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State Wide Coalition to Repeal Michigan's Emergency Manager Law Continues to Grow as Detroit and Flint may Become Takeover Targets

LANSING, Mich., Nov. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Stand Up for Democracy (http://standup4democracy.com/) is announcing it has verified more than half of the 250,000 signatures the group wants to collect. Only 161,304 valid signatures are needed to freeze the emergency manager law and put it on the November 2012 general election ballot. Leaders representing more than 3,500 volunteers from across the state held a teleconference call today detailing many of their successes.

The petitions call for a vote to repeal the emergency manager law that gave them sweeping powers, including the ability to:

    --  Seize and sell public assets without a court order
    --  Remove elected officials from office without due process
    --  Dissolve or merge cities, townships and school districts without a
        popular vote
    --  Break binding contracts and eliminate collective bargaining rights at
        will
    --  Close vital public services without a public hearing

"The law is a naked power grab by Lansing politicians," said Traverse City resident Amy Hardin, from Reject Emergency Managers, a member group of Stand Up for Democracy.

"This law has disenfranchised over 550,000 registered voters and counting, we must strike down this law immediately for the sake of Michigan Democracy. Emergency managers are dictators over local communities who rule with impunity; threaten our Democracy and local rights. Michigan's communities can't continue to sell public services, layoff employees and create local policy and ordinances without community input," said Brandon Jessup, Chairman & CEO of Michigan Forward and member of Stand Up for Democracy. "We've documented the ills of this odious law in our mini-documentary released on Labor Day. This coalition is the elixir for communities under the dictatorship of emergency management and those facing possible takeover we are champions for Democracy and we encourage all Michigan voters to with us." Jessup said.

People can protect democracy by volunteering at polling locations this Tuesday, November 8, or at the next Detroit Lions home game on Sunday, November 20. We will have free food and drink for volunteers and tailgating fun once the game starts.

For more information go to http://StandUp4Democracy.com/, email us at StandUp4Democracy@gmail.com or call 1-866-306-5168.

SOURCE Stand Up for Democracy