Dana's Dispatch: Defending Reproductive Freedom, Protecting Indigenous Communities, Holding Utility Companies Accountable & More!

--------------------------------------------------------------- AG Dana Nessel to file amicus brief in support of Reproductive Freedom for All ballot initiative SCOTUS sent abortion back to the states & MI residents collected more signatures to put it on the ballot than any other proposal in state history, but the Republicans Canvassers are trying to use a line-spacing non-issue to keep our residents from voting on it. It's an affront to our democratic system, and I will be filing an amicus brief with the MI Supreme Court. [READ MORE]( Dana Nessel, Dana Nessel on Facebook (September 3, 2022) AG Dana Nessel to file amicus brief in support of Reproductive Freedom for All ballot initiative Retrieved from: [AG Dana Nessel to file amicus brief in support of Reproductive Freedom for All ballot initiative]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Hillsdale County deputy to stand trial for misconduct in office The Department of Attorney General takes seriously reports of exploitation and will vigorously pursue those who abuse positions of authority and violate the public trust. A Hillsdale County deputy has been bound over for trial on charges alleging he used his position from sexual misconduct, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a news release Thursday. Todd Barkley, 46, of Brownstown Township, is charged with two counts of misconduct in office. Each charge is a five-year felony. Barkley is accused of exploiting his position as a law enforcement officer to coerce a female suspect into a sexual relationship, officials said. Barkley also arranged for the woman to be treated for substance-use disorder at a rehabilitation center in Fulton, Kentucky, and used his badge to take the woman out of the facility for the day to engage in sexual activity, officials allege. Barkley is also being investigated by law enforcement in Kentucky. Other potential victims are encouraged to come forward and report incidents to Sgt. Matt Young from the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office at 517-540-7960, or Det. Ted Johnson of the Eaton County Sheriff’s Office at 517-323-8492. [READ MORE]( Mitchell Kukulka, MLive (August 25, 2022) Hillsdale County deputy to stand trial for misconduct in office Retrieved from: [Hillsdale County deputy to stand trial for misconduct in office]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Nessel, 23 AGs defend law to prevent ‘unwarranted displacement’ of Indigenous children I am committed to ensuring that MI continues to protect the wellbeing of Native American children, their parents, & their tribes. The protections afforded by the federal ICWA over the last 44 years must be upheld to preserve the cultural identity of Native American communities. The 44-year-old Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) provides foundational protections guaranteed to Indigenous children, their families and their tribal communities. It was implemented to prevent the unwarranted displacement of Native children, a practice that had previously been widespread in the United States. But the U.S. Supreme Court is teed up to hear four court cases this fall that could potentially result in ICWA being toppled or drastically altered. The central issue in the suits is a constitutional question brought by non-Native foster parents in Texas who argue ICWA perpetuates racial discrimination by prioritizing that Native children are placed with Indigenous family members or other members of their tribe. Nessel previously signed on to an amicus brief in October 2021 concerning two of the cases, Haaland v. Brackeen and Cherokee Nation v. Brackeen. In the amicus brief Nessel signed on to last week, the coalition asserts that the ICWA is a critical tool for protecting Native children and fostering state-tribal collaboration and the law and its implementing regulations are constitutional, because: The law is a valid exercise of Congress’ powers over tribal affairs in response to unwarranted removals that imperiled relations with Native American tribes and threatened their existence; The law’s provisions do not violate the “anti-commandeering” doctrine, which prohibits Congress from issuing direct commands to state governments; The law does not violate equal protection by establishing preferences for the adoptive and foster care placement of the Native children. The coalition also highlights in the amicus brief that the United States has a long history of unwarranted removals of Indigenous children from their families. That history includes a centuries-long federal policy of placing Native children in Indian residential schools — including some in Michigan — that set out to assimilate them into white culture and strip the children of their tribal identities. [READ MORE]( Laina G. Stebbins, Michigan Advance (August 30, 2022) Nessel, 23 AGs defend law to prevent ‘unwarranted displacement’ of Indigenous children Retrieved from: [Nessel, 23 AGs defend law to prevent ‘unwarranted displacement’ of Indigenous children]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Over 111,000 still without power days after Michigan storm Since taking office, my team has presented consumer feedback on power outages before the Michigan Public Service Commission & saved ratepayers nearly $2B in utility price hikes. If you experienced an outage this week, submit a report here: [( Photo courtesy of Mickey Ciokajlo, MLive An estimated 111,689 people are still without power on Thursday, Sept. 1, following a violent storm that blew through Michigan Monday. The outage numbers include estimates from Consumers Energy and DTE Energy, the two major utilities serving Michigan. The Consumers Energy outage map shows the locations where people remain without power on the morning of Thursday, Sept. 1. The numbers are fluctuating as crews work to restore power across the state. Consumers Energy shows outages totaling 8,001. Consumers said on Tuesday, Aug. 30, that crews had restored power to nearly 40,000 customers overnight. Consumers Energy has now restored power to the majority of the nearly 400,000 of its customers who lost power. Another major utility company serving a portion of Michigan, DTE Energy, reported 243,000 customers without electricity Monday. DTE said, as of Thursday morning, more than 50% of the customers affected by Monday’s strong storms have been restored. [READ MORE]( Brad Devereaux, MLive (September 1, 2022) Over 111,000 still without power days after Michigan storm Retrieved from: [Over 111,000 still without power days after Michigan storm]( --------------------------------------------------------------- AG candidate highlights far right influence on Republican party My opponent openly supports white supremacy ideals, uses the imagery and language of these organizations, & traffics in hate, racism, homophobia, anti-semitism. If elected, he could disband my department's Hate Crimes & Domestic Terrorism Unit. Quite a choice voters have to make in Michigan's AG race this fall. August 28 Tweet from Republican nominee for attorney general Matt DePerno features homophobic, misogynistic, & anti-Semitic rhetoric and imagery. Matt DePerno, a self-proclaimed constitutional attorney from Kalamazoo County, is running for attorney general as the de facto leader of the grassroots contingency of the Michigan Republican Party. Why it matters: DePerno posting a Pepe the Frog graphic on Twitter this week, a symbol associated with alt-right groups, marks how grassroots activists are influencing the top of the Republican ticket. Driving the news: DePerno is currently among a group under state investigation for taking vote tabulators and performing "tests" on them following the 2020 election. Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel's office announced earlier this month it referred the investigation to a special prosecutor to consider charges against DePerno and others who gained unauthorized access into voting machines in rural townships. The intrigue: A Trump loyalist and election denier, DePerno declined to answer whether he funded the tabulator testing operation when asked by the Detroit News on Monday. He also ran away from CNN cameras at last weekend's convention. DePerno claimed Nessel wants to defund the police despite her repeated defense of her opposition to minimizing police funding. Our interview was ended by a DePerno staffer after Axios pointed that out. [READ MORE]( Samuel Robinson (August 31, 2022) AG candidate highlights far right influence on Republican party Retrieved from: [AG candidate highlights far right influence on Republican party]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for being a part of Dana's re-election campaign! Sending emails is a crucial way to keep supporters like you updated on Dana's fight for justice and progress. Plus, this campaign is fueled by grassroots supporters like you! 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