Major party nominees for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat outlined their contrasting visions Tuesday in front of the Detroit Economic Club.

The forum covered topics that illuminated widely divergent plans from Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, especially on healthcare and taxes.

But some areas drew agreement from both candidates.

On tariffs, Rogers and El-Sayed agreed President Donald Trump's trade war with Canada has been hurting the state’s economy. Yet, both criticized free trade agreements as taking away manufacturing jobs.

When it came to growing Michigan’s economy and workforce, Rogers outlined a vision that involved cutting taxes and integrating skilled trades more in education.

“If you look at wages for new college graduates versus wages for the skilled trades, man, skilled trades is winning that fight all day long,” Rogers said.

Tying his trade education advocacy into his affordable housing plan, Rogers said the state could address its shortages by getting “a little creative.”

Rogers used Detroit as an example, where he wants to combine all vacant lots in the city into a revamped land bank.

“You allow builders to bid on those lots. Let’s get it pre-approved for the city council. I’ve already been talking with city council members here in the city of Detroit,” Rogers said. “You’d have a much cleaner, less regulatory burden to build that house.”

He suggested students could get involved with that new construction as apprentices.

On housing, El-Sayed agreed red tape was getting in the way of new costs. He also suggested further regulating short-term rental companies like Airbnb and Vrbo that have been blamed for taking some housing units off the market.

For the broader economy, El-Sayed said he wanted changes to make sure everyone can benefit, rather than the wealthy.

To illustrate his point, El-Sayed asked the audience to raise their hand if they had an Apple or Samsung phone. When the overwhelming majority did, he said that showed big companies have been squeezing competition from the marketplace.

“We need to actually start standing up to monopolies and oligopolies and start regulating them so we can get back to a system where there is competitiveness in a market,” El-Sayed said.

In terms of supporting small businesses, El-Sayed said he favored cutting employer-side payroll taxes.

“In an era where AI is coming, we don’t want to penalize businesses for hiring actual people. That’s what the employer side business tax does. We should be investing a lot more in small business growth,” El-Sayed said.

El-Sayed has previously supported getting rid of the cap on payroll taxes to support social safety-net programs. Above a certain income level, employees and employers no longer pay Social Security payroll taxes on additional earnings. El-Sayed said removing that cap is part of getting high-income earners to pay “their fair share.”

One of the clearest differences between the candidates involved healthcare. El-Sayed pushed his signature “Medicare for All” plan. He compared current healthcare premiums to a “tax.”

“If I could give you 25% cheaper, more durable coverage and you happen to pay that through the federal government, who by the way you happen to vote for rather than an insurance company headed by a CEO you have no say over, which do you choose?” El-Sayed said.

Rogers, however, said price transparency is a better way to lower costs. He argued Medicare relies too much on private insurance to create wholesale changes to the current system.

“This is a huge problem if we do this because people haven’t thought about the consequences. So let’s do something different before we break the whole thing,” Rogers said.

While each candidate spoke for roughly the same period of time and answered the same questions, neither shared the stage together Tuesday. They’ll face off head-to-head for their second televised debate Wednesday on WXYZ-TV Detroit.

A new audit is highlighting serious concerns with the state’s oversight of thousands of children in the foster care system.

The report is from the Michigan Office of the Auditor General. It found the Michigan Children’s Institute (MCI), the state agency charged with taking care of foster kids when a judge terminates a child’s parental rights, was actively keeping track of fewer than half of those cases.

“MCI had not identified and/or carried out any monitoring activities to help ensure its guardianship role and responsibilities were fulfilled for over half of all MCI wards and conducted only limited monitoring activities for the MCI ward children it had identified,” the audit said.

In its preliminary response, the agency that oversees MCI, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) disagreed with the findings. It argued MCI partnered with other parts of the foster care system, including local offices, other MDHHS workers, and private agencies to meet its duties.

“MCI fulfills the statutory requirement to review investigative assessments,” MDHHS said. “Reviews of these investigative reports occur at varying intervals including when adoption or medical consent decisions are being made.”

“The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) cares deeply for the children it serves and remains committed to promoting their safety, stability and permanency,” the agency said in a written statement.

During an audit period from October 2023 through May 23, 2025, auditors found those requests only came up for 2,200 of the more than 5,000 children in state care. MCI said that doesn’t mean other kids weren’t being watched.

“While not every investigative report is reviewed absent from a precipitating event, MCI consistently reviews relevant documentation and frequently conducts additional inquiry,” the preliminary response said.

But the Auditor General’s Office disagreed that it met legal responsibilities. The office doubted how often MCI was checking in on kids outside of when questions arise.

“Without identification of MCI wards and/or consistent monitoring procedures, we question MCI’s ability to ensure it is always consulted and/or is appropriately notified of significant case activity for all MCI wards,” the audit read.

The report also raised concerns that the agency didn’t consistently review homes after children were placed. Regarding medical care, at times, children underwent nonemergency procedures without MCI consent.

Other issues involved unsecure access to personal data and adoption decisions being made without full authority. In 55% of adoption approvals made at the county level, the local director hadn’t received permission from the MCI superintendent.

The agency agreed with those findings and will work to make sure county directors get the sign off when needed. It says it has hired a consultant to help review decisions.

“MDHHS also has taken steps to strengthen adoption consent processes through improved authorization procedures, better conflict-of-interest monitoring, updated consent timelines and increased staffing to ensure timely and well-supported consent decisions,” the statement added.

It has roughly two months to come up with a plan to address the findings.

Lawmakers and community groups came together in Detroit Friday to advocate for paid family and medical leave.

Speakers at the event said both state and federal laws are needed.

The federal Family Medical Leave Act makes big employers provide up to 12 weeks off for a new child or serious health condition. But that’s unpaid leave.

U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell (D-MI 6) cited estimates from paid leave supporters that around 76% of Michiganders do not have access to those benefits.

“That means three out of every four people have to choose between putting food on the table or caring for themselves or their loved ones,” Dingell said.

In the U.S. House of Representatives, a federal bill to guarantee paid family leave has been introduced every session since at least 2004. But it has never become law. That’s led to a patchwork of states enacting their own policies.

Fourteen states and Washington D.C. have already enacted their own requirements, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. Minnesota is the only one in the Midwest.

Dawn Huckelbridge directs the Paid Leave for All campaign. She said the policy has raised quality of life in states that have already adopted it.

“It’s time and money, you know, time with your loved ones, you can’t even put a price tag on that. It’s helping people’s mental health. It’s helping wellbeing. It’s bringing more career opportunities. So, it’s really important,” Huckelbridge said.

The business community, however, has traditionally opposed the policy.

Amanda Fisher leads the Michigan chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business. She said, in Minnesota for example, the government underestimated how much providing family leave as a social benefits program would cost.

“It has been a huge issue, and I just think that’s one more thing Michigan’s small businesses do not need at this point,” Fisher said.

Michigan state Senator Erika Geiss (D-Taylor) recently introduced her own bill to create a paid family medical leave program. Geiss, who lost a daughter to cancer earlier this year, said people need more help during emergencies or big life changes that could one day affect us all.

“We’re going to get sick, we’re going to know someone who gets sick. We’re going to have a loved one pass away and need time to be able to manage the issues around bereavement,” Geiss said.

The bill would phase in up to 12 weeks of annual paid family leave over a three-year period. That leave could be used for extended illness, caring for a family member, or recovering from sexual or intimate partner violence, among other things.

Fisher said she believed the policy was coming from a good place. But she didn’t believe small businesses could handle requirements like holding someone’s job.

“You add more taxes or more regulation, it’s just that much more. But I really think, with this paid family leave, the idea of having to leave that position open for that amount of time is truly a hardship,” Fisher said.

Geiss introduced a similar bill package last term as well. Despite making it out of committee in her Democratic-controlled chamber, it never saw a floor vote.

This session, her bill faces tougher headwinds as Republicans control the Michigan House of Representatives and time is winding down on the year -- and the legislative session. If Democrats win another trifecta of the state House, Senate, and governor’s office, Geiss said doesn’t want lawmakers to wait.

“The lesson to be learned is to not be afraid of your shadows,” Geiss said. “This affects everybody and that’s who a legislator is supposed to be delivering for, so I hope that’s the lesson they learn, to not take their foot off the gas when they have the opportunity.”

Geiss said she believes her colleagues were scared of backlash from the business community and possible costs of the proposal. She pointed to research that suggests the state could make it work.

Friday’s press conference took place at the offices of Mothering Justice in Detroit. The group helped lead a ballot campaign to expand Michigan’s sick leave law.

When asked if another ballot measure was possible to enact paid sick time, Mothering Justice Executive Director Danielle Atkinson said all options were on the table. But they’re looking for the Legislature to act first.

At a campaign stop Thursday meant to boost Republican candidates in several tight Michigan races, Vice President JD Vance spent most of his time discussing the U.S. Senate race.

Both major parties see the open seat as a key to winning control of Congress in the November 3 midterm election. Former Republican Congressman Mike Rogers is up against Democratic nominee and former public health official Abdul El-Sayed.

In Monroe on Thursday, Rogers highlighted what he sees as some of the most important issues in the race.

“We’re going to get our kids reading at grade-level again, we’re going to make housing more affordable so every Michigander can achieve the American dream. We’re going to bring back those 200,000 manufacturing jobs that the Democrats chased out of our state and overseas,” Rogers said in a speech.

GOP leaders pitch property tax repeal, policy proposals

If Vance was deep on rhetoric, the speeches leading up to his address were the heaviest on policy.

Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Twp) announced he wants to “eliminate the state property tax,” a step further than Hall’s previously announced plans.

Republican nominees for secretary of state, attorney general, and lieutenant governor laid out their own visions for office. And, in what was almost the longest speech of the afternoon, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services director Dr. Mehmet Oz discussed issues facing his agency.

Targeting El-Sayed in high-stakes Senate race

Though intro speeches discussed policy, Republicans still spent a lot of the afternoon criticizing their Democratic opponents.

Vance especially targeted El-Sayed, calling him a “weasel” and spending about half his speech attacking his viewpoints and background. Vance said Rogers would be the best person to represent all Michiganders.

“You’re not going to always agree with him on every issue. But he’s a person who knows his job is to fight for you every single day. On the flip side you have one of the worst people running in the history of the United States of America,” Vance said.

In various ways, speakers framed the election as a choice between “common sense” and “crazy.” That’s been a common word choice since many Democrats won nominations campaigning on progressive ideas like Medicare for All.

Vance said Michigan was being tested.

“The far left, the radicals of the Democratic Party, they're on the ascent. This is not my papaw's Democratic Party, this is not the party of JFK, it's not the party of Franklin Roosevelt, it's not even the party of Bill Clinton,” Vance said.

El-Sayed, Democrats push back against GOP insults

For El-Sayed, however, Vance, Rogers, and others went a step further and tried to connect him specifically to terrorist groups. Rogers continued a line of attacks from a debate last week.

El-Sayed, a Michigan-born and raised son of Egyptian immigrants, has called the claims unserious and ridiculous. While speaking at a campaign rally in Marquette Thursday night, El-Sayed responded to Vance’s insults.

“When you’ve got a name like mine you see the best of us, and too often sometimes you see the worst of us. And there are always a few very loud people who are small and want to make us small like them,” El-Sayed said.

El-Sayed and other Democrats have accused Rogers of being a “puppet” for President Donald Trump. During a Michigan Democratic Party press conference ahead of Vance's visit, members accused Republicans of making life harder for Michiganders by cutting the social safety net and starting a war with Iran and a trade war with Canada.

Michigan House Minority Leader Ranjeev Puri (D-Canton) said he doesn’t think it’s “rocket science” why the pendulum could swing back to the left this election.

“I think you had an administration that won an election in November of 2024 predicated on a very economic-centric agenda and they’ve failed to do that. If anything, prices have gone up holistically across the board, whether it’s gas and groceries or healthcare or child care, nothing has been done to bring that down,” Puri said.

In recent months, Rogers, Republican gubernatorial nominee John James, and other Republicans running for higher office have denounced the Canadian tariffs and called for the war in Iran to end.

Vance discussed neither topic Thursday.

Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-MI 12) has introduced a new bill to limit the use of surveillance systems.

The bill would stop federal funds from being spent on automated license plate readers and facial recognition technology.

Fears have been mounting over what happens to collected data. Reporting has suggested, in some instances, it’s been used in stalking or helping immigration enforcement.

Tlaib said she’s concerned about the possible invasion of privacy and suppression of free speech.

“That technology and that infrastructure stays no matter who’s the mayor, no matter who’s on council, no matter who’s the president, you understand? So that gets to be misused by whoever comes in and, it may be changed in the use of it, but the point is it’s not just cameras,” Tlaib said at a press conference in Inkster Wednesday.

Products made by the company Flock Safety have been among the most criticized recently. Many communities in Michigan have been moving to end public safety contracts with the company.

In a written statement, Flock defended its work as helping find missing people and stolen cars.

“Flock's technology is an important public safety tool for law enforcement agencies across Michigan, helping officers solve serious crimes and find missing people. We support thoughtful, bipartisan legislation that puts strong privacy, transparency, and accountability guardrails in place while preserving law enforcement's ability to use technology responsibly to keep people safe,” part of the statement said.

Flock denies spying on people and creating a national database with its data.

But Tlaib said she still believes companies that offer surveillance products bear some responsibility for their misuse.

"I can’t sign these contracts, right? But I can basically be able to control what law enforcement agencies can use federal funds for, and that’s what we do in this bill,” Tlaib said.

During the press conference, 81-year-old Inkster resident Charles Stephens stopped by the gathering. He asked speakers what the concern was, especially if people don’t have anything to hide.

Stephens originally thought the cameras could stop reckless traffic on his street.

“They run stop signs and there’s a playground right across the street and some kids live two doors down, they run across the street to the playground,” he said. “Something needs to be done.”

But he was thinking more about his position after hearing from the speakers. "The camera doesn't detect speed," he noted.

Stephens said he also doesn’t want footage from the cameras to be shared with immigration enforcement or AI companies for unknown uses.

The legislation likely has an uphill battle in the U.S. House of Representatives, especially with it coming from a minority party member with only a couple of months left in the term.

Another member of Michigan's congressional delegation, on the other side of the aisle, Rep. Tom Barrett (R-MI 7) has also cosponsored anti-Flock camera legislation. That bill has also languished in committee.

A progressive backed group is working to organize Black voters against Republican U.S. Senate nominee Mike Rogers.

Members from the American Federation of Teachers, Detroit Action, and some Detroit elected officials held a press conference in the city Tuesday morning. Speakers accused Rogers of having a shaky relationship with the Black community, going back to his time in the state legislature.

American Federation of Teachers Michigan President Terrence Martin Sr. blamed Rogers for a 1999 law that created state management of Detroit’s majority Black school district. Rogers was majority floor leader in the Michigan Senate when the law passed.

“PA 10 helps to set in motion years of financial crisis, instability that harms students and made it harder for schools to provide the resources and reliable learning environments they deserve,” Martin Sr. said.

According to analysis from the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, the district spent much of its two decades under state control facing continued financial crises.

Outside of education, the teachers' group tried to tie Rogers to President Donald Trump and his signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Supporters of the federal law say it cuts taxes and adds necessary guardrails to social safety net programs. Opponents fear it could lead to millions of people across the country losing healthcare or food assistance benefits.

State Representative Tonya Myers Phillips (D-Detroit) said Rogers and Trump stand for the same things.

“Black people, we are not supporting Donald Trump. We are not. You might be able to find a few. But, for the most part, voters in the city of Detroit right here, our community has been devastated by Donald Trump’s policies — not only in the city of Detroit, no, the state of Michigan,” Myers Phillips said.

Rogers is running against Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed. The Rogers camp has been trying to build inroads after El-Sayed struggled in Detroit during his primary race.

Black voters have been a key Democratic voting bloc. But Rogers has been focusing on improving reading scores and making home ownership more accessible as part of his pitch -- priorities that his campaign hopes peel away some support from El-Sayed.

In a statement, Rogers campaign spokesperson Alyssa Brouillet accused El-Sayed’s supporters of getting desperate and blamed recent Democratic state leaders for Michigan's education slump, referring to a recent U.S. News and World Report ranking that put the state near the bottom of the country for education.

“Abdul’s 4th quarter theatrics don’t change the fact that he has a base problem. Detroiters are tired of Democrats taking them for granted. And while Abdul gives them slogans, Mike Rogers is showing up in Detroit with real solutions," Brouillet said.

"He will put phonics and shop class back in schools to set students up for success — after Democrat failures dropped us to 45th in the nation for education. He released a four-point plan for housing affordability so that you don’t have to wait until age 40 to buy your first house. And he will bring back good-paying manufacturing jobs. Mike Rogers has always and will always put Michigan first,” the statement read.

Underlying tensions between Black and Arab Americans in southeast Michigan could be a factor as both camps court the Black vote.

Lakia Wilson-Lumpkins, president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers, said Black voters shouldn’t take out frustrations on El-Sayed.

“We do not want to generalize that relationship, that poor relationship, and heap that onto Abdul El-Sayed. As Black folks, we hate to be generalized, stereotyped, discriminated against, and facing tropes,” Wilson-Lumpkins said.

A recently-debuted Rogers ad features Black voters saying they felt El-Sayed cared more about issues in Palestine than in Detroit, a claim El-Sayed has countered.

The Republican nominee for governor pushed for stronger parental rights during a press conference in metro Detroit Monday afternoon.

Congressman John James (R-MI 10) brought guests including a father who questioned the presence of pride flags in his son’s classroom and a high school volleyball player who believes she played against a trans athlete last school year.

Gary Pruitt, the father, said James supported him in his fight against the school district.

“I want the guy who’s going to be accountable when nobody’s watching,” Pruitt said.

Supporters flanked James while holding signs that read “our kids deserve better,” “protect parental rights,” and “save women’s sports.” James said those issues matter, but they're distractions from Michigan’s poor reading scores and school performances.

When asked why highlight them and spend time discussing them at the rally, James argued they're still important.

“We need people who are willing to do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do, and that includes protecting parental rights, protecting the innocence of children, and making sure that we’re focusing on academics, not activism,” he said.

The campaign of James’ Democratic opponent, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, accused James of trying to shift the conversation. Alyssa Bradley is deputy campaign manager.

“John James is holding a press conference advocating for politicians in classrooms and sports instead of explaining how he plans to make life more affordable for Michigan families,” Bradley said in a written statement. “[James] voted six times on measures supporting the war with Iran as gas prices climbed toward $5 a gallon. ... Now he wants to change the subject. Michiganders deserve answers about their bills, not this weird political stunt.”

James told reporters the core of his educational platform still focused on getting results in the classroom.

He wants to opt Michigan into the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit. The program provides tax breaks in exchange for donations to scholarships that some low-income families could use for things like private school tuition.

Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer has so far resisted, saying she’s still waiting on information from the federal government about some of the program’s finer details. Opponents of it say it’s a roundabout way of putting public funds toward private education.

In addition to adding Michigan to the controversial federal tax program, James said as governor, he’d want more say in overseeing education.

“I would love to stand here and say hold me accountable for our kids being able to read, when the kindergarteners who started this year go into the 4th grade when I’m running for reelection. But I can’t say that because right now our state board of education and our superintendents are not accountable to the governor,” James said.

The Michigan Constitution puts the state board of education independently in charge of public learning and hiring a state superintendent.

Both James and Benson say they want more resources going toward supporting teachers and students.

The press conference came as Michigan enters the final stretch before the November 3 midterm elections. James said he is adapting his strategy to news that he appears to be getting less outside help.

The political arm of the Republican Governor’s Association has reportedly cut back on spending in support of the James campaign.

James said rather than relying on flooding the airwaves with political ads, he’s focusing on meeting voters face-to-face.

“I’m confident that this is going to work, meeting people where they are. Because frankly, the negative ads are ruining my Lions football games and I want to get back to a time when we can watch a football game again,” James said.

According to the advertisement tracking firm AdImpact, Democratic spending on the Michigan governor’s race has dwarfed Republican advertising.

A Michigan Supreme Court case heard this week is testing the limits of state civil rights law.

It involves a former social work professor at Calvin University whose contract wasn’t renewed after he officiated a same-sex wedding for a colleague. His lawyers argued that amounted to sex-based discrimination by association.

The question before the court is whether the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act applies in that case. The law bans discrimination “based upon religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, height, weight, familial status, marital status, or source of income.”

It follows a similar sentence structure as the federal Civil Rights Act, which bans discrimination “because of such individual's race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.”

Plaintiff Joseph Kuilema’s lawyers argue, by getting rid of the word “individual’s” in the Michigan law, state lawmakers meant for the law to apply in a broader context.

“Although ELCRA doesn't use the word ‘associational,’ it doesn't need to because it's broadly written, intended to apply to associational retaliation,” attorney Charissa Huang said to the justices Thursday.

Lawyer Steve van Stempvoort, representing Calvin University, disagreed.

“The most natural reading of the statute is these possessives are redundant and ... ELCRA just kind of made it more efficient. It didn't drastically expand the scope,” van Stempvoort said.

The school’s argued, even in cases where the law could apply to association, this matter would be different.

One key argument van Stempvoort made was that the colleague in the wedding didn’t also claim university discrimination. He said Kuilema’s complaint was moot without a member of the protected class making that case themselves.

“What his argument really boils down to is well, he still has to show that he himself, his employment discrimination, was because of sex,” van Stempvoort said.

The appellate court agreed with the university.

“Kuilema’s sex is irrelevant to Calvin University’s decision to terminate his employment. The university’s decision to terminate his employment was based upon his decision to officiate a same-sex wedding. That decision would not have been different if Kuilema were a female instead of a male,” the Court of Appeals majority opinion read.

In her closing remarks before the state Supreme Court, Huang claimed that reasoning would set a dangerous precedent.

“Allowing this Court of Appeals holding to stand that it must be because of the plaintiff's own sex, that would have a chilling effect upon people of different races and cultures, and sexes and sexual orientations. They could be fired for associating with one another with no recourse,” Huang said.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel sued the state’s biggest health insurance company in federal court Thursday. She accused Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan of forming an illegal monopoly

The lawsuit argues BCBSM worked with Blue Cross Blue Shield Association companies in other states to keep competition out. The complaint cites license agreements and territorial rights deals as ways BCBSM built influence.

Nessel said that’s illegal under state and federal antitrust laws.

“Competition is good, not just for the quality of care but of course to bring down prices. And that’s the purpose of the antitrust laws in the first place, that it allows us to break up these big monopolies that are so harmful,” Nessel told reporters during a press conference in Lansing Thursday morning.

While the lawsuit names several Blue-branded companies in other states as coconspirators, only BCBSM is listed as a defendant. The attorney general is suing in her capacity as both a representative of the state government and of Michigan residents.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan serves state employees. Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Comish said the company’s size and power made it the only realistic option for the state to contract with.

“They’re able to charge us, what we would call in the antitrust world, as supracompetitive fee. That is an unlawfully large amount of money per employee, per head, and with the size of the state workforce, that adds up to a real drain on the state’s resources,” Comish said.

A 2025 American Medical Association study found BCBSM controlled around 65% of the state’s healthcare insurance market. That was among the highest market concentrations in the country.

When asked for a comment on the lawsuit Thursday afternoon, BCBSM said it hadn’t yet been served and could not comment on the “specific merits” of the case. In a written statement, the company sided it was “blindsided.”

“We fundamentally disagree with the Attorney General’s characterization of an uncompetitive insurance market in Michigan. Competition exists everywhere in our state’s insurance markets, with strong local and national insurers competing with us every day. For nearly 90 years, Blue Cross has provided coverage for citizens across Michigan, in every county, without exception. This heritage, and the quality of products and services we provide, is foundational to our success in Michigan,” the company said.

The state alleges BCBSM used its power to negotiate unsustainably low reimbursement rates for care providers. Earlier this year, the company went to battle with Michigan Medicine over those concerns.

The health insurer and the University of Michigan’s health system eventually worked out a deal. But southeast Michigan father Andrew Bashi said the dispute put critical care for his infant son at risk.

“When one company holds all that power, it doesn’t have to worry about what happens to us in a negotiation, we have nowhere else to go, and they know it. Patients stop being customers. We become leverage,” Bashi said.

The lawsuit was filed in District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Federal cases often take months or years to play out.

Nessel, who is term-limited, is leaving office after December. She said she hopes her successor decides to keep pursuing the matter.

Keith Schipper is a campaign spokesperson for Republican Attorney General nominee Doug Lloyd. He said Lloyd would consider it.

"Since the case was just filed, Doug hasn't been privy to all the facts and evidence, but he is committed to protecting Michigan consumers, just as he protected Eaton County consumers as its prosecutor," Schipper said in a statement.

"Under Doug's leadership, the Eaton County Prosecutor's Office started the Eaton County Economic Crimes Unit to go after fraud and other illegal business practices that hurt Eaton County residents. When Doug is Attorney General, he will review this case to understand all the facts and evidence and make a determination,” said Schipper.

Naina Agrawal-Hardin is with Democratic nominee Eli Savit.

“Eli has not yet had an opportunity to review the case or the evidence, but as with any matter he will inherit, he will make a determination based on the facts, the law, and the best interest of the people of Michigan. More broadly, Eli is committed to using every available tool to lower costs for Michiganders who are struggling, just as he has done throughout his career,” Agrawal-Hardin said in an email.

The attorney general's court filing demands a trial by jury. The state is seeking monetary damages and an end to what it described as Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan's monopoly on the market.

Republican Congressman Tom Barrett took his reelection campaign to the sidewalk in front of the Ingham County Sheriff’s Office Wednesday.

The event’s message largely focused on the differences between Barrett and his Democratic challenger William Lawrence’s approaches to public safety.

Leaders from the Police Officers Association of Michigan and Fraternal Order of Police flanked Barrett, along with some mid-Michigan prosecutors and sheriffs. Republican Congresswoman Lisa McClain (R-MI 9) and U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana also spoke.

Johnson said Barrett has long supported law enforcement through funding and other measures in both Congress and the Michigan Legislature.

“You have to look at the record and not the rhetoric in a campaign. And in this campaign, in Michigan’s 7th District, you have a clear contrast between two competing visions, two completely different world views,” Johnson said while talking to reporters.

Republicans have repeatedly attacked Lawrence for past social media comments. In 2020, Lawrence called for defunding the police on what was then Twitter. The Democrat has since disavowed that position.

Barrett supporters stood behind him holding large printouts of Lawrence’s 6-year-old tweets as Barrett asked them — and his constituents — a question.

“Do you want somebody with a record of service like I have in our military supporting our law enforcement and doing the right thing to keep our communities safe?” Barrett asked. “Or are you going to turn your back on our police officers, and seek to have them defunded, take away their dignity, and abolish them altogether.”

A similar question came up Tuesday, during a TV debate hosted on WKAR and WILX-Lansing.

Lawrence told reporters afterward that he's changed his mind on the topic since those now-deleted posts. He said he now believes in a public safety approach that includes funding for police, community violence intervention, and more mental health resources.

Michigan’s 7th Congressional District is considered among the most competitive races in the country.

Democrats hope to flip the seat by taking advantage of anger with Republican support of President Donald Trump’s positions, like the Iran war.

Barrett has tried to distance himself from the president by introducing legislation to wind down the operation by this summer. But it hasn’t gone anywhere in Congress.

When asked about its prospects, Johnson, who controls which bills come up for votes in the House, sidestepped the question by calling the war a success and saying it’s close to ending.

“We’re right there now, that’s where we are. I believe our international partners, a combination of NATO countries, and our Arab states and friends and allies in that region who all have a direct in interest in this will be a part of that. And so the U.S. did the heavy lifting there and everyone will have to help,” Johnson told reporters.

Johnson also did not directly answer a question about the future of legislation Barrett cosponsors to stop federal agencies from using Flock surveillance cameras.

Despite the conference taking place in front of his office, Ingham County Sheriff Scott Wrigglesworth was not there Wednesday. Barrett did not say if he had the Democratic sheriff’s blessing to be there.

Michigan’s major party candidates for governor met for the first time on the debate stage Tuesday night. The Grand Rapids television station WOOD-TV hosted the event.

Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and her Republican opponent, Congressman John James (R-MI 10), used questions on foreign policy, education, and energy to differentiate themselves from one another.

Benson frequently tried to tie James to President Donald Trump and unpopular administration policies like going to war with Iran and starting a trade war with Canada.

“If you like gas pushing $5 a gallon, or mortgage rates over 7%, or tariffs taxing just about everything we pay for, then John James is your guy,” Benson said during her closing remarks of the debate.

James routinely emphasized his willingness to break with the president. He called for an end to the war in Iran — a turnabout from his previous statements — and for smarter trade policy.

“I’ve actually called out the administration, specifically talking with the trade ambassador, in saying we must get back to the table, stop acting like children, and negotiate a reciprocal, fair, and mutually beneficial arrangement,” James said.

Benson, for the first time, said she’d support suspending the state gas tax.

The question is among the latest policy debates to enter Michigan’s political races as gas prices spike largely due to the war with Iran. Benson previously called for the suspension of the federal gas tax to give Americans some savings on fuel.

Other policies Benson said would bring some price relief to Michiganders were a bit more unclear. She said she wanted to sign an agreement directly with Canada that would exempt Michigan from tariffs being charged under the trade war.

“You create an agreement between the state of Michigan and our neighbors to the north that says anything that goes from Michigan to Canada or Canada to Michigan are exempt from these tariffs,” Benson said.

It’s uncertain how Benson would go about putting that policy in place or what authority Michigan would have to supersede national trade policy.

“The state doesn’t have anything to do with international agreements,” James said during the debate when Benson first brought up the idea.

On education

Michigan’s poor reading scores have been a consistent theme for all candidates in the November general election. The state’s latest scores show only around 40% of 4th graders reading at level.

James and Benson have both named similar policies like increasing support for teachers and students as ways they’d improve education. But they drew some separation when it came to accountability measures.

Michigan in 2023 repealed its “Read by Grade 3” law that aimed to hold students back for falling behind. James said he’d be open to bringing a similar policy back.

“Retention is absolutely on the table, and we have to make sure that we’re doing it in a manner that doesn’t hurt or crush the spirit of the child,” James said.

He continued by calling on Michigan to follow Mississippi’s model for reversing its reading scores. It’s been a popular Republican refrain this election cycle. James campaigned with Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves earlier this week.

For her part, Benson said decisions to hold kids back should be left with teachers and parents, not the state.

“At the same time, we need to be providing the support for every school, for every parent, for every district, for every kid, for every teacher to ensure it never gets to that point, and if it does, that we do come in with the wraparound support that our teachers, our students and our school districts need,” Benson said.

Energy takes center stage

While Benson hammered James for his association with Trump administration policies, James criticized Benson for her support of Michigan’s clean energy laws. The state requires a full transition to clean energy by 2040.

James said Michigan shouldn’t rule out any forms of energy that could be cheaper to produce.

“We need to make sure we have an all-of-the-above approach where yes, renewables, yes, natural gas, yes, nuclear, all of the above so that we can keep our prices low so we can remain resilient, but this needs to be economical as well as environmental,” James said.

Benson doubled down on investing in clean and renewable energy sources as the best way to advance the state’s economy and lower power bills while also protecting the environment. She also pushed for greater utility company regulation.

“I know the next governor of Michigan must ensure we are ending profit-driven rate hikes that have gotten us here where our electricity bills are going up, in some cases more than many other states. Also, invest in clean energy infrastructure,” Benson said.

Data centers

The debate also gave both candidates a chance to rehash the ongoing debate over data center policy. Michiganders have shared concerns about their potential environmental impacts and high energy needs.

Benson advanced a statewide moratorium on data centers while lawmakers figure out better policy protections. James’ position focused more on “local control.”

James previously called for a moratorium as well. But he said he’d support communities’ choices to welcome or block a data center, without the state government getting involved.

“If free people decide what they want to do then the government should get the heck out their way, they should facilitate it,” James told reporters after the debate.

When pressed on how that would count as a moratorium if the state isn’t pausing approvals for new data center projects, James’ stance got less clear.

“It’s a moratorium on Lansing and not the people,” he said.

The candidates also accused each other of profiting off data centers — James because of his investment portfolio, Benson because her husband works for Related Companies, which helped bring a massive AI data center to Saline Township over the original wishes of the local government.

Benson sought to play down those concerns. “He earns a salary from a company that, among other things, he’s worked to build developments in Detroit like the University of Michigan Center for Innovation, and now works on no Michigan projects but only affordable housing work nationwide,” she told reporters, denying her family made money off data centers.

Third party unrest

Outside WOOD-TV’s Grand Rapids studio where the debate took place, Libertarian Party nominee Anthony Hudson held a small protest over not being invited to attend.

Speaking through a amp in the back of a pick up truck parked on the street, Hudson said he’d be responding in real time to the debate’s questions.

He argued he was doing it for all the third-party candidates who weren’t allowed to take part.

Michigan’s attorney general is reiterating that people should have confidence in the state’s elections.

Absentee voting in Michigan’s November general election began last month.

But Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said officials have been planning how to handle any possible disruptions for months.

“We want to make sure people know that it’s safe to vote, their votes are secure and that we have an accurate and democratic representation of votes cast,” Nessel said in an interview Tuesday.

Nessel said her office has been working with the governor’s team, state police, and election officials on “table-top exercises” to prepare for anything that could go wrong.

That’s as President Donald Trump continues to promote unproven claims about vote-rigging ahead of next month’s midterm elections. In a recent interview with Time Magazine, Trump didn’t rule out declaring a state of emergency in the lead-up.

Nessel said officials are preparing other briefs for everything from power outages to military troops at the polls.

“It could be the ones that we’re hearing the most about — federal agents or ICE being at the polls — or you have people who come to the polls who are disruptive in nature, or they plan to try to intimidate voters, or discourage people from not voting who are eligible voters,” Nessel said.

Voting has been relatively quiet in Michigan since 2020, when lies about the election being stolen fueled turmoil around its certification.

During this year's August primary election, federal monitors came to East Lansing, Lansing, Hamtramck, and Detroit. State officials said their presence didn’t cause any interruptions.

The Michigan Department of State Tuesday said it wasn’t aware of any future plans to send federal monitors to Michigan for the general election.

Michigan is cracking down on gift card fraud.

State officials say gift card fraud happens when someone takes a card, steals the redemption information, then puts it back on the shelf for an unsuspecting person to buy and activate. Fraudsters can steal the balance of the card before the purchaser can use it.

Newly signed state laws count that practice as organized retail crime, a felony.

The Michigan Retailers Association worked with lawmakers on the change. The association's vice president of governmental affairs, Drew Beardslee, said the new classification is a better fit for prosecuting gift card fraud.

“By putting it under the umbrella of organized retail crime, especially when, in Michigan, we’ve got a unit that is solely dedicated to investigating and prosecuting organized retail crime, it just made sense to put it all under the same statutory framework,” Beardslee said.

Before the law change, state officials used other statutes to charge people for card draining. Earlier this year, Michigan’s Attorney General's office charged a California man with conducting a criminal enterprise and possession of a fraudulent financial transaction device.

Conducting a criminal enterprise carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The possession charge is a four-year felony.

The new laws would carry maximum punishments of five years in prison, a $5,000 fine, and restitutions.

In recent years, the state and federal governments have put more resources into fighting gift card fraud and scams. Press releases on the matter often cite Federal Trade Commission data showing over $200 million in annual losses to scams in recent years.

Beardslee said it’s a crime people often don’t report after finding out their new gift card doesn’t work.

“A lot of times they assume they just got a dud, or it goes unreported and it’s maybe the value they put on it was just not so much they wanted to go back and redeem it. It’s hard to quantify exactly how much it is but it’s certainly something that’s been seen all over the country,” he said.

Republican nominee for Michigan governor John James took his message on data centers to Saline Township Friday.

James spoke near farmland that borders a massive data center project connected to tech companies OpenAI and Oracle.

The local government had first tried to block the project, relenting after being faced with lawsuits. Some area officials attended a ceremonial groundbreaking for the data center this past summer.

James has made “local control” a key part of his data center policy vision, blaming the state government for helping recruit projects by offering tax breaks.

“I believe very strongly that Michigan is open for business. But we are not for sale. And, ultimately if you want a data center, fine, we’ll help. If you don’t want a data center, fine, we’ll help. But, ultimately, the control should be by the locals, not dictated by Lansing and lawyers and lobbyists,” James said during the press conference.

James, an incumbent Republican Congressman, said this is an area where he breaks with President Donald Trump.

The Trump administration has been a large supporter of AI research and advancement, often trying to block local pushback. Earlier versions of Trump’s signature legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, included language that would have limited states and communities’ ability to regulate AI.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson accused James of voting against local control while supporting the OBBBA in committee and on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

“He has voted four times to block local control. Four times to block communities from having a voice in data centers,” Benson said during a campaign stop in Flint Friday.

Benson has faced her own baggage related to the Saline Township project. Her husband works for Related Companies, one of the partners that helped secure the Saline Township project. Benson said her husband has stepped away from any projects in Michigan.

But James still accused her of profiting off data centers.

“I wonder if she’s willing to own up to the fact that her family has personally benefited to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars because of this right here,” James said, pointing to the construction over his shoulder.

Despite the back and forth, the candidates’ positions on what to do about data centers aren’t entirely different.

Both are calling for a moratorium on new projects while lawmakers figure out more regulations. Each plan also calls for policies to protect the environment and Michigan residents against being charged for large-scale data centers’ massive power needs.

State regulators say some of those protections are already required by the utility contracts the state’s Public Service Commission has approved so far.

State lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and the governor have already called to make those utility requirements state law. Nothing has passed yet this legislative term.

Another point of difference between the candidates is where each plan would prioritize siting these projects. James wants to put them on existing industrial sites rather than farmland, like in Saline Township.

James supporter and Washtenaw County resident Ron Zimmerman said that idea worked for him.

“Why does it need to be taking farmland and food capacity away from, not only Michigan, but the rest of the world. People want to talk about food insecurity. Why are we taking the supply out?” Zimmerman said.

Zimmerman said he wasn’t against data centers altogether. Rather, he was concerned about how they come to a community.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer continued to call for a federal gas tax holiday Thursday as AAA listed Michigan’s average gas price for a gallon of unleaded at around $4.50.

Many state lawmakers and candidates for office are calling for a suspension of Michigan’s state gas tax to lower costs for drivers.

Prices have spiked since February, when Iran closed a global shipping lane in response to U.S. and Israeli airstrikes.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, Whitmer placed responsibility with the federal government.

“The federal government needs to fix this. The federal government needs stop, not just end the war but also give people relief right now,” Whitmer said.

The federal government charges about $0.18 per gallon of gas and $0.24 per gallon of diesel. The math of a gas tax holiday for a mid-sized car owner with a 16-gallon tank works out to about $2.88 in savings for a full tank.

Michigan, on the other hand, charges a tax of about $0.52 per gallon. Whitmer said she’s not ready to comment on proposals to pause the state’s tax.

“We have done a lot to put money back in peoples’ pockets. Got rid of the 6% sales tax that you see on gas. And we’ll continue to look at other ways that maybe we can get people relief but I’m not going to weigh in on something that may or may not ever see my desk,” Whitmer said.

Democrats in the Michigan House of Representatives tried last week to force a vote on proposals to suspend the state’s tax but failed. The Republican leader in that chamber reportedly said he wouldn’t entertain the measure without a way to replace missing revenue.

The Senate did not pass any gas tax holiday legislation while it met in Lansing Thursday.

Michigan’s fuel tax pays for road repairs. Lawmakers celebrated it as a major win when it passed last year.

Now, industry groups are issuing warnings to lawmakers about interfering with it.

In a statement, the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association suggested the state could lose hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue — and shed important jobs — through a three-month pause.

"Every dollar of the gas tax has a name and a face attached to it. It's the equipment operator in Gaylord, the flagger in Kalamazoo, the truck driver in Saginaw, and the laborer in Detroit who get up before dawn to make our roads safer," MITA vice president Rob Coppersmith said in a statement.

Michigan will put $89 million toward cleaning up the Detroit and Kalamazoo Rivers and related waterways, federal, state, and local officials said Thursday. They met on the Detroit River’s Belle Isle to announce the Reclaim the Rivers initiative.

Money will come from pollution settlements with companies like Monsanto and the operator of the Morrow Dam. A chunk of that money will go toward addressing the legacy of decades of industrial pollution.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy will partner on the effort.

EGLE director Phil Roos said both the Detroit and Kalamazoo Rivers need help. He spoke to reporters at the Belle Isle announcement ceremony.

“This is such an important waterway, a big waterway, so there are more pockets where it’s happening here than other places. But the Kalamazoo River, which is part of this initiative, has several places, a couple of Superfund sites,” Roos said. “There’s plenty of contamination to go around.”

Superfund sites are heavily contaminated areas the federal Environmental Protection Agency prioritizes for cleanup.

Roos said every dollar spent on cleaning up the riverways and preparing them for other uses brings much more back to the state by way of commercial and other spending.

Michigan already promotes swimming, fishing, and other recreational activities on many of its waterways, including the Detroit River.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer said some of the continued need is because Michigan has relatively high environmental standards when it comes to industrial pollution.

“When you are being as forward looking and aggressive as we are, you find a lot more. It’s not unique to Michigan, unfortunately, this is a story that’s playing out across the country,” Whitmer told reporters.

Both the Detroit and Kalamazoo Rivers are listed as EPA areas of concern for the Great Lakes region.

Other uses for the Reclaim the Rivers money include restoring fish habitat and creating more riverfront access for the public. Government officials said they hope to use the state spending to attract more funding from federal, local, and private sources.

Detroit City Councilman Scott Benson echoed the point that making the waterways more usable would help economically.

“Now that we have our federal, state partners coming in with the resources to be able to help that, you can see what the results are and how we have families flocking. So, it’s just, as we clean up and expose more spaces to recreational uses, it allows more families to come down and enjoy our riverfront,” Benson said.

Supporters of domestic violence survivors are pressing Michigan lawmakers to get rid of fees for serving restraining orders.

In Michigan, law enforcement agencies can charge fees for serving a personal protection order. It’s one of fewer than 10 states where petitioners may have to pay for PPO service.

Some nonprofits and sheriff’s offices, like in Genesee County, have systems to help petitioners serve their PPOs for free. But it’s not uniform.

“In this county, I went right to the circuit court, I went to the circuit court administrator and said, ‘This is not law, this is an action that only I can, as the sheriff, control.’ We’ve got 27 other police departments in Genesee County. I can’t control what they do. That’s why we need this precedent,” Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson said during a press conference Wednesday.

Advocates say the costs of serving a personal protective order could vary greatly depending on county where it’s issued, where the recipient is, and the process a petitioner uses to serve it.

Aita Wellington is a legal representative with the YWCA of Kalamazoo County. She said those fees can stack up.

“It could go hundreds of dollars if we have a perpetrator who committed the offense in Kalamazoo County but then they fled to Wayne County, and we have to pay mileage, we have to pay time that they have on the road,” Wellington said.

Although PPOs take effect as soon as a judge signs them, police can’t enforce them until they’ve been served.

That became an issue last year when the ex-husband of Henry Ford Hospital employee Latricia Brown allegedly murdered her at work in Detroit. A PPO had been approved for Brown, but it hadn’t been served.

Legislation to change the system seems to be moving forward in the Michigan Legislature.

Both the state Senate and House of Representatives have voted to create a new state fund that would handle the costs of service for petitioners.

State Representative Sarah Lightner (R-Springport) co-sponsored the House package. Lightner said she’s cautiously optimistic votes can happen once both chambers get final bill language.

“Time is of the essence in a lot of these cases, and you can’t let a couple hundred bucks be worth letting someone die. You know what I mean? We need to protect them, we need to have their back, and we’ll do what we can to protect you,” Lightner said.

The Senate passed its version of the bipartisan bill package in December. The House passed mirror bills last week.

The advocates worry time is running out before the end of the term to get everything finalized.

Ryan Bates, a strategist working with the group End Gun Violence Michigan, said he credits constant pressure on lawmakers with getting the bills this far.

“It seems like when there’s an issue that a moneyed interest group needs to get taken care of, that can go to the top of the agenda. But when it’s domestic violence survivors, or other folks who are marginalized or vulnerable who need something, they’re at the bottom of the list,” Bates said.

Both chambers are only scheduled to meet a few more times before the November 3 general election. After that, any major legislative action could depend on the results of that election.

Michigan’s Secretary of State candidates shared their visions for the office during a candidate forum Tuesday night.

The event was hosted by the League of Women Voters.

Many of the questions came back to the office’s role as Michigan’s top elections official. Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini, the Republican nominee, often tied his vision to his experience in office.

On a question about restoring voters’ trust and making sure information comes out in a timely way, Forlini said he’s found success by listening to people’s concerns and making sure that processes are followed. Beyond that, he said, Michigan is behind other states when it comes to speedily announcing vote tallies.

“We need to balance between efficiency, trusting our clerks, but also being able to verify everything that they do along the way. And, when they don’t, we make them redo things,” Forlini said.

His Democratic opponent, Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist, focused his answer more on combating misinformation and increasing transparency.

Gilchrist said he’ll make it easy for people to see how elections run and how votes are verified.

“I’ll build a rapid response system so that when false claims about elections begin to circulate, the department can respond quickly with clear facts, and in language anyone can understand. And I’ll work with clerks so voters in every community can hear the same accurate information from their local officials,” he said.

Other candidates, like Libertarian Party nominee Christine Sloan, said they’d work with local law enforcement and other officials to address people's fears faster.

“I do think that the problem here really is that there’s an increased concern of safety and that points to a concern that’s happening with the public,” Sloan said. “The public has a concern for the integrity of our election process.”

Green Party Candidate Eric Borregard said he felt election security worries are being “overblown.”

“We need to go back to the way it was before and let people be more free to go and vote,” Borregard said. He went on to criticize efforts to tighten Michigan’s voter ID laws.

Other parts of the forum focused on how to improve the Secretary of State Office’s general services to the public like vehicle registration and regulating notaries.

U.S. Taxpayers Party nominee Scott Aughney said he’d re-open some of the offices that have closed while ensuring walk-in appointments are always honored.

“I would like to examine possibly opening some small satellites across the state,” Aughney said.

The Libertarian Party of Michigan and its nominee for governor are done with one another. Earlier this month, party leadership voted to censure Anthony Hudson.

Now, the party said, it’s disavowing the Hudson campaign and disassociating “from any affiliation, support, or political connection with his candidacy.”

At a September 13 meeting, some Libertarians in leadership raised concerns about Hudson’s use of a homophobic slur on social media, anti-Muslim language, and support for President Donald Trump’s military actions in Venezuela and Iran.

State party District 10 Representative Mike Saliba offered the censuring motion.

“We're not very well known. So, if they hear something coming from the top of the ticket, they're going to believe that’s what we believe in,” Saliba said during the September 13 meeting.

Hudson responded on Facebook by saying “F—- the Libertarian Party” multiple times. He also criticized party positions in favor of LGBTQ rights and legalizing certain drugs like marijuana and psilocybin — or what are often called "magic" — mushrooms.

State party leaders accused Hudson of opposing true freedom of expression and being pro-authoritarian in some of his comments. Meanwhile, Hudson accused the Libertarian Party of Michigan of losing its way and trying to silence his own free speech.

“I’m not a fan of political parties in the State of Michigan. I’m not going to ask for permission how to speak, how to think, how to vote, or how to push back against the system that does not represent the people in our state,” Hudson said in an interview with Michigan Public Radio Tuesday.

Prior to winning the Libertarian nomination at the party’s nominating convention in June, Hudson ran for governor as a Republican. He left the Republican race for his Libertarian bid in February.

Absentee voting has already begun in Michigan, meaning it’s far too late for the Libertarian Party to take back Hudson’s nomination.

The party said it will not be using any further resources to support Hudson’s campaign. Though it acknowledged that Hudson remains the party’s candidate.

“The Libertarian Party of Michigan remains committed to freedom of speech, freedom of religion, equal individual rights, and the principle that government should neither infringe upon those liberties nor discriminate among individuals,” a press release from the party said.