Michigan
Judge rejects challenge of Michigan’s ‘reasonable’ process for dead voter removal
Lansing — A federal judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit alleging Michigan wasn’t doing enough to prune dead voters from its registration records, ruling instead that the state has a reasonable process to remove dead voters on a “regular and ongoing basis.”
Federal data shows Michigan is consistently among the most active states when it comes to canceling a voter’s registration after he or she dies — ranking sixth in the nation for the number of registrations canceled for dead voters in the 2016 election cycle, fourth in 2018, fifth in 2020 and fifth in 2022, U.S. District Court Judge Jane Beckering wrote in the ruling.
The state’s multi-layered approach for identifying dead voters and removing them meets and exceeds the “reasonable effort” required under federal election law, Beckering wrote while dismissing the suit brought by the Alexandria, Va.-based Public Interest Legal Foundation.
“After conducting more than nine months of discovery into the many facets of Michigan’s program for the removal of deceased registrants, PILF (Public Interest Legal Foundation) has identified no genuine issue for trial regarding its claim that the program is not reasonable,” Beckering wrote.
Beckering also dismissed complaints from PILF regarding Benson’s production of records the foundation had requested, noting PILF’s initial request was delayed by the 2020 election but eventually was satisfied.
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson celebrated the win in a statement Friday, calling the lawsuit a “thinly veiled attempt to undermine voters’ faith in their voice, their vote, and our democracy.”
“Voters should expect more attempts to fool them about our elections to follow this failed effort,” Benson said in the statement. “And they should know we will continue to respond to those attacks with truth, facts, and data to give all citizens confidence that every valid vote, and only valid votes, will be counted in every election.”
In a statement Friday, the Public Interest Legal Foundation said it planned to appeal to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, arguing the case was needed to develop “clarity in the law.”
“This appeal will have national implications for election integrity because keeping the dead on the rolls for decades after death isn’t reasonable,” said J. Christian Adams, the group’s president.
The case dates back to 2020, when the conservative Indianapolis-based election integrity organization began alleging Michigan was not acting quickly enough to remove dead voters from its voter lists. The foundation eventually filed a suit over the issue in November 2021.
Benson’s office rejected the claims, arguing it immediately cancels voter registration when it receives official death confirmation, usually on a weekly basis through the Social Security Administration’s Master Death Index.
County clerks also forward a list to their city and township clerks at least once a month with the last known address and birth date of individuals who have died in the county, according to past filings in the case. The local clerk then uses that information to cancel the registration of any dead individuals; local clerks also can use other information, such as a death notice in a newspaper or “personal firsthand knowledge,” according to the filings.
Other inactive voters are identified through statewide mailings and then removed in compliance with a waiting period required under federal law. Federal law requires that a suspected inactive voter not be removed from a voting list until or unless they fail to vote in two statewide federal elections. There is no such waiting period for dead voters to be removed from the Qualified Voter File.
Between 2019 and 2023, Michigan cancelled between 400,000 to 450,000 registrations because the voters were dead, Beckering noted in her opinion.
More than 500,000 inactive voters will have their registrations cancelled in 2025, according to Benson’s office.
eleblanc@detroitnews.com
New defensive coordinator Jay Hill comes to Michigan by way of BYU, and the Cougars’ defense was a big part of their success last year. They had the No. 5 red zone defense in the country, and were in the top-10 for interceptions and defensive touchdowns.
Hill’s defense appears to run through the secondary, which is good news for the Wolverines given the experience they’re bringing back. Veterans Jyaire Hill and Zeke Berry return, while senior Smith Snowden transferred over from Utah. Young players Jo’Ziah Edmond and Shamari Earls both have a shot at taking leaps forward this fall.
Then there’s the safety group. Juniors Mason Curtis and Jacob Oden, and sophomore Jordan Young, really improved in 2025. Michigan also added Memphis veteran Chris Bracy through the portal. If the Wolverines can get Rod Moore fully healthy and back on the field, that’s an even more complete unit.
Looking at highlights from BYU’s defense last season, it looks like Hill likes to vary how he uses his secondary. And when you look at Pro Football Focus (PFF), Hill had some of his secondary players at the top for rush defense, and that didn’t take away from how they graded out in coverage.
Take a look at this play from BYU cornerback Mory Bamba against Utah. He’s able to pick up a huge tackle despite starting well off the line of scrimmage. He uses his speed to pick up a huge fourth-down stop in the red zone. That’s something Hill should be able to capitalize on with his players at Michigan.
It’s not just Michigan’s short-yardage and red zone defense that has the potential to improve under Hill, it’s the takeaways, too. Last season, Jyaire Hill had several “almost” interceptions. Under Jay Hill, Jyaire Hill could live up to his potential in 2026. He, Curtis, Berry, Moore, Oden each had one interception — the unit is clearly competent when it comes to forcing turnovers. Pair that with a coordinator who focuses on that kind of play, and you’ve got a recipe for success.
Cornerback Evan Johnson led the way for the Cougars last season with five interceptions and a touchdown. A pair of those came in BYU’s game against East Carolina. He’s clearly got his eyes on the quarterback and has a sense of what he needs to make a big play for his team. While jumping a route comes with some risk, the reward is high. The Wolverines will face some of the most explosive offensive units in the Big Ten in 2026, and giving quarterbacks a reason to hesitate before throwing those passes is going to be huge.
Michigan’s secondary has the pieces to help Hill run the defense how he wants. The experience and leadership from veteran players, as well as the familiarity in the system from Snowden, can elevate the unit come the fall. I can’t wait to get an early look at the defense during the spring game on April 18.
Mobile crisis units roll out to help Detroiters in mental health or substance abuse need.
Mobile crisis units roll out to help people in need with mental health or substance abuse problems in Detroit.
Michigan is sending some of its most vulnerable children hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles away for mental health treatment because it has failed to build the capacity to care for them at home.
Michigan once had roughly 1,200 residential treatment beds for children. Today, there are fewer than 400.
That’s because facilities have closed, staff have left and costs have risen.
The falling apart of the system is impactful, especially given the increased amount of attention on this issue for nearly half a decade — since COVID wreaked havoc on youth and adult mental health in this state on top of what was already a social-media-induced mental health crisis among adolescents.
A growing number of children in severe mental health crisis or with complex psychological disorders are being placed in out-of-state facilities because there is nowhere for them to go in the state.
As of 2025, at least 152 Michigan youth were living in out-of-state placements — more than double the 74 in 2023, and up from 122 in 2024, according to data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS).
Children suffering from severe mental health challenges typically need the support of family and friends. They don’t often require isolation from their natural support structures. Parents should be able to access and help their children who are suffering. That’s harder to do when the child is housed in another state.
The related costs for the arrangement was $13 million last year shared across state and federal funding streams.
Michigan must reinvest in its mental health system, especially for children and adolescents who were particularly affected by pandemic lockdowns and other policies.
By the time many of these kids enter the system, they are already in crisis. They are demonstrating concerning behavior, interacting with police, cycling through emergency rooms or entering the juvenile justice system. That is the most expensive, least effective point to intervene.
Rather than operating at the back end of the problem, Michigan must invest aggressively on the front end by expanding in-state residential capacity and strengthening and integrating community mental health services, so fewer children ever reach the point of needing institutional care.
Bipartisan lawmakers have pushed hundreds of millions of dollars into school safety and mental health funding. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has overseen an increase in funding mental health services and some important reforms, like the crisis hotline and a measure that allows mental health care to be covered as critically as physical health care.
But more is needed. Michigan must aggressively increase capacity and create incentives to attract and retain staff.
Instead, MDHHS is pushing a proposal that critics say would shift some patients with significant needs into categories typically handled by private insurance, blurring the lines of responsibility between Medicaid and community health programs and complicating the exhaustive bureaucracy for patients and providers.
“Hospitals and providers across the state have already warned that the framework’s training, billing and operational requirements could slow access to treatment,” the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan warned in a recent op-ed. “The impact would be a new strain on an already overextended behavioral health workforce.”
Fixing Michigan’s comprehensive mental health strategy is an urgent need that will require funding and a coordinated strategy that aligns state dollars, insurance coverage and community-based services so that care is continuous and effective.
The goal should be to build a system that assures Michigan children are treated in Michigan.
Four-star safety from Santa Margarita Catholic (Calif.) Pole Moala has named his top seven schools, with the Michigan Wolverines making the cut.
Moala, according to a report from Ethan McDowell of On3’s The Wolverine, visited campus earlier in the week for a few days with his family.
The California prospect is arguably the program’s top target at safety for the class of 2027 as the Wolverines reportedly sit in a strong position ahead of his June 19 official visit.
“It was great!!” Moala said to The Wolverine about the visit to Michigan. “Couldn’t be more grateful for the entire Michigan staff for the hospitality! I can definitely see myself coming back.”
Moala also told The Wolverine that Michigan is a top two school for him as he also visited Ole Miss later in the week.
He is the No. 167 overall prospect, the No. 18 safety and the No. 12 player in the state of California in the class of 2027, according to Rivals.
Moala’s scouting report
Director of Scouting at 247 Sports, Andrew Ivins, views Moala as a potential multi-year Power Four starter with NFL upside.
Ivins full evaluation of Moala on his 247 profile reads:
-Versatile defensive back with the ideal blend of athleticism and physicality.
-Moved from the class of 2028 to the class of 2027 where he’s age appropriate after a stellar 2025 campaign.-Projects best as a free safety that can clean up mistakes, but has the hip fluidity and cover talent to potentially hang at cornerback.
-Strikes in the alley and runs his feet through contact.
-Active eyes frequently has him beating the football to the catch point.
-Commits to angles, but can get caught over-pursing.
-Likely to eventually carry 200 pounds on a frame that’s believed to be hovering right around 5-foot-11.5, 185 pounds.
-Should be viewed as a potential multi-year starter in a Power Four secondary with NFL upside given the ball production and competitive temperament.
The Wolverines have clearly made the safety position a priority during this recruiting cycle, with Darell Mattison and Maxwell Miles already committing under the watch of head coach Kyle Whittingham.
If Michigan can seal the deal with Moala, that would be another step in the right direction in helping bolster the secondary in Whittingham’s first full class as head coach of the Wolverines.
Michigan currently has five players committed in its class of 2027 up to this point.
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