Why Focus On The Michigan Constitution?
I completely understand why our United States Constitution gets all the attention. Generically, it applies to all 300+ million Americans. What happens at the United State Supreme Court can be reported by every talking in, in all 50 states. Arguably, you could write one script about the happenings at the US Supreme Court and any 5 pm local newscaster could read that script to you and it would be applicable.
But as much as I care about what the “Nine Robed Overloads” tell me about the US Constitution, I care more about what the “Seven Robed Overlords” in Lansing, tell me about the Michigan Constitution! Why? Because the Michigan Constitution is behemoth of a document, and quite frankly, it touches the day-to-day aspects of my life–far more frequently, and (arguably) with far greater impact. For some unknown reason, State Constitutions get short-shrift by the talking heads. I suspect the reasoning for that is because State Constitution rulings aren’t as sexy as abortion, guns, racial policies and voting rights. But you know what? The Michigan Constitution still has oversight regarding those topics. And the Michigan Supreme Court is going to read, review and analyze the Michigan Constitution to see how that plays out for the citizen of Michigan.
The Michigan Constitution addresses these hot button issues, but it also addresses aspects such as education, taxes, municipal structure/services, and about 262 other promises to its citizens! That’s right. There are 262 Sections in the Michigan Constitution. Each section is a directive about what Michigan government can and cannot do to/for/against the residents of Michigan. And here’s one other interesting bit of trivia: You don’t even have to be a tax paying resident of the State, for these promises & obligations to pertain to you. You get the same protections, provided by the Michigan Constitution, while you’re within the borders. Now, to be clear, that means you have to abide by the laws, but you’re going to be given the same right to a jury trial, as does a full blown 44 year old resident of this State, if you’re here visiting…but that also means: Obey our laws. Alright, alright…I digress.
The goal of my podcast is simple: Make you a more informed individual about the contents of the Michigan Constitution, what the promises are within the document and highlight real life examples of what those Constitutional promises mean, by discussing cases which tackled that exact Article & Section.
Let me be clear: This podcast is NOT legal advice. You will NOT become a Michigan constitutional scholar by listening to this podcast. I only barely scratch the surface of what the Michigan Constitution means, what the laws based on the MI Constitution mean, and what case law is out there addressing the specific Article/Section. It would take 27 lifetimes to ever encapsulate and present all there is to know about the Michigan Constitution. My podcast is for entertainment purposes only. If you have a legal matter, which you believe is implicated by the MI Constitution, MI law, MI rules…please contact the State Bar of Michigan’s Lawyer Referral Service program to find an attorney who specializes in your legal needs.
So sit back, relax, and learn a little bit more than what the proverbial Ron Burgundy’s of local newscasts will ever tell you about the Michigan Constitution!