Judge won’t block Michigan’s new redistricting panel
GRAND RAPIDS (AP) — A federal judge has refused to block the creation of a Michigan commission to draw seats in Congress and the state Legislature after the 2020 census.
Republicans sued, claiming illegal provisions in the 2018 amendment to the state constitution.
The 13-member commission is an extraordinary change that will take redistricting out of the hands of lawmakers in the state Capitol.
Many partisan elected officials or candidates or their family members are barred from getting a commission seat.
Grand Rapids federal Judge Janet Neff found nothing illegal about the restrictions Monday, saying, “There is no right to state office or appointment.”
She rejected a request for an injunction.
The state is mailing 250,000 applications to encourage people to apply for the commission.
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson will randomly select four Democrats, four Republicans and five unaffiliated voters.
Jonathan Brater named Michigan director of elections
LANSING. (AP) — Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has named Jonathan Brater to be the next director of the Michigan Bureau of Elections following the retirement of current director Sally Williams.
Brater, who will take over Jan. 2, has worked alongside Williams for the past 11 months while he focused on elections while serving as the Department of State’s Legal Policy Director.
He previously served as counsel for the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program, a non-partisan nonprofit, where his work focused on modernizing elections in partnership with secretaries of state around the country.
Benson says in a statement, “Throughout his career Jonathan has demonstrated his commitment to secure, non-partisan election administration.”
Brater, an Ann Arbor native, was selected after an open application process that began shortly after Williams announced her retirement earlier this month.
Ruff ride: Florida dog bumps car into motion, gets solo trip
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — Florida authorities say they responded to a rogue vehicle spinning in reverse around a suburban cul-de-sac with a lone occupant inside: a Black Labrador.
News outlets report residents called police recently after seeing the dog trapped and clambering around in the car as it spun in circles in a Port St. Lucie neighborhood.
Police say they think the dog’s owner stepped away from the running car and that’s when the pet knocked it into reverse.
Neighbor Anne Sabol says she watched the furry speed racer take out a mailbox and a trash can.
Sabol says the dog was in high spirits after being rescued, adding it “jumped out of the car, wagging his tail.”
Police stopped the joyride by punching a passcode into the driver’s door.
No one was hurt.
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