How Michigan became the anti-Florida
Gov. Whitmer and her allies are busy enacting a "freedom" agenda that they hope will reduce gun violence, protect LGBTQ rights and help the working poor
Ron DeSantis has been getting a lot of attention for his “war on woke” and defense of the “free state of Florida.” For my latest article at HuffPost, I decided to look at another recently re-elected governor and the very different direction she and her allies are trying to take their state.
I’m talking about Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who last week signed landmark legislation adding LGBTQ protections to Michigan’s civil rights law. It’s part of a broader agenda she and the Democrats here have promised to enact -- and are well on their way to enacting.
That agenda includes a major tax break for the working poor, formal repeal of the state’s 1931 abortion ban, and an end to the “right to work” law Republicans pushed through a little more than a decade ago. It also includes a series of gun laws that were always on the list but moved to the front of the line following last month’s shooting at Michigan State University.
As I explain in my article, the LGBTQ amendments may seem inconsequential given that the state Supreme Court already ruled that Michigan’s civil rights protections include sexual orientation and gender identity. But courts can reverse themselves, especially in Michigan where we elect justices, so the new amendments are an important insurance policy. And, as advocates pointed out last week, the amendments send a powerful message about the kind of state Michigan wants to be -- as a place that welcomes the LGBTQ community, rather than shuns it (or worse).
Again, that feels pretty different from the message some other governors and lawmakers are trying to send about their states.
To be clear, I didn’t write about Michigan simply because I live here and have followed Whitmer so closely. Nor did I write about Michigan because I anticipate Whitmer running for president in 2024, setting up a potential clash with DeSantis -- although, yes, that would be awfully fascinating, given that they are basically complete opposites in style as well as substance. (It’s not going to happen because she’s not going to challenge Joe Biden.)
Rather, I singled out Whitmer and the Michigan Democrats because of *how* they are fighting back against the right -- namely, with a pitch about widely shared values like dignity, respect and common sense designed to win over moderates. There's also a clear attempt to paint the Republicans as so preoccupied with their culture war offensives that they are ignoring other parts of governing. Whitmer at the signing ceremony noted all the Michigan employer groups who supported the amendments, because they believe it will help them attract talent. "Bigotry is bad for business," she likes to say. Meanwhile, Elissa Slotkin, the House Democrat running for the state's open U.S. Senate seat, has pointed out that Democrats like her are trying to protect kids from gun violence, while Republicans are busy banning books from libraries.
Finally, I’ve noticed that Whitmer and her allies talk a lot about “freedom” — which, of course, is the value DeSantis and so many other Republicans across the country say that they are promoting. “Michigan is a state where we stand up for people’s fundamental freedoms,” Whitmer said at last week’s signing ceremony, “whether it’s your freedom to make your own decisions about your body, your freedom to go to school or work without being worried about a mass shooting, or your freedom to be who you are, love who you love.”
Will this approach continue to work politically? Could it work in other states, and nationally? It’s impossible to answer those questions right now. A big reason Michigan Democrats won so resoundingly in November is that they were running against a slate of erratic, untested, conspiracy-theory-spewing Republicans who were trying to ban abortion.
In other words, they drew the perfect opponents.
Then again, it’s not like Michigan Republicans are out of step with their counterparts in other states, or in Washington. And there’s no particular reason to expect a change in GOP’s tone anytime soon, regardless of whether the 2024 presidential nominee is DeSantis, Donald Trump or some other candidate.
Links to my new article, along with some related political stories I’ve written, are below. Thank you for reading!
Michigan Is Becoming The Anti-Florida On LGBTQ Rights — And A Lot More
Why Now Is Not The Time To Look Away From The MSU Shooting
The MSU Shooting Is Making Us See A New Kind Of Gun Tragedy
Ron DeSantis Is Happy To Talk About Culture Wars — But Not This
How Michigan’s Blue Wave Happened
Gretchen Whitmer Is Both Loved And Hated In Michigan — And Still Fighting Like Hell