Bellant v. Snyder (formerly Phillips v. Snyder) is a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of replacing democratically-elected mayors and city and town councils in predominantly Black and brown communities of Michigan with unelected, state-appointed “Emergency Managers.” In 2012, the Michigan State Legislature passed Public Act 436, essentially granting Emergency Managers the power to legislate for and govern entire municipalities deemed to be in “financial distress.” The governor’s implementation of Public Act 436 shows pronouced racial bias, with 50 percent of all Black Michigan residents currently being governed by Emergency Managers and, in essence, being denied their fundamental right to vote and to the governance of an elected body. Meanwhile, only 2 percent of Michigan's white residents are subject to the unchecked authority of Emergency Managers. As an organization steeped in the Civil Rights movement, CCR continues its deep commitment to racial equality and the protection of basic civil and constitutional rights with this work.  

This case is a direct follow up to an earlier CCR case, Brown v. Snyder, which was rendered moot when the people of Michigan repealed Public Act 4 – the 2011 law under which the Michigan Emergency Managers were established – in a statewide voter referendum. This was a great victory for the people of Michigan and sent a clear message to the governor and state officials that Michigan residents were not satisfied with this unconstitutional practice that would deny so many a political voice in their local government – a message that was, nonetheless, ignored with the passing of Public Act 436 a month later.

Bellant v. Snyder was filed  in partnership with the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice and several Michigan-based civil rights lawyers on behalf of a broad coalition of plaintiffs.