Michigan is poised to become the latest state to pass harsh new restrictions on voting.
On Tuesday, the Republican-controlled House passed three laws, largely along party lines, that will require voters to show ID, make it harder for groups like the League of Women Voters to hold registration drives, and make it harder to remain a voter if you fail to respond to an inquiry about your registration status.
As in other states, the Republicans argue that the new laws are designed to combat voter fraud. But, again as in other states, there really isn't much voter fraud in Michigan.
As Ezra Klein pointed out when filling in on The Rachel Maddow Show, the Republicans cite votes by 1000 dead people and 100 prisoners between October 2008 and June 2011, as proof of voter fraud. But elections officials have determined that every incident was the result of clerical error.
On Maddow, Reverend David Bullock, of the Highland Park NAACP and the Michigan Rainbow Push Coalition, told Klein that "this legislation restricts voter behavior. We should be making it easier for people to vote and participate in the process, not harder for them to exercise their rights."
When it comes to far-right legislation, Michigan Republicans have been on a roll this week. The House recently passed a new law that will place new insurance and license restrictions on abortion clinics, which could result in the closure of some or higher fees at others.
They've also introduced new bills that would ban abortions after 20 weeks except to save the woman's life, ban the administration of the RU-486 pill via a webcam consultation, and make it illegal to coerce a woman into having an abortion.