When the city of East Lansing excluded someone from a farmer’s market because of his religious beliefs, they violated his right to free speech and freedom of religion.
The exclusion of Country Mill Farms owner Stephen Tennes from the farmers market because he refused to play host to same-sex wedding ceremonies at his farm, detailed in a 2017 lawsuit, will cost East Lansing $825,000 in damages and attorney fees.
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A federal judge ruled Monday that the city of East Lansing, Michigan, cannot prohibit a local Catholic businessman from participating in a farmer’s market because it violates his faith beliefs to host same-sex weddings on his farm’s property.
In his opinion in Country Mill Farms, LLC v. City of East Lansing, Judge Paul Maloney of U.S. District Court Western District of Michigan, Southern Division, ruled, “The City has not established that the decision to deny CMF [Country Mill Farms] a vendor license is narrowly tailored to meet a compelling government interest.”
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Detroit taxpayers forked over $56 million in police settlement payouts between 2020 and four months of 2023.
Those payouts are a record amount in recent history, but public officials won’t explain why.
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An East Lansing ordinance compelling landlords to promote their tenants to vote has prompted a lawsuit from the Thomas More Society.
On Thursday, attorneys from the conservative Roman Catholic public-interest law firm filed litigation in federal court against East Lansing in response to the city’s ordinance requiring landlords provide voter application forms and voter-registration information to new tenants. Refusal to comply with the law would result in the landlord being charged with a civil infraction.
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The 25-year-old mayor of East Lansing, appointed to the position in 2020 during a year of turmoil for the city, is resigning in August in order to further his education.
“My program begins in late August, so I will be stepping down from my position as mayor, and as a member of the city council, because I will be unable to attend four regular and two discussion-only meetings before my term is over,” Mayor Aaron Stephens said in a Facebook post.
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Once again, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) finds herself in hot water after a photo surfaced showing her breaking her own social distancing rules at an East Lansing bar over the weekend.
“The group shot of 13 individuals appeared to violate the governor’s restaurant capacity order issued May 15 on ‘gathering limitations for entertainment establishments, recreational establishments, and food service establishments,'” according to Breitbart, which first obtained the photo.
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will deliver the Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address from East Lansing High School, where her two daughters attend school.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced in January that Whitmer would deliver the Democratic response to the annual address, which is scheduled for Tuesday night.
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