2008 in Michigan


This article reviews key circumstances during 2008 in Michigan, including the state's office holders, performance of sports teams, cultural events, a chronology of the state's top news and sports stories, and Michigan-related deaths.

Top stories

The top news stories in Michigan during 2008 included:Auto bailout. As a result of the 2008 financial crisis, the Great Recession, and substantial increases in the price of gasoline, Detroit's Big Three automakers saw substantial declines in their sales, particularly of sports utility vehicles and pickup trucks. In September 2008, the Big Three asked for $50 billion to pay for health care expenses and avoid bankruptcy and ensuing layoffs, and Congress approved a $25 billion loan. By December, President Bush agreed to an emergency bailout of $17.4 billion to be distributed by the next administration in January and February.Kwame Kilpatrick. On September 4, following months of controversy, Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick announced his resignation as mayor, effective September 18, and pleaded guilty to two felony counts of obstruction of justice. In a separate assault case, he pleaded no contest to one felony count of assaulting and obstructing a police officer in exchange for a second assault charge being dropped. The plea deal also required his resignation as mayor. Kilpatrick was sentenced on October 28, 2008, to 120 days in jail. Detroit City Council President Kenneth Cockrel, Jr. replaced Kilpatrick as mayor on September 19.Democratic election victories. Democratic candidates achieved significant victories in the November 6 elections, including Barack Obama receiving 57% of the votes in the presidential election; Carl Levin's reelection to the U.S. Senate with 62.66% of the votes; Democratic candidates, Gary Peters and Mark Schauer, flipping U.S. House seats previously held by Republicans; and Democrats flipping 10 seats in the Michigan House of Representatives election.2008 Michigan Proposal 1. Also on November 6, Michigan voters approved a ballot initiative allowing the medical use of marijuana for seriously ill patients. The initiative passed by a margin of 3,006,820 votes to 1,790,889.Film industry in Michigan. The Michigan Film and Digital Media Incentive was signed into law on April 7, 2008, by Governor Jennifer M. Granholm. The program offered nationally competitive film incentives that coincided with the automotive industry crisis. Projects drawn to Michigan included Gran Torino, Motor City Motors, Hung, Conviction, and Kill the Irishman.
Key sports stories included:
  • The [2007–08 2007–08 Detroit Red Wings season|Detroit Red Wings season|Detroit Red Wings] compiled a 54–21–7 record and won the Stanley Cup as NHL champion for the fourth time in eleven years.
  • The Detroit Lions went 0–16, the first team in NFL history to reach 16 losses in a season.
  • The Detroit Pistons compiled a 59–23 record and lost to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals.
  • The Detroit Shock won the WNBA Finals.
  • The 2008 PGA Championship was held at Oakland Hills in Bloomfield Hills. Pádraig Harrington won the championship.
Notable Michigan related deaths included former UAW president Douglas Fraser, Nobel Prize winnter Thomas Huckle Weller, and Four Tops vocalist Levi Stubbs.

Office holders

State office holders

Federal office holders

Mayors of major cities

Sports

Baseball

American football

Basketball

Ice hockey

Other

Chronology of events

January

  • January 28 - Kwame Kipatrick's chief of staff Christine Beatty resigned after the release of thousands of text messages showing she was having an affair with Kilpatrick.

March

May

  • May 16 - The Detroit Free Press reported that 29 of Kwame Kilpatrick's closest friends and family had been put on the city payroll.

July

  • July 3 - The first Rothbury Music Festival was held in Rothbury, Michigan. The festival war later renamed Electric Forest.
  • July 24 - Kwame Kilpatrik assaulted a Wayne County sheriff's deputy who was trying to serve a subpoena at the home of Kipatrick's sister.
  • July 25 - WXYZ TV reported that Kwame Kilpatrick and others used their positions to help an influential minister who had been arrested for soliciting a prostitute.

August

  • August 7 - Kwame Kipatrick was jailed for a day after violating the terms of his bail by traveling to Windsor, Ontario, to meet with that city's mayor.

September

  • September 4 - Kwame Kilpatrick announced his resignation as mayor and pleaded guilty to two counts of obstruction of justice and no contest to assaulting a deputy.
  • September 19 - Detroit City Council President Kenneth Cockrel, Jr. replaced Kilpatrick as mayor at 12:01 a.m.

November

  • November 8: election day in Michigan

Deaths