I am writing today to announce the closure of the Michigan Messenger. After four years of operation in Michigan, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news into a single site, The American Independent at Americanindependent.com. This is part of a shift in strategy, towards new forms [...]
An abstinence-only presentation provided to numerous school districts in Calhoun and Eaton Counties in October of this year provided false and misleading information to students about HIV, experts allege.
Two county registers of deeds filed a class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of Michigan’s 83 counties alleging that the Mortgage Electronic Registration Services owes millions of dollars in property title transfer taxes.
Despite evidence of the impact of mercury on children and public health, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette last month joined with 24 other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to scuttle new EPA regulations that would reduce mercury emissions from power plants.
The Michigan Campaign Finance Network, a non-partisan, non-profit organization that tracks the influence of money in political campaigns, reported on Tuesday that the vast majority of campaign ads being seen by voters in the November election were paid for by third party groups, not by the campaigns.
Candidates’ television ad campaigns are being overshadowed by third-party ad sponsors in the early phase of three out of four of Michigan’s hottest political campaigns. The candidates’ television campaigns account for less than 20 percent of the TV advertising in the 1st Congressional District, the 7th Congressional District and the gubernatorial campaign. Of the campaigns currently most active on television, the 9th Congressional District is the only one in which candidates’ ads predominate.
Republican nominee Rick Snyder hasn’t bought a television ad since the August 3rd primary election. In his stead, the Republican Governors Association has purchased $2.1 million worth of ads through October 3rd.
On the Democratic side of the campaign, Virg Bernero has spent $995,000 for television advertising, while the Michigan Democratic State Central Committee has spent $2.4 million through October 3rd.
And the MCFN notices one unhealthy development this year:
There is nothing new about candidate-focused “issue” advertising in Michigan gubernatorial campaigns. There was $18 million worth of such advertising in the 2006 gubernatorial race, and almost $10 million worth in the general election phase of the 2002 gubernatorial. What is new this year is the fact the Republican Governors Association is leaning on broadcasters to withhold records of its buys from the stations’ public files, and some of the stations are complying.
The Michigan Campaign Finance Network, which collects the spending data from the broadcasters and cable systems, was forced to estimate gross sales at a small handful of stations, using market-share estimates derived from a decade of data collection.
“The RGA’s posture on disclosure is cowardly and contemptuous of voters’ rights to know who is spending in our political campaigns,” said Rich Robinson of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network.
The Michigan Chamber of Commerce has given millions to the RGA during this election cycle.
Do you know where to vote on Election Day? Do you know what to bring with you? Get comprehensive voter information for your state here.
Sign up for our email newsletter