Michigan
Federal judge tosses GOP lawsuit targeting Michigan’s voter rolls • Michigan Advance
Another GOP-filed lawsuit targeting voting in Michigan has been tossed out of court.
On Tuesday, a federal judge dismissed a suit brought by the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) challenging Michigan’s maintenance of its voter rolls. It followed Monday’s ruling by a Michigan Court of Claims judge that dismissed a GOP lawsuit seeking to tighten qualifications for Americans living overseas to cast ballots in Michigan.
In the most recent case, U.S. District Court Judge Jane Beckering for the Western District of Michigan ruled that neither the RNC nor the other two plaintiffs in the lawsuit, Jordan Jorritsma and Emerson Silvernail, had legal standing to bring their case.
Jorritsma is the legislative director for state Rep. Curt Vandwerwall (R-Ludington), while Silvernail is the legislative director for state Rep. Sarah Lightner (R-Springport).
“Because Plaintiffs’ Complaint fails to sufficiently demonstrate that Jorritsma and Silvernail suffered either a concrete or a particularized injury-in-fact, the Court holds that Plaintiffs have not borne their burden of establishing that the individual Plaintiffs have standing to bring their NVRA (National Voting Rights Act) claim,” said Beckering, who added that the RNC also failed to demonstrate an actual injury.
However, Beckering went even further and said even if the parties had legal standing to bring the case, she still would have dismissed it as it didn’t state a plausible claim.
“Absent Plaintiffs’ legal conclusions and unwarranted factual inferences, which this Court is not required to accept as true, there is no content in Plaintiffs’ Complaint that states a plausible claim under the NVRA,” said Beckering.
The RNC lawsuit claimed Michigan election officials violated the NVRA by not properly removing ineligible voters from the Qualified Voting File (QVF). The allegation was based on a comparison of census data with Michigan’s voter file, claiming at least 53 counties had more registered voters than adult citizens.
In their response to the lawsuit, state officials noted that many people on the voting rolls are inactive voters and their names cannot simply be removed as the NVRA mandates certain criteria be met before a name can be taken off the list. That delay, they say, is the reason for discrepancy, adding that Michigan has canceled almost a million registrations since 2019. They also noted that the plaintiffs failed to identify a single voter in any Michigan county who is ineligible to be registered but was still listed as an active voter.
Regardless, the allegations made in the lawsuit resulted in an online back and forth, over the weekend between billionaire and X owner Elon Musk and Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who called it “dangerous disinformation.”
Musk is supporting former President Donald Trump, while Benson is backing Vice President Kamala Harris.
In response to Tuesday’s ruling dismissing the lawsuit, Benson reiterated the dangerous nature of the misinformation being spread on the issue.
“False and meritless claims — whether they are posted on social media or in legal filings — won’t stand up in court,” said Benson. “That’s where evidence, the law, and facts rule the day. I’m grateful the federal court today again affirmed our vigorous work to maintain the accuracy of Michigan’s voter rolls in accordance with state and federal law.”
Benson further added that with the election less than two weeks away, her office would continue to serve the people of Michigan by stating facts, following the law, and operating with transparency.
“To those with other interests and agendas, some advice: Next time you’re in a hole, stop digging,” she said.
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Michigan
Michigan State asks Big Ten to review scuffle with Michigan
Michigan State has asked the Big Ten to look into a skirmish that broke out following the final play of Saturday’s game against Michigan, coach Jonathan Smith said Monday. Smith said his understanding was that the Big Ten was reviewing what happened following the final whistle of Michigan’s 24-17 victory as players and staffers from both programs converged at midfield.
Replays showed Michigan running back Kalel Mulling in what appeared to be a stomping motion, though nothing else was visible from the broadcast camera angles.
“I haven’t thoroughly looked at every angle and all of that,” Smith said. “It was a lot of bodies out there. My experience, and then learning yesterday, yes, we had a staff member that was in the fray of it and a player in the fray of it. That’s what we’re hoping they’re looking into.”
Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said he hadn’t been contacted by the Big Ten and said he would address the situation internally. Moore didn’t comment on whether that could include possible suspensions and answered “no” when asked if he saw Mullings kick a staffer from Michigan State.
“That’s not how we represent the University of Michigan, the Block M or the winged helmet,” Moore said. “We’ll take care of that. That will never happen again.”
A Big Ten spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The skirmish began as Michigan State’s Anthony Jones and Michigan’s Colston Loveland began shoving after the Wolverines’ final kneel down. Jones shoved Loveland’s facemask and Loveland responded with a head butt, which prompted players from both teams to get involved. The teams were quickly separated and went to their respective locker rooms without further incident.
Loveland told reporters after the game that he “kind of got carried away” and attributed the skirmish to the heat of the moment. In a postgame interview with Big Ten Network, Loveland said, “We knew it was going to get chippy. Everything within the confines of the game we do right, and then after, if they want to get busy, we’ll get busy.”
Saturday’s game was the first meeting between the programs at Michigan Stadium since the 2022 incident in the stadium tunnel that resulted in criminal charges for seven Michigan State players. Michigan State was fined $100,000 by the Big Ten, and the seven players involved were suspended.
Michigan was given a public reprimand by the league for failing to provide adequate protection for both teams. Michigan has since changed its postgame procedures to ensure players from both teams aren’t in the stadium tunnel at the same time.
(Photo: Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
Michigan
Michigan State football winners & losers: Run game favors Spartans on both sides of ball
MSU football: Video analysis of the Spartans’ 24-17 loss at Michigan
Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch and Detroit Free Press MSU beat writer Chris Solari break down the Spartans’ 24-17 loss at Michigan.
Free PRess sports writer Chris Solari reviews the Michigan State football players who helped or hurt their stock in the Spartans’ 24-17 loss Saturday night at Michigan.
Winners
LOOKING AHEAD: What we learned at U-M, what to watch vs. Indiana
RB Nate Carter
For a kid who grew up in upstate New York dreaming of playing for U-M, Carter ran with a personal and punishing mission statement against the Wolverines. The junior, in his second season after transferring from Connecticut, posted his MSU-best 118 rushing yards and a touchdown on 19 carries while establishing a new personal high with 56 receiving yards on two catches. It was Carter’s first time back in Michigan Stadium since 2022 with the Huskies, when he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury after running six times for 21 yards.
RG Brandon Baldwin
After playing exclusively at left tackle for two seasons at MSU, two injuries in the first three weeks necessitated the fifth-year senior’s move to the interior. Considering how entirely lost he looked in his baptism at Boston College, Saturday’s road-grading performance against U-M was an entirely different beast. Carter followed his big blocker for his 2-yard touchdown in the first quarter, and Baldwin and center Tanner Miller helped create creases off the right side for the Spartans to outrush the Wolverines, 163-119.
Run defense
For the second straight game, following the containment of Iowa star Kaleb Johnson last week, MSU’s front seven squelched its opponent’s rushing attack. The Spartans held U-M’s top rusher, Kalel Mullings, to just 18 yards on 13 carries and stuffed Donovan Edwards for 24 yards on nine attempts. MSU, however, found minimal success in stopping quarterback Alex Orji, who led the Wolverines with 64 yards and a touchdown on just six carries. The Spartans now rank 45th in the nation at 129.6 yards allowed on the ground per game.
Losers
Pass rush
While the front seven neutered the U-M running backs all night, the Spartans continued to struggle with getting to opposing quarterbacks. MSU failed to get a sack for the fourth straight game against Big Ten competition after opening the season with 15 sacks in the first four games. Some of that came from Wolverines quarterback Davis Warren throwing just 19 times, but the Spartans have not had a sack in more than a month, a stretch of 257 minutes and 53 seconds of game play. Their last came when defensive end Anthony Jones dropped Boston College QB Thomas Castellanos with 2:53 left in the third quarter on Sept. 21.
FEELING SICK: Michigan State football laments missed chances at U-M: ‘We should have won this game’
Special teams
The Spartans struggled in all three phases against U-M, but they also had issues among multiple special teams units. It started with Jonathan Kim missing a chip-shot field-goal attempt that cost MSU points on the first drive of the game. It continued with a botched fair catch call by upback Sam Edwards with Alante Brown snagging a kickoff early in the second half, pinning the Spartans at their 5-yard line. Then after a Kim field goal, the kickoff unit gave a slight tell that an onside kick was coming to tip off the Wolverines to recover (and MSU also was offsides on the dribbler). Losing long snapper Kaden Schickel to an apparently significant left leg injury could eventually become problematic, as the James Madison transfer had been spectacularly steady through the first eight games.
LB Jordan Turner
The between-periods review of Turner’s hit on an Orji run on the final play of the third quarter cost the Spartans one of their best defenders and captains. Turner’s loss was felt quickly later in that drive as the Wolverines exploited safety Malik Spencer’s aggressiveness trying to help the linebackers against the run, with Edwards delivering a halfback pass for a touchdown to Colston Loveland that ultimately proved to be the winning score. Equally as costly for MSU is losing Turner for the first half of next week’s game against No. 13 Indiana due to NCAA targeting rules.
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.
Subscribe to the “Spartan Speak” podcast for new episodes weekly on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.
Michigan
Michigan State beats Purdue 3-1 in final game of regular season for women's soccer team
LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – Spartans beat Boilermakers 3-1 in East Lansing for the final game of the regular season.
Mackenzie Anthony got things started for the Spartans with a nice goal early in the game. However, Gracie Dunaway was able to tie things up for the Boilermakers.
The tie would be broken with a goal from the boot of Kaleigh Mcpherson. Michigan State would put the game away after a nice pass from Mackenzie Anthony found Meg Hughes to give the Spartans a 3-1 lead.
Up next the girls will play Rutgers in their first game of the Big Ten Tournament. That game will take place on Sat, Nov. 2.
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