State legislatures will have a lot on their plates. They’ll deal with issues in wildly differing ways. We set the context for the 2021 session with an overview of everything from abortion to redistricting.
High court launches Justice For All Commission
The Michigan Supreme Court has created the Michigan Justice For All Commission to expand access to and enhance the quality of the civil legal justice system in Michigan.
The commission will lead the implementation of the JFA Task Force’s Strategic Plan that was released in December 2020. Its aim is to help people solve civil legal problems, such as landlord-tenant issues or family law disputes.
Chief Justice McCormack
“All Michigan residents must have equal access to our courts and to resources needed to navigate our justice system, regardless of who they are, what they earn, or where they come from,” Chief Justice Bridget M. McCormack said. “With dedicated and diverse members, the JFA Commission has the roadmap, commitment, and focus to close the justice gap in Michigan.”
The Biggest Issues to Watch in 2021 Alan Greenblatt, David Kidd, Carl Smith | January 19, 2021 | Analysis
State lawmakers face a terrible hangover of problems from 2020. First and foremost is the pandemic, which is at its worst even as vaccinations are rolled out across the country. Caseloads and death tolls are adding uncertainty to the economy, which in turn is hampering state budgets.
As legislatures began to meet this month, some convened virtually due to concerns about COVID-19, while capitols were boarded up or surrounded by perimeter fences and SWAT teams because of the ongoing threat of political violence.
Anger about the election and its bloody aftermath is leading to partisan divisions about how to handle voting. Democrats would like to see more mail voting and other expansive measures, while Republicans argue that even the suspicion of widespread voter fraud while shot down repeatedly in dozens of court cas
Health Reform Is Justice Reform By Monica E. Oss In the ten years since the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), Medicaid expansion has provided state governments with the opportunity to expand health care coverage for the low-income populations, which has helped to cover more corrections-involved consumers. This has fueled the momentum for the “health reform as justice reform” movement according to my friend and colleague, Lynda Zeller, Senior Fellow of Behavioral Health at the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, in her new publication, co-authored with Jackie Prokop, Director of Program Policy at Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, for the Square One Justice Project…