Community activists, residents and political leaders gathered at Macomb Community College South Campus in Warren Saturday morning to discuss how they can help each other and how voters can be better engaged — particularly in municipal and school board elections. The...
Kelly Dillaha
Legislation expanding gun restrictions for domestic abusers clears Michigan House
Kelly Dillaha, Michigan director of the women’s advocacy organization Red, Wine & Blue, called passage of the bills a “huge victory” for survivors of domestic violence. “As a child, I lived through the traumatic experience of domestic violence with a gun,” she...
Survivors of domestic violence push for gun reform laws in Michigan
A key part of End Gun Violence Michigan’s intentions is to try and disarm all convicted domestic abusers and make domestic violence victims and communities all over Michigan safer. The goal of the Sept. 14 memorial service was to support new legislation that would...
What are local schools doing for student safety?
The list is long, as are our memories, of youths who have been victims of school shootings. And as the public cries for a solution become deafening, it is left to school districts and law enforcement to fortify schools with what amounts to bandaids as prevention as...
Stateside Podcast: The parents on the other side of the phone
On the night of the shooting at Michigan State University, students faced four hours of a shelter-in-place order. During that time many students were in communication with their parents; texting and calling them. On the other end of the phone, parents had to manage...
After Oxford, gun violence advocates felt helpless. But there’s hope for change in Michigan now.
Kelly Dillaha, the mother of twins who attend MSU and were barricaded in their room just off campus during the mass shooting, said the school could not have done anything differently to prevent Monday’s violence. What would make a difference, she said, is gun reform....
‘We all ran for our lives’: MSU students describe mass shooting as a never-ending nightmare
Michigan State University students are angry. Yes, they are traumatized; yes, they are overwhelmed with grief and sadness. They know they will need mental health support in the coming days, weeks, months, and years. But, right now, in the wake of three students being...
MSU mom, anti-gun violence advocate calls for solutions after campus shooting
A Michigan State University mother and anti-gun violence advocate says Monday’s deadly shooting on campus reinforces her efforts to achieve sensible gun control. Kelly Dillaha’s phone was flooded Monday night with messages from concerned friends asking about her twin...
Michigan State Mom, Activist Hopes Shooting Will Lead To Gun Reform
Kelly Dillaha and her husband, Scott, were watching television in their Birmingham home Monday evening when their phones started blowing up with texts asking if their twin sons, Aidan and Brandon Johnson-Hill, students at Michigan State University, were OK. They...
Good News Alert: Democrats Might Actually Flip the Michigan Legislature
When Michigan voters go to the polls, they’ll also be deciding whether to enshrine abortion rights in the Michigan Constitution, or to let stand a 1931 law that would essentially ban abortion in the state. Kelly Dillaha, Michigan Program Director for the grassroots...
Recent Posts
Do This: Join Us for Wins in 2026
We’re still riding the high of all the local election wins we celebrated earlier this month – not just because it feels good to win, but because it means common sense and human decency are leading the way again in so many of our communities. Let’s take one more...
Watch This: Celebrating 2025 School Board Election Wins
Last week’s elections gave us a lot to celebrate. We’ve already highlighted some exciting statewide and municipal wins. Now let’s take three minutes to watch a round-up of inspiring school board victories: This is exactly what we mean when we say “going local”...
Read This: Celebrating 2025 Local Election Wins
Voters made a big statement this week: Common sense and human decency are still our values, and we’ll keep showing up to fight extremism head-on. You’ve probably heard about some exciting election wins, including Virginia electing its first female governor, Abigail...
Do This: Share November 4 Elections Information
On November 4, Americans have 53,000 chances to tell extremists that we don’t want them in power. That’s how many open seats are on ballots nationwide in our upcoming local elections. But municipal elections generally have low voter turnout, especially in years like...
Do This: Help Your Friends Make Their 2025 Voting Plan
Did you know that Americans get their local news from friends, family, and neighbors more than any other source of information? That means it’s on us to make sure that the people we know are informed about upcoming local elections and have a plan in place to vote. You...