| |
Rev. David A. Bullock,
President of the Highland Park, MI NAACP branch, a most
outspoken voice against the EM Law addresses hundreds of
protesters at a May Day rally in southwest Detroit. (Photo
by HB Meeks/Tell Us Detroit) |
| |
EM
law
repeal
effort
seeks
day in
court
Statewide
coalition
requests
State
Court of
Appeals
reverse
undemocratic
and
illegal
decision
by Board
of
Canvassers
Detroit
– The
Stand Up
for
Democracy
coalition
filed a
writ of
mandamus
today
with the
Michigan
State
Court of
Appeals,
seeking
to force
the
Secretary
of State
to place
the
repeal
of the
emergency
manager
law on
the
November
ballot.
Last
Thursday,
the
State
Board of
Canvassers
failed
to
certify
over
200,000
petition
signatures
that
were
collected
in
accordance
with
state
elections
law. The
only
basis
offered
for
rejection
of the
petition
was a
claim
that one
font
size in
the
petition
was too
small—a
claim
that was
not only
contested
by
expert
witnesses,
but also
irrelevant
to the
requirement
that
petitions’
format
be only
“substantially
as
provided”
by law.
“Ignoring
the
sworn
testimony,
ignoring
its own
staff
recommendation,
and in
cavalier
defiance
of a
quarter
of a
million
Michigan
voters,
the
Board of
Canvassers
voted
…to
withhold
certification
of the
petitions
for the
November
6, 2012
general
election
ballot,”
the
filing
read.
“This
was a
breach
of the
Board of
Canvassers’
clear
legal
duty.”
The 2-2
vote was
along
straight
party
lines,
with
both
Republican
members
of the
Board
voting
No.
The
filing
explained,
“This is
really
what the
instant
case
comes
down to.
Plaintiffs’
expert,
through
testimony
and a
Printer’s
Affidavit
verifies
that the
font is
14 point
bold
type.
The
Challenge
states
it
believes
it is
still
too
small,
though
this
claim
was
roundly
dismantled
by
expert
testimony
at the
hearing.”
News
that the
challenger’s
printer’s
affidavit
may be
perjury
is no
surprise.
No
experts
testified
in
person
at the
hearing
in
support
of
claims
that the
font
size on
the
petition
was
incorrect.
The
entire
affair
calls
into
question
whether
the
challenger
affidavits
are
little
more
than
pieces
of paper
signed
by
“ghost”
printers.
Citizens
from
around
the
state of
Michigan
continue
to
express
outrage
in the
wake of
that
despicable
decision
by
republicans
at the
State
Board of
Canvassers
meeting.
Expert
testimony,
physical
evidence
and
scientific
evaluation
proved
the
petition
to
repeal
emergency
managers
was, is
and
remains
in
compliance
with the
legal
font-size
as
required
by law.
If the
Court of
Appeals
rules
that the
challenge
was
invalid—and
therefore
that the
Board of
Canvassers
exceeded
its
authority
by
rejecting
the
petition—repeal
of the
Emergency
Manager
law will
go on
the
November
ballot.
Once on
the
ballot,
the law
will be
immediately
suspended
until
the
election.
Stand Up
for
Democracy
is a
coalition
of
individuals
and
organizations
that
formed
to
collect
voter
signatures
to place
repeal
of
Emergency
Manager
Law on
the
November
2012
general
election
ballot.
The
group
exceeded
the
161,305
valid
signatures
needed
by more
than
40,000.
For more
information
go to
www.standup4democracy.com
or call
1-866-306-5168
to
volunteer.
|
