Brian Banks Responds to Questions About His Past and Present

Brian Banks says he is a changed man and that the economy has caused his recent debt problems.

Michigan State Rep-Elect Banks' Car Repossessed

The second of Banks' cars is repossessed

  Newly elected to the Michigan House of Representatives, Brian Banks is poised to be sworn in as the representative for District 1 in Lansing in January.  District 1 includes Grosse Pointe Shores, Grosse Pointe Woods, Harper Woods and some of Detroit. There maybe some question as to how he'll get to Lansing though.  According to a Nov. 12 article by MyFoxDetroit.com, Banks' Land Rover was repossessed last week after more than four months of being followed by a recovery agent. Banks' 2003 Jaguar was repossessed earlier. Banks, an eight-time felon convicted of passing bad checks and credit card fraud from 1998 to 2004, has said publicly that he’s turned his life around after earning a Master's degree and a law degree. In October, Banks was …

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State House Candidate Brian Banks Evicted from Harper Woods Homes

Brian Banks, candidate for Michigan's House 1st District, could face new criminal charges for check fraud

  State House candidate Brian Banks may have bigger concerns than getting elected next Tuesday to represent Michigan's 1st District.  This past week Banks, 35, was evicted from the second of two homes he leased in Harper Woods and on Wednesday a judgment for $3751 was levied against him after checks he wrote to his landlord bounced. Ira Auslander, attorney for Dan Sylvester, who is the owner of the home Banks rented for his campaign headquarters on Fleetwood Dr., said his client is keeping all his options open—including filing criminal charges.  According to MCL 750.131, if Banks knowingly wrote a bad check over $500, he could be charged with a 2-year felony. “That’s an option we have and we’re considering all our options,” Auslander said …

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POLL: Should Michigan Ban Cell Use by Novice Teen Drivers?

Senate-passed bill would affect new motorists with graduated licenses.

Cellphones and the youngest drivers don't go together safely, a majority of Michigan senators believe. Under a proposal that passed the Senate by a 28-10 vote Thursday, teens with Level 1 or 2 graduated licenses could be ticketed and fined for driving while chatting on a phone – even in hands-free mode. The bill now goes to the state House. Backers want to reduce risky distractions among newcomers behind the wheel. Some senators voted against the measure because they favor a broader crackdown, the Associated Press reports. The legislation is called "Kelsey's Law" in memory of a Sault Ste. Marie 17-year-old who had a fatal crash while talking on her phone in 2010. Teens with Level 3 licenses, typically issued to 17-year-olds, would be …

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Joni Hubred-Golden

8:57 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013

Thanks everyone for contributing, we're closing comments on this thread.   more ›

Schools of Choice Legislation Stalls in Committee

The legislation seeking to make Schools of Choice mandatory for all public districts in Michigan is, at least for now, stuck in committee and not making progress.

The senate bill introduced to the Senate Education Committee in early September that sought to mandate the Schools of Choice program to all Michigan public school districts has seemingly stalled. Originally tie-barred with four other bills also seeking changes to Michigan education, Senate Bill 624 remains in committee, Rep. Tim Bledsoe said. The other bills have been separated and begun their way through the legislature for passage--a good sign Bledsoe says, that Schools of Choice is not likely moving forward. The hotly contested proposed mandate has rallied the efforts of many Grosse Pointers--officials as well as parents. Superintendent Suzanne Klein, School Board Trustee Judy Gafa and parent Kathryn Barr testified before the Senate …

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Grosse Pointe Woods to Try Legal Challenge to Split Districts

Grosse Pointe Woods council voted to spend up to $4,000 to hire a legal firm to investigate and possibly fight the recently approved redistricting.

A redrawn state House district that has split the five Pointes into two separate districts has Grosse Pointe Woods officials so concerned they've committed $4,000 to hire a law firm to research a legal challenge. City Attorney Don Berschback said Friday that the city wants to choose a large firm with experience in such issues to determine: The Grosse Pointe Park late last month began looking into a legal challenge to the redistricting as well--a path the Park took 20 years ago when it won a challenge in Michigan Supreme Court and overturned a redrawn map that split the Park from the rest of the Pointes. Under the latest redistricting, which a process done every 10 years following the results of the U.S. Census to ensure appropriate …

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Rep. Bledsoe to Hold Special Coffee Hours on Schools of Choice

In addition to having discussion with constituents, Bledsoe has asked the head of the Senate Education Committee to hold a public hearing in Grosse Pointe regarding the Schools of Choice proposal by Gov. Rick Snyder.

Rep. Tim Bledsoe (D-Grosse Pointe) has received so much feedback from the community regarding the Schools of Choice proposal, he is scheduling special coffee hours to focus on the topic.  The hope is to talk one-on-one or with very small groups about the proposal that would require Grosse Pointe Schools to accept out-of-district students to fill spots left open beyond in-district enrollment.  Meanwhile, Bledsoe is also asking constituents to complete an online survey about the proposal, available on his district website. He has also requested Sen. Phil Pavlov (R-St. Clair Township), the chair of the Senate Education Committee, to hold a public hearing in Grosse Pointe regarding Schools of Choice. Bledsoe's invitation is aimed at allowing …

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Gov. Snyder Approves New District Maps Dividing Pointes, Harper Woods

The new maps divide the current district representing the five Grosse Pointes and Harper Woods into two districts, each gaining larger portions of Detroit.

Gov. Rick Snyder signed redrawn district maps for both the state House of Representative and Senate into law this morning—the last day for him to do so.  The new maps divide the Grosse Pointes and Harper Woods—six communities historically represented by one house district—into two districts adding sections of Detroit to each.  Rep. Tim Bledsoe (D-Grosse Pointe) currently represents the district and voted against the new maps. He also sent a letter signed by himself and local political leaders to Snyder asking for the bill to vetoed. Additionally, he forwarded on letters from residents opposing the split.  According to the Michigan Legislature website, Snyder signed the maps into law at 11:06 a.m. and notification has since been filed with …

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Mike Ramsey

9:05 pm on Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Thanks Wendy for your post.   more ›