DETROIT –
Rudy Serra is asking supporters to write to Governor Jennifer Granholm to support appointing him to the an open judicial seat in the 36th District Court. The seat is vacant following the death of Judge O'Banner Owens. If Serra, who served on the court for two years, is appointed he will have to run again in 2008. Such a run is considered to have a high probability of success based on past election analysis.
Those interested in supporting Serra's appointment are asked to write Granholm at the following address:
Governor Jennifer Granholm
111 South Capital Avenue
Lansing, Michigan 48909
EAST LANSING – Michigan State University has announced its annual MSU LBGT Student Reception and Statewide Resource Fair. The event will occur on Tuesday September 4 at 5:30 p.m. at the MSU Union building. Organizations interested in participating in the resource fair are asked to register by August 28, 2007. Registration forms are available at
www.lbgtrc.msu.edu/events/rf07 . Organizations can also call the Office of LBGT Concerns at 517-353-9520 for more information.
EAST LANSING – The Michigan Alliance Against Hate Crimes and the Michigan Department of Civil Rights have announced a conference called The Michigan Alliance Against Hate Crimes Hate Crime Conference for Thursday September 6, 2007 at the Kellogg Center at Michigan State University. The conference will feature a keynote address by Mark Potok, the director of the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project and editor of the Intelligence Report.
Registration is free, and available online at the following address:
http://www.michigan.gov/mdcr/0,1607,7-138–172481–,00.html
LANSING – House and Senate conferees have agreed on a budget for the department of History Arts and Libraries (HAL) and are expected to vote to increase the department's budget to $10.1 million dollars Aug. 22.
Funding for the department has long been a contentious issue, and earlier this year Governor Jennifer Granholm put a moriatorium on grants issued by the department. While that was lifted, the HAL budget passed included a 37 percent reduction to $6.5 million. Tucked in the House bill is an intent to restore funding to $10.1 million. However a Senate bill remains at $6.5 million.
HAL funding is used by libraries, museums and arts and other cultural venues to maintain funding sources and attract tourists to the state. ArtServe Michigan, a lobbying agency for the arts is calling on people to call the Senate and House and ask them to restore funding to $10.1 million.
LANSING – U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing) was in town last week and held a community forum to update local leaders about what is happening in D.C. During the hour and half event at the local State Employees 6000, Stabenow fielded questions about the mortgage foreclosure rate, currency manipulation and the war in Iraq.
Stabenow was asked if she supported a censure resolution aimed at President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard Cheney and she talked around the issue for several minutes. When asked finally for a yes or no response, she said, "I'm not going to say because I want to make sure if there is a censure process I have not prejudged it without all the information. I do believe that history should have a record of what this administration has done."
Stabenow also said that while the Democratically controlled Senate has tried to accomplish much, Republicans are being "obstructionist" by using procedural rules to force long drawn out voting fights and delay the votes on actual issues for the American people time and time again. She also said the Republicans who were harping on the Democrats threat of filibusters, have turned to them as a mainstay of delay tactics. She heavily chastised national media coverage for missing the continued "obstructionist" actions of the Republican minority.
DETROIT – The 2008 Creating Change Host Committee met last Thursday at First Congregational Church of Detroit. Volunteers are being sought for all of the subcommittess that comprise the host committee to help welcome over 2,000 national LGBT activists this Feb. 6 – 10 at the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit.
Contact any of the co-chairs below to learn how you can become involved.
Co-Chairs
Curtis Lipscomb – 313-438-2222, [email protected]
Carrie E.V. Copeland = 248-398-7105√ó224, [email protected]
Gabriel Javier – 734-763-4186, [email protected]
Kate Runyon – 734-355-0354. [email protected]
Absolutely everyone is welcome and needed to pull off the 20th anniversary of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Forces' Creating Change conference.
