Opponents of Michigan's emergency manager law who had gathered more than enough petitions to put the law on the November ballot were told yesterday that it wouldn't happen because the petitions had used the wrong font size.
Organizers had hoped to suspend Public Act 4, the Local Government and School District Fiscal Accountability Act, also known as the “emergency financial manager law” signed by Gov. Snyder last year. The Center for Public Integrity explained that with the law, "appointed managers can nullify labor contracts, sell public utilities and dismiss elected officials." Greatly contested was the ability of emergency managers under this law to nullify collective bargaining agreements.
Even though organizers had gathered 203,000 petition signatures, about 40,000 more than necessary to put a repeal on the ballot, the Board of State Canvassers was unable to accept the petitions due to a deadlock 2-2 vote with the two Republican members of the board ruling out the petitions, saying the size of the font on the heading was incorrect.
The Detroit Free Press reports that Canvassers board member James Waters who agreed to certify the petitions said, "I believe there was more than substantial compliance, there was total compliance," while Republican Norm Shinkle, who voted against them said, "I think there is a legitimate question as to size."
The Detroit News reports that opponents of the “emergency financial manager law” are furious at the results. "The Constitution was not judged on the basis of font size," said Anthony, president of the Detroit NAACP and pastor of Detroit's Fellowship Chapel church. Rashid Baydoun, executive director of the Arab-American Civil Rights League, said, "The will of the people was denied. All we ask is for Michigan people to be able to decide."
If the petitions had been certified, the emergency manager law would have been immediately suspended.
Stand Up for Democracy, the group that organized the petitions, has vowed to file an appeal.
Yet another in the long list of reasons that I absolutely despise thrice damned Republicans. They are YET AGAIN blocking the will of the people of Michigan with this travesty! Don't get me wrong, I don't care for the Democrats all that much either, but no party has done more to fuck up my state or my life than the GOP. Literally. Hate 'em! Assholes!
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