A quick thread as I watch some Democrats poke at the idea that there was something wrong with the election. There wasn't, and let's not find ourselves stoking the same conspiracies as election deniers just because our side didn't win. 1/ There are still votes being counted and races to be called. That is normal. Race projections (calling a race when a certain % of the vote is in) is not the same thing as race certification. It's easier to make a projection on a race that isn't close than one that is. 2/

If your phone is anything like mine, it is relentlessly buzzing with texts like this in the wake of Trump’s announcement of his VP pick. THESE ARE A SCAM and you absolutely should not give them a dime.

Odds are, an overwhelming majority of the funds raised by this crap goes back to the firms who fundraise for them, or to shady loosely-defined LLCs for “consulting.” politico.com/news/2023/11/2…

While I'm glad to see charges filed, what strikes me is how abuse like this hurts everyone. Most people I work with - Democrats and Republicans alike - take great care to be responsible, diligent, and work every day to earn and re-earn the trust that people have placed in us.

https://twitter.com/detroitnews/status/1737930772714000600

When I first started, @CurtisHertelJr spoke at a new legislator panel, and, quoting his dad, said, "It helps to always remember that these are important jobs, but you are not important people." Too many people act like they are important people and take what's not theirs.

Last night, the @MIHouseDems passed the Reproductive Health Act, eliminating many arbitrary hurdles that prevent women from accessing abortion care. Predictably, many Republicans and anti-choice folks are fearmongering about "partial birth abortion" so I'm reupping some facts: First off, "partial birth abortion" is not a medical term. It was a term first coined by the National Right to Life Committee in 1995 in response to a new procedure, a D&E, that had been developed to treat patients with devastating later abortions npr.org/2006/02/21/516…

Since I've irritated Republicans by pointing out Mike Rogers lives in Florida - yes! I was born in New Jersey. I've lived in 5 states. I fell in love with Michigan on a 1,000-mile road rally with friends that I took every year for 3 years, then moved here nearly a decade ago... I started a small business here in Michigan. I got engaged to a Michigander (a 4th-generation Royal Oaker). We got married in Detroit. We bought our first house in Michigan. Gave birth to my daughter in Michigan, at the same hospital my husband was born.

Forced genital inspections. Of CHILDREN. The Republicans who claim to care about protecting children voted for forced genital inspections of children because they’re afraid a trans kid might want to play on a team with their friends.

https://twitter.com/noliewithbtc/status/1643744720823414785

This relentless focus by the GOP on attacking trans kids is no more than blatant scapegoating to distract from the fact that they’re not doing anything to help you either. I spoke with @VICENews last year in the midst of these same efforts in Michigan.

Efforts that LOST btw.

A Sandy Hook survivor lived through another mass shooting at MSU.

Oxford High School students, some who decided to go to college at MSU to be closer to home after a mass shooting at their high school, found themselves on lockdown because of a mass shooting just 14 months later.

https://twitter.com/politicussarah/status/1640412515245883392

In a moment when so many elected officials - who actually have the power to do something - are so concerned with “protecting children,” maybe they could spend less time banning books and fighting “woke” and more time on what has become the #1 killer of kids: gun violence.

Today, the Michigan Senate passed an 11-bill gun safety package - including Safe Storage, Universal Background Checks, and Extreme Risk Protection Orders. Speaking on my bill - which creates the ERPO Act - I shared stories of the lives these laws could have saved. #mileg Back in 2019, after I first introduced a version of this legislation alongside then-State Rep Robert Wittenberg - I hosted a roundtable discussion on “red flag laws” in my district, in Berkley.

The “Grand New Party” decided to come to Royal Oak to protest a drag queen story time at one of our incredible independent book stores. Royal Oak said #HateWontWin. Loud. Hey @stevecarraMI maybe stick to your own district next time. We lead with love here. ❤️🏳️‍🌈 Shoutout to @sidetrackbooks, our favorite neighborhood bookstore, @CityofRoyalOak for keeping everyone safe, and EVERYONE who showed up for our community and each other. To our visitors today (who were outnumbered at least 100:1) keep your hate at home, we’re good here. ❤️

Seeing a number of business groups and those that purport to promote “freedom” decrying the Michigan legislature taking up a repeal of so-called Right to Work, so it feels like a good time to thread some facts: #mileg RTW laws have no significant impact on attracting employers to a state. Area Development magazine noted RTW ranked 14th in location decisions, behind infrastructure, available land, construction costs etc. In all the years they’ve collected data, RTW never broke into Top 10.

For the past few days, I’ve been working around the clock with my small staff to try to identify and expedite power restoration or support for especially vulnerable residents or those with medical emergencies. I’ve been in direct contact with @DTE_Energy multiple times a day. 1/ The length of this outage, in freezing temperatures, is completely unacceptable. The frequency of outages and lack of reliability is completely unacceptable. I hear you and I’m as frustrated and angry as you are. 2/

In Michigan, we’ll demonstrate what’s possible when we elect Democrats. We’ll show what state legislatures can do, and create a state where everyone is welcome, protected, and able to thrive.

That’s why I’m exactly where I need to be, and why I won’t run for US Senate in 2024. In November, we showed what we can achieve if we dedicate resources to state legislative races and treat them with the same importance that we do federal contests.

Update from DTE on the ice storm and outages:

Public customer outage number is still being manually updated. Now 461,000 without power. Weather:
Light snow and freezing rain this morning. Won’t have as bad of icing as yesterday. Temps should climb above freezing between 11am-1pm with wind gusts of up to 45 mph to come after 3:00. There is now some concern that not everything will be melted before wind comes.

Right now, almost 200k Michiganders are without power. We’re aware that @DTE_Energy ‘s website is down, app and phone lines are down. I’m in contact with DTE asking for another way for residents to report issues and to find out what plans are for safety given low temperatures. 1/ DTE let me know that crews will prioritize safety issues. The weight of ice has brought many lines down. That prioritization may slow restoration times. We’ll share more as we have it. clickondetroit.com/video/news/202…

From Glengariff polling:

Background Checks:
90% of overall MI voters support
91% of R primary voters support
93% of R voters *who own a gun* support

Red Flag Laws:
74% of overall MI voters support
67% of R primary voters support

Safe Storage:
63% of overall MI voters support

https://twitter.com/NSmithReports/status/1627722078903205891

Hear it directly from pollster Richard Czuba here: omny.fm/shows/it-s-jus…

Normally I wouldn’t preemptively post a response to the response to the State of the Union, but after reading Sarah Huckabee-Sanders’ remarks on Republicans in a “culture war we didn’t start and never wanted to fight”…ma’am this was nearly a *year* ago

Context

https://twitter.com/tamarakeithNPR/status/1623107334145814528

Kristen McDonald-Rivet won a grueling election in a true swing district. The people of her district and Michigan got an incredible legislator and a true expert on issues like the EITC. But because she’s a “marginal,” she - and her kids and family - have to deal with this:

https://twitter.com/McdonaldRivet/status/1620807831388831744

What’s he trying to do? Make her uncomfortable, catch her offguard, push her until she says something so he has a clip on camera he can use against her. Because pushing people into a “gotcha” moment or to smear them is how to “win” her seat back…

Yesterday, our colleagues in the @MI_LBC held a press conference in the wake of the killing of Tyre Nichols to renew calls for police reform. Last term, a bipartisan package of police reform bills was introduced in the Senate, but failed to move forward. wdet.org/2023/01/31/mic… The package included ending the use of chokeholds by police, no-knock warrants, and establishing set procedures for investigating use-of-force by officers. Public safety must mean safety for everyone - and I stand with my colleagues in the MLBC with resolve to get it done.

Last night, @GovWhitmer laid out her vision for the coming term in her 5th State of the State address. This address gives the legislature a vision to respond to and starts the policy and budget process for the year. So, what was in it? ➡️ Her address was broken into three major themes.
1️⃣ Lower MI Costs
✅ Repeal the retirement tax
✅ Expand the EITC
✅ Create universal pre-K for all Michigan kids

Absolutely devastating. I got to meet Ken a few times, once when I worked at Hot Wheels and we did a collaboration, then again when he took part in the Jalopnik Film Festival I helped put on. He was a visionary and changed car culture forever. But he was also just a lovely, incredibly nice guy.

This was 5 years ago today 😳 5 years later (new term = new official portrait time) 🇺🇸✋