Lewis Cass was a United States Army officer and politician. He represented Michigan in the United States Senate and served in the Cabinets of two U.S. Presidents,Andrew Jackson and James Buchanan. He was also the 1848 Democratic presidential nominee. A slave owner himself,he was a leading spokesman for the doctrine of popular sovereignty,which at the time held the idea that people in each U.S state should have the right to decide on whether to permit or prohibit slavery,believing in the idea of states' rights.
Richard Ray Larsen is an American politician serving as the United States representative for Washington's 2nd congressional district since 2001. A member of the Democratic Party,Larsen is the ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Captain James K. Dressel was an Air Force pilot,and a Michigan politician in the 1970s and early 1980s. Although he was a conservative Republican,in 1983 he co-sponsored the state's first bill to protect gay and lesbian people from discrimination in employment and housing. He was profiled in Randy Shilts' book Conduct Unbecoming in the chapter "Heroes".
Hazen Stuart Pingree was a four-term Republican mayor of Detroit (1889–1897) and the 24th governor of Michigan (1897–1901). A Yankee who migrated from New England,he was a successful Republican businessman turned politician.
The Elliott-Larsen Building is a state government office in downtown Lansing,Michigan,named after Democratic State Representative Daisy Elliott and Republican State Representative Melvin Larsen,primary sponsors of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. It was formerly known as the Lewis Cass Building,named after territorial governor Lewis Cass. It is the Michigan state government's oldest standing office building. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places as "State Office Building" in 1984.
Peter R. Elliott was an American football player and coach. Elliott served as the head football coach at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (1956),the University of California,Berkeley (1957–1959),the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1960–1966),and the University of Miami (1973–1974),compiling a career college football record of 56–72–11. From 1979 to 1996,Elliott served as executive director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
George Cushingberry Jr. is an American politician from Michigan. Cushingberry was a member of the Detroit City Council and a member of Michigan House of Representatives.
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Michigan enjoy the same rights as non-LGBTQ people. Michigan in June 2024 was ranked "the most welcoming U.S. state for LGBT individuals". Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Michigan under the U.S. Supreme Court case Lawrence v. Texas,although the state legislature has not repealed its sodomy law. Same-sex marriage was legalised in accordance with 2015's Obergefell v. Hodges decision. Discrimination on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender identity is unlawful since July 2022,was re-affirmed by the Michigan Supreme Court - under and by a 1976 statewide law,that explicitly bans discrimination "on the basis of sex". The Michigan Civil Rights Commission have also ensured that members of the LGBT community are not discriminated against and are protected in the eyes of the law since 2018 and also legally upheld by the Michigan Supreme Court in 2022. In March 2023,a bill passed the Michigan Legislature by a majority vote - to formally codify both "sexual orientation and gender identity" anti-discrimination protections embedded within Michigan legislation. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the bill on March 16,2023. In 2024,Michigan repealed “the last ban on commercial surrogacy within the US”- for individuals and couples and reformed the parentage laws,that acknowledges same sex couples and their families with children.
Edward W. McBroom is a Republican member of the Michigan Senate,representing the 38th district since 2019. The district is twelve of Michigan's fifteen Upper Peninsula counties:Alger,Baraga,Delta,Dickinson,Gogebic,Houghton,Iron,Keweenaw,Marquette,Menominee,Ontonagon,and Schoolcraft. He is a former member of the Michigan House of Representatives,first elected in 2010 and re-elected to a second term in 2012 and a third term in 2014. His House district consisted of Dickinson,Delta,and Menominee counties.
House Bill 5958,also known as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act,is a pending piece of legislation in Michigan that,opponents assert,may allow for the refusal of service,the denial of employment and of housing,and other actions that act against a citizen's rights if a person claims that working with or for that citizen would violate their religious freedom;however this much is only a speculation of the bills potential impacts. As it stands now,the bill moved to the Senate after passing in the house 59–50 along party lines.
The Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA),or Public Act 453 of 1976,which went into effect in 1977,originally prohibited discrimination in Michigan only on the basis of "religion,race,color,national origin,age,sex,height,weight,familial status,or marital status" in employment,housing,education,and access to public accommodations. A ruling by the Michigan Supreme Court on July 28,2022 expanded the scope of the law to explicitly include protections for LGBT people. Sexual orientation and gender identity were both formally codified and added to Michigan legislation officially on March 16,2023 and became Act 6 of 2023. Other classes added to the law since passage include pregnant workers,workers who seek abortions,and hair style and texture.
Daisy L. Elliott was an American politician and realtor from the state of Michigan.
Lee Roberson Chatfield is an American former politician and a Republican former member of the Michigan House of Representatives. He was first elected from the 107th House district in 2015. He was speaker pro tempore from 2017 to 2019,and speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives from 2019 to 2021. In April 2024 he was charged with thirteen felony counts of embezzlement,larceny and conspiracy involving spending private foundation and state money for personal use while he was Speaker of the Michigan House.
Jim Runestad is an American politician. A Republican,he has been a member of the Michigan State Senate,representing the 23rd district,since 2023. He was previously a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 2015 to 2018. In 2020,Runestad was one of 11 Republican state senators in Michigan who supported Donald Trump's effort to overturn the result of the presidential election and remain in power.
Michigan's 61st House of Representatives district is a legislative district within the Michigan House of Representatives located in part of Macomb County. The district was created in 1965,when the Michigan House of Representatives district naming scheme changed from a county-based system to a numerical one.
The 1978 Michigan Secretary of State election was held on November 7,1978. Incumbent Democrat Richard H. Austin defeated Republican nominee Melvin L. Larsen with 65.57% of the vote.
Abraham Aiyash is an American politician serving as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives since 2020,currently representing the 9th district. A member of the Democratic Party,Aiyash serves as the chamber's majority floor leader. He represents much of Detroit's Midtown,New Center,North End,Boston Edison,Virginia Park,and all of the city of Hamtramck.
The 102nd Michigan Legislature,consisting of the Michigan Senate and the Michigan House of Representatives,began its first session on January 1,2023,which ended on November 14,2023. A second session is set to begin on January 1,2024.
