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Contest for Supreme Courts in the Great Lakes region
A new report from the Justice at Stake Campaign and the Midwest Democracy Network shows how Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin have become the epicenter of a spreading arms race between corporate interests, trial lawyers, ideological groups and political partisans who are committed to bending state judges to their will.
- Press Release: New Report Documents Special Interest Pressure on Midwest Courts
- The New Politics of Judicial Elections in the Great Lakes States, 2000-2008 (pdf)
Top PACs have raised $21.8 million in 2008 cycle
The first campaign finance reports from political action committees (PACs) in six months show the top 150 Michigan PACs have raised $21.8 million so far this election cycle.
Lobbyists' spending, 2007: $32.1M
Lansing lobbyists spent $32,105,151 in 2007, according to reports filed with the Michigan Department of State. That total is up by six percent compared to 2006.
Grassroots to Legislature: Support Impartial Justice
Grassroots activists brought a simple message to Lansing on February 19th: Michigan’s high-priced and largely secretive Supreme Court election campaigns undermine public trust and confidence in the state’s highest court.
- Press Release: Grassroots to Legislature: Support Impartial Justice
- Justices on Supreme Court Election Campaigns (pdf)
- Ecology of Michigan Supreme Court Election Campaigns (pdf)
- Rich Robinson's testimony to the House Judiciary Committee, 10/10/2007 (pdf)
Delayed accountability beats no accountability
State officeholders filed their first campaign finance reports in almost 14 months on January 31st. Since their last reports were filed in December 2006 they have raised $4.45 million.
- Press Release: Delayed accountability beats no accountability
- State Representatives' campaign finance summaries, 11/2006-12/2007 (pdf)
- State Senators' campaign finance summaries, 11/2006-12/2007 (pdf)
- Statewide Executives' campaign finance summaries, 11/2006-12/2007 (pdf)
Health check-up for Midwest democracy
Political reform organizations from five Midwest states have collaborated to publish a new book that assesses the state of democracy in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota. The volume analyzes political pathologies that are unique to the respective states and those that cut across the Great Lakes region. Democratic Renewal: A Call to Action from America’s Heartland also proposes reform measures to revitalize democracy in the states.
2006 Citizen's Guide to Michigan Campaign Finance
Political campaigns in Michigan raised and spent over $192 million in the 2006 election cycle. The 2006 Citizen's Guide to Michigan Campaign Finance has the summary data for all the candidates and lists of who gave what to whom.