Free read: Detroit Dem blows up lame duck, medical debt erased, Zeus' new star
Here's what I was reading during the third week of Detroit one million.
Happy, Friday!
This week showcased the dysfunction and fracture among Democrats who’ve been in control of Michigan’s House of Representatives the last two years.
While the action took place in Lansing, lawmakers from Detroit — two of which are eyeing city government races in 2025 — were the main characters.
Here’s what happened:
House Republicans walked out of session last week in protest of Democrats’ refusal to vote on changes to Michigan’s paid sick leave and tipped wage laws.
They never came back this week, blocking Democrats in their last-minute effort to accomplish anything before they give control back to House Republicans next year.
Republicans want to retain a tipped minimum wage to help small businesses save money on labor costs. They say if servers are paid more, customers will stop tipping.
State Rep. Karen Whitsett, D-Detroit, agrees with Republicans.
She joined her colleagues across the aisle in skipping House session this week, demanding Democrats vote on the Republican-backed bills, as well as put up proposals for greater police funding and water affordability. House Democrats needed her vote to pass proposals without Republican support.
Public records request reforms, bills to combat racial health disparities for pregnant women, and a plan to create a statewide program to help low-income residents pay their water bills were among the many plans that were killed this week.
House Speaker Joe Tate, who’s been criticized by several House Democrats for what they called ineffective leadership, finally gave into pressure from allies to issue a rare legislative procedure, what’s known as a “Call of the House,” which could have involved dispatching state police to round up absent members.
It didn’t.
Whitsett and absent Republican lawmakers never showed up despite the call and one hour later Tate adjourned House session, leaving immediately afterwards. He ignored questions from reporters, missing farewell speeches and a year-end photo with his colleagues.
Meanwhile, state senators debated through the night into Friday morning, where they remained for 26 hours until early afternoon.
Two days before, Sen. Sylvia Santana, D-Detroit, criticized the governor in a Facebook post for what she said is an agenda that prioritized corporations above the Black community. She skipped senate session Wednesday, but showed up Thursday.
House floor leader Rep. Abraham Aiyash, D-Hamtramck, told Russ McNamara in an interview Friday that he hadn’t had any communication with Whitmer the entire lame duck period.
On Thursday, former state Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo, who currently serves as a Detroit school board member, showed up to Lansing to work with Whitsett. At one point, she could be heard in an argument with Aiyash, Craig Mauger and Beth LeBlanc reported.
Whitsett said she wanted $400 million to put toward the old Detroit Public Schools' debt, saying that Gay-Dagnogo came to help her fight for it.
“This was not me. (Tate) would not negotiate in good faith,” Whitsett told reporters on the House floor.
Tate recently formed a candidate committee to become Detroit’s next mayor. Whitsett tells me she’s running in Detroit’s 7th City Council District next year.
In a post on Twitter, David Eggert reminded us how this week could be used in the next gubernatorial cycle: “I'm not sure Mike Duggan could have written a better script himself over the past week in terms of the 'Lansing is dysfunctional, partisan & unserious' plank of his independent campaign for governor.”
I told Gay-Dagnogo to give me a call once she returned home from Lansing.
“Next week! Tired of politics,” Gay-Dagnogo responded. “I’m sooooo disappointed!”
New DDOT director
Detroit People Mover general manager Robert Cramer will leave his role there to lead DDOT.
Cramer will become Detroit’s new executive director of transit, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced this week.
He replaces G. Michael Staley, who will remain in his role until Jan. 5.
“Robert has done tremendous things at the People Mover in a short period of time and has the system operating the best it has in decades,” Duggan said. “He has shown himself to be an outstanding leader and will do a great job taking DDOT to its next level with increased service levels and better schedule reliability in 2025.”
I spoke to Cramer last year for this QnA about a potential People Mover expansion. He seemed excited about the possibilities while remaining realistic about the uphill funding battle required to take on such a project.
The Detroit Transportation Corporation, the entity that controls the rail line, announced this week it will undergo a year-long study to identify improvements.
$27 million in medical debt erased across Wayne County
As the nation debates the morality of the healthcare industry, a national nonprofit is paying the bills of more than 46,000 people across Wayne County, officials announced Wednesday.
Medical debt totaling $27 million is being forgiven for more than 46,000 people who live in Wayne County, the county health department said.
It’s a big deal, but not everyone qualifies.
Patients who qualify must live in Wayne County and must have income no more than four times the federal poverty level, or have medical debt that equals 5% or more of their annual income, the county says.
The nonprofit can only acquire qualifying medical debts from providers who agree to be partners, such as hospitals and physicians’ groups.
One in 12 people in the US live with medical debt, according to the Peterson Center for Healthcare.
"These resources will help to eliminate the stress they have been under as they juggle how to pay for crushing hospital bills while keeping the lights on and putting food on the table at the same time,” Wayne County Executive Warren Evans said in a press release.
Read more: Dana Afana, Detroit Free Press
How rich is Zues Network?
Disgraced actor Jonathan Majors will star in Zeus Network’s first movie, “Magazine Dreams” the network’s Detroit-based president, Lemuel Plummer, announced this week.
The announcement generated a lot of jokes, including this one. In a clip, Majors explains the movie is “a piece of art” and “what’s needed for the industry.”
“We’re proud to announce @thezeusnetwork’s FIRST THEATRICAL FILM #MagazineDreams is set to Premiere in THEATERS on MARCH 21st 2025!! 🎥🎬 Excited to have partnered with @briarcliffent and #JonathanMajors on this OSCAR WORTHY FILM!! Let’s Gooo 🎞️🔥👏🏾⚡️” Plummer said on Instagram.
Is Zeus Network that rich, or is former Marvel lead Jonathan Majors — alleged to be involved in several domestic violence incidents in recent years — this poor?
Making Plummer’s Instagram caption as one of the film’s executive producers is LA movie executive Jeffery Soros — George Soros’ nephew.
If you’re not familiar, Zeus Network has made millions from the success of two streaming series featuring a cast of young women traveling city-to-city getting in fights with each other: Joseline’s Cabaret and Baddies.
I do not particularly enjoy the fact that I’ve watched the entire season of Baddies East, West and Midwest, which features this iconic fight at the Franklin Cider Mill, so let me explain: In March 2023, I dated a girl who would turn Baddies on while braiding my hair to watch certain scenes she saw on TikTok. Since March of this year, a different girl started taking care of my hair and she can’t stop watching it either.
They know it’s terrible and that’s why they watch. Both, to varying degrees, believe in this internet conspiracy theory that the show is actually a sex cult.
The sound of a dozen women screaming at each other can literally worsen the pain of getting my hair yanked on to the point I ask them to turn it off.
But sometimes, I get it.
QLINE carolers today!
Christmas carolers are on the QLINE today (December 20, from 4-6pm) bringing holiday tunes to your ride! “Hop on, enjoy the music, and let the carolers fill your trip with seasonal joy,” the street rail system posted on social media this morning.
I’m going to try and hit the Ferry Street stop around 5 to see if I can get serenaded on my way downtown.