April 14, 2021 Democrats and activists are rallying support against a 39 bill Senate package scheduled for initial deliberation this week. The bills cover a range of proposed changes, but opponents have focused on various controls to the absentee ballot process. Dr. Wendell Anthony, president of the Detroit branch of the NAACP, led a rally Tuesday alongside Mayor Mike Duggan and the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus to oppose the voting measures. Invoking images of the COVID-19 age, he said these bills would usher in a "political pandemic.” “They would place democracy on a ventilator,” he said to a crowd of about 100 on the Capitol steps. “They don’t provide greater access, but a grand scheme to suppress the rights of a select group of Michiganders.” READ MORE ►Ford, GM, slew of Michigan corporations denounce Republican voting bills While eligibility for the coronavirus vaccine has opened to all Michiganders age 16 and up, experts say technology, internet access, language barriers, transportation and a lack of trust affect how likely it is someone will be able to get vaccinated. As Michigan endures the nation’s worst surge of coronavirus cases, the state continues to move towards getting 70% of the eligible population vaccinated. As of Friday, the state reports 38.7% of Michiganders have received at least one dose of vaccine and 24.4% are fully vaccinated. MORE Michigan’s “Clean Slate” laws that make it easier for convicted criminals to erase past felonies from public records took effect Sunday, April 11. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel during an online informational session Monday said several hundred thousand to a million Michigan residents may be eligible under the new expungement rules and will “no longer have to deal with the stigma and barriers posed by having a criminal conviction on their public record.” We have a look at exactly who is eligible, and what the process looks like: MORE A shortened season filled with ups and downs didn’t keep Michigan high school girls basketball players from stepping up through adversity. Throughout the season, players from across the state put forth countless memorable performances and led their teams to successful 2021 showings collecting individual honors, team championships and more along the way. Now, MLive sports writers have chosen one standout player from all nine MLive regions as the Players of the Year for the 2021 season. Check out these exceptional Michigan athletes: MORE ►Damiya Hagemann becomes Detroit Edison's third-straight Miss Basketball winner Looking to wish upon a star, as Jiminy Cricket would encourage? Tonight's the night your dream comes true. While it's been a few months since Michigan has seen a meteor shower, that should end as Lyrid is set to hit its peak tonight into tomorrow morning. “The Lyrids are one of the oldest meteor showers on record, dating back to China around 690 BCE. The light show occurs when our planet crosses the orbit of Comet Thatcher, causing its debris of ice and dust to burn up in the atmosphere," said Mike Murray of the Delta College Planetarium.MORE Get your local news 24/7 Connect with MLive To ensure receipt of our emails, please add newsletters@update.mlive to your address book or safe sender list. |