Dana's Dispatch: Expansion of ELCRA, Biden's gun safety order, Sunshine Week, & more!

[logo]( Gov. Whitmer signs legislation expanding LGBTQ+ protections Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation Thursday expanding the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, or ELCRA. Photo courtesy of News Channel 3 (State of Michigan/WWMT) On March 8, the Michigan House passed Senate Bill 4, which adds protections for sexual orientation, gender identity and expression into the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act of 1976. The act already lists protected classes in the state as "religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, weight, familial status, or marital status," meaning anyone who fits into those classes cannot be discriminated against in their jobs, education, housing, or public accommodations. The bill passed 64-45, with eight Republicans joining all Democrats. Thursday's change includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in the plain language of the act, state officials said. “No person in this State should experience barriers to employment, housing, education, or public accommodations and services because of who they are or who they love. I have long fought for equal treatment under the law and am grateful to finally see those protections explicitly spelled out within our state’s statutes," Nessel, the state's first openly lesbian Attorney General, said in a statement. [READ MORE]( Gabrielle Dawson, News Channel 3 (March 16, 2023) Gov. Whitmer signs legislation expanding LGBTQ+ protections Retrieved from: [Gov. Whitmer signs legislation expanding LGBTQ+ protections](   Michigan Attorney General Nessel applauds President Biden's gun safety order Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel praised President Joe Biden's executive orders aimed at reducing gun violence Tuesday. Photo courtesy of News Channel 3 (WWMT/Matthew Dae Smith/Lansing State Journal via AP) Biden is expected to sign the order to increase the number of background checks to buy guns, and promote better and more secure firearms storage. "As a prosecutor and as the state’s top law enforcement officer, I have seen firsthand the horrific impact gun violence has had on communities all across our state. I have dedicated the resources of my office to help fight this deadly epidemic by supporting legislation and litigation, both here in Michigan and across the nation, that would help enact gun safety policies to keep guns out of the hands of bad actors and ensure our local police officers and departments have the tools and resources they need to combat gun violence," Nessel said in a statement. She continued, "I am grateful to see efforts made by the president that mirror the policies we are trying to enact here in Michigan. Together, I am confident we can help curb gun violence and save lives.” [READ MORE]( Samantha May, News Channel 3 (March 14, 2023) Michigan Attorney General Nessel applauds President Biden's gun safety order Retrieved from: [Michigan Attorney General Nessel applauds President Biden's gun safety order](   Dems, Republicans push FOIA and ethics reforms during Sunshine Week Legislative leaders from both parties this week unveiled Sunshine Week proposals in efforts to increase government transparency. Started in 2005 by the American Society of News Editors — now known as the News Leaders Association — the partnership with The Society of Professional Journalists highlights access to public information and the role a free press plays in our democracy. State Sen. Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield) and Democratic state officials, including Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, kicked off Sunshine Week, an annual initiative to promote open government, by outlining priorities, which include implementing a voter-passed financial disclosure proposal and making progress on Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reform. Democrats are vowing that will change this session as they push for it to finally be signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. In 2015, the Center for Public Integrity ranked Michigan dead last among all states in the nation when it came to ethics, accountability and transparency in government operations. “Our residents have to be able to trust their elected officials will work for them, not the well-moneyed interests bankrolling them from the shadows,” Nessel said. “Michigan is in desperate need of commonsense campaign finance laws to ensure that information regarding the donors who back our state’s election ads, ballot initiatives, and candidate campaigns is being disclosed to voters. I look forward to working with Sen. Moss and others in the Legislature during Sunshine Week and beyond to help shine a light on the dark money being spent in Michigan politics.” [READ MORE]( Jon King, Michigan Advance (March 14, 2023) Dems, Republicans push FOIA and ethics reforms during Sunshine Week Retrieved from: [Dems, Republicans push FOIA and ethics reforms during Sunshine Week](   Wisconsin man pleads guilty to role in Whitmer kidnap scheme A Wisconsin man accused of assisting the key figures in a plot to kidnap Michigan's governor in 2020 pleaded guilty Wednesday to a lesser charge and will cooperate with prosecutors. Brian Higgins said he attempted to provide material support for terrorism, an offense that carries a maximum prison term of five years. Higgins was among five men scheduled to face trial later this year in northern Michigan's Antrim County, the location of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's vacation home. They were not charged with the 2020 kidnapping conspiracy but were accused of providing key support. A ragtag band of anti-government rebels was planning to kidnap the Democratic governor and trigger a civil war before the election, investigators said. "Anti-government extremism poses a threat to the safety of public officials, law enforcement officers, and residents all across our state,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a Wednesday statement. "My department’s Hate Crimes and Domestic Terrorism Unit is working around the clock to ensure that those who attempt to sow discord and commit violence in Michigan are stopped before any harm can come of their plots. We will keep fighting to deliver justice as the remaining prosecutions continue to play out." [READ MORE]( Jon Flesher and Ed White, The Detroit News (March 15, 2023) Wisconsin man pleads guilty to role in Whitmer kidnap scheme Retrieved from: [Wisconsin man pleads guilty to role in Whitmer kidnap scheme](   Redford woman to face trial in embezzlement case A Redford woman accused of embezzling about $176,653 has been bound over to circuit court. Kendra Marie Lewis, 42, was bound over to the Washtenaw County Circuit Court on one count of embezzlement of $100,000 or more, a 20-year felony, and two counts of filing a fraudulent tax return, a five-year felony, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Wednesday. In addition, she was charged as a habitual offender, third offense, due to her criminal record. Officials did not give any further information regarding her criminal history. Allegedly, Lewis embezzled about $176,653 in 2020 and 2021 while she was working as the office manager at Big Ike's Roofing Co. located in Whitmore Lake. According to the attorney general's office, she allegedly wrote checks to herself and recorded them in the business checkbook ledger as being payable to a variety of business vendors for fewer amounts. "Theft, especially that which targets our state's small businesses, causes harm to individual proprietors and drives up prices for all the community's residents," Nessel said. "I will not hesitate to prosecute those who break the law." [READ MORE]( Sarah Powers, CBS Detroit (March 15, 2023) Redford woman to face trial in embezzlement case Retrieved from: [Redford woman to face trial in embezzlement case](   Local governments across Michigan urged to participate in opioid settlements Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel urges eligible municipalities to partake in four opioid settlements that would bring over $446 million to the state over 13 years. The participation cutoff date for local governments to receive direct payments is April 18, 2023, according to Nessel's office in a Thursday press release. "This money will have a direct and positive impact on a local government’s ability to assist in prevention and treatment efforts within their own communities," Nessel said in the Thursday release. "Every cent of this settlement should be utilized to combat the damage done by opioids, and I encourage every eligible local unit of government to participate in these upcoming agreements." The settlement agreements resulted from ongoing efforts to hold companies responsible for their roles in contributing to the United States opioid epidemic. "Spending priority would be placed on treatment and prevention," Nessel's office wrote in the release. This includes expanding training on naloxone or other FDA-approved drugs to reverse opioid overdoses for first responders, schools, community support groups and families to hopefully save lives and prevent over-prescribing. It also includes providing treatment for opioid use disorder to individuals dealing with trauma from human trafficking or adverse childhood experiences, as well as providing treatment to the incarcerated population. [READ MORE]( Angela Mulka, Manistee News (March 16, 2023) Local governments across Michigan urged to participate in opioid settlements Retrieved from: [Local governments across Michigan urged to participate in opioid settlements](   KEEP IN TOUCH WITH DANA: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Web Site]( Any donor history information in this email reflects what we have on file for this specific email address. If you have donated with a different email address, with a check, or with a spouse – thank you so much. 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