Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • A3

FREEP.COM TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2017 3A Metro LANSING The anti-gerrymandering group Voters Not Politicians turned in more than 425,000 petition signatures to the Secretary of State Monday in an to recast how politi- cal district lines are drawn in the state. Volunteers for the group have been ubiqui- tous across the state, collecting the necessary 315,654 petition signatures from registered Michigan voters that are needed to get the con- stitutional amendment on the ballot. With a cushion of more than 100,000 signatures, the group is that a review of the petitions will survive and the issue will get on the No- vember 2018 ballot. people of Michigan have come togeth- er to make it clear they want voters to choose their politicians, not the other way said Katie Fahey, president of the group. voters in November will have the opportunity to that system to bring trans- parency and accountability back into our de- The ballot proposal would change the Mich- igan constitution to create an independent citi- zen commission to draw political lines, taking the role away from the Legislature.

The proposal would establish a 13-member independent citizens commission on which in- dependent voters would have members, and Republican and Democratic parties would each have four. Elected lobbyists, party and other political insiders would be ineligible to serve on the commission, which would hold public hearings before approving proposed district maps by majority vote, with at least two votes required from each of the three groups represented on the commission. Drawing of electoral districts is now controlled by lawmakers who control the state Legislature, with disputes resolved by the Michigan Supreme Court, whose members run on a nonpartisan ballot but are nominated by state political parties. The latest maps that the lines of congressional, state Senate and House of Rep- resentative districts, were done by Republi- EFFORT TO RECAST HOW DISTRICT LINES DRAWN Anti-gerrymander group succeeds 425,000 signatures turned in to get on the November ballot Kathleen Gray Detroit Free Press USA TODAY NETWORK See GERRYMANDER Page 4A Former Detroit Free Press managing direc- tor of opinion and commentary Stephen Hen- derson spoke Monday morning on his WDET radio show about his termination, issuing an apology. In his statement, also released on the WDET website, Henderson said that he sup- ported, encouraged and cooperated with the review the Free Press undertook after a local minister made allegations against him and two other media personalities.

The Free Press announced his termination on Friday after the ensuing investigation un- covered examples of inappropriate behavior by Henderson with female colleagues dating back several years. Henderson said Monday that the situations involved two employees. He said he had en- couraged one to disclose previous, sexually- themed conversations, which he said occurred several years ago in social situations outside of work. The other employee, a co-worker who was a manager in another department, ported two rejected advances that she said made her he said. He also said he disagreed with the investi- outcome and is exploring legal action.

I want to make a few things clear be- fore we move forward. I want to apologize to the women involved. It was bad judgment, on my part, to have engaged in either situation. As a senior leader at the Free Press, I should have acted more responsibly. I also want to apolo- gize to Free Press readers, to our listeners here at WDET, and to viewers of Detroit Public Tele- Henderson said.

WDET also released a statement from Gen- eral Manager Michelle Srbinovich, who said the station did not immediately see cause to end its contract with Henderson. She and Henderson read their statements at the begin- ning of his show, Detroit Today, at 9 a.m. Mon- day. date, WDET and our license holder Wayne State University have not received any complaints against Henderson during his time as a contracted host. However, given the ac- tion taken by the Free Press and our commit- ment to providing a safe environment for all of our employees, WDET will conduct an inde- pendent, station-wide investigation to ensure that our has the opportunity to share their concerns and report any incidents that require further examination.

Any situation that com- promises university policies will be dealt with swiftly and Srbinovich said. Through the Free Press investigation of Henderson, incidents counter to company pol- icies and practices were found to include inap- propriate behavior and comments directed at Free Press employees. There were no accusa- tions or evidence of sexual assault. Henderson won a Pulitzer Prize for com- mentary in 2014 for his columns in the Free Press. He worked at the Free Press from 1994- 96 as an editorial writer and reporter and re- turned to the Free Press in 2007.

Henderson on WDET: want to From Staff Reports Detroit Free Press USA TODAY NETWORK want to apologize to the women involved. It was bad judgment, on my part, to have engaged in either Stephen Henderson, speaking on his WDET radio show about behavior that resulted in his dismissal from the Detroit Free Press Metro Detroit hip-hop duo Insane Clown Posse and some fans lost a federal appeal claiming a 2011 FBI gang designation caused them to be unfairly targeted, according to the decision Monday. The Juggalos, as the fans are known, argued that state and local police in Tennessee and California detained them under suspicion of criminal gang membership because they displayed Juggalo insignia. Others said Jugga- lo tattoos their status in the U.S. Army.

And the duo themselves, Joseph Bruce and Jo- seph Utsler, claimed the gang designation caused an event at Royal Oak Music Theater to be canceled. It all stems from a 2011 FBI report that classi- Juggalos as a hybrid that was expanding in many U.S. Later gang threat assess- ments include the label, but the Juggalos say the damage was done. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit upheld on Monday a lower decision dis- missing the lawsuit.

The six to demonstrate that the Juggalo gang designa- tion causes legal according to the decision. government who harmed Appellants were not bound by the Juggalo gang designation nor were required to con- sider the 2011 (FBI) report. Thus, the govern- ment actions are not direct conse- quences of the Juggalo gang designation in the 2011 (FBI) report, but are the product of their own independent ac- cording to the decision. The Juggalos held a demonstration in Sep- tember in Washington, D.C., opposing the gang designation. Contact Robert Allen on Twitter or Free Press writer Todd Spangler contributed to this report.

ICP, Juggalos lose appeal on harm from FBI title Robert Allen Detroit Free Press USA TODAY NETWORK MUSKEGON, Mich. A man convicted of killing a 36-year-old woman in western Michi- gan blew a kiss to the courtroom Monday be- fore he was sentenced to life in prison in one of two murder cases against him. Judge William Marietti approved request to leave court and not hear state- ments from the family of Rebekah Bletsch, whom he was convicted of gunning down while she was jogging in Muskegon County in 2014. That drew shouts of from spectators. think going to make it very long in prison.

I hope he gets what he sister, Jessica Josephson, said after the hearing. Willis was arrested last year when a teenager said he tried to kidnap her. The arrest jump- started investigations of the Bletsch homicide and the 2013 disappearance of a North Shore gas station clerk, Jessica Heeringa. A gun, rope, chains, and syringes were found in van. Police also discov- ered a computer titled with initials and her date of death.

Willis denied wrongdoing during the trial, but the jury quickly convicted him in Novem- ber. Prosecutor D.J. Hilson said rela- tives the right to address the person convicted of killing their daughter and But the judge said there was nothing in Michi- gan law that required him to keep Willis in the courtroom. without parole sounds Hilson said of mandatory sentence. it could be and should be a lot Willis still faces trial in the Heeringa case.

Her body been found. SUSPECT IN HEERINGA DISAPPEARANCE Jeffrey Willis exits the courtroom before getting a mandatory life sentence with no chance of parole in Rebekah murder. AP Man gets life in death in west Michigan ASSOCIATED PRESS think going to make it very long in prison. I hope he gets what he Jessica Josephson, Rebekah sister, speaking after the hearing.