Sarah Studley says she was mistreated and demoted by Senate Democratic Chief of Staff John Mulcrone in 2016 and 2017. She later left the office. Senior Democratic officials didn't immediately respond to a request for comment yesterday. Studley says she spoke to current Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich about the problem, but she says no action was taken.
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