Perry Bullard
Encyclopedia
Perry Bullard (1942-1998), was a Democratic
politician and lawyer in Ann Arbor, Michigan
.
Bullard was born in Cleveland, Ohio
. After serving in the United States Navy
during the Vietnam War
, he ran successfully for the Michigan House of Representatives in 1972. He continued to hold his 53rd-district seat, representing Ann Arbor
, until 1993.
Bullard was known for his strongly liberal stances and his passion for defending and expanding personal civil liberties.
According to the Associated Press
, Bullard was part of a group of young liberal representatives who, during the 1970s, were known as the "Kiddie Caucus"; other members included David Hollister
of Lansing
and Morris Hood of Detroit. Early in his tenure, Bullard was the subject of criticism after he was photographed using marijuana
at the second annual Hash Bash
, a rally promoting less restrictive marijuana laws. Bullard eventually came to chair the state house Judiciary Committee. He sponsored the Open Meetings Act, the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, and blocked legislation making it easier for police to conduct wiretaps and enter homes in the absence of a warrant.
During the 1990s, after retiring from the state legislature, Bullard ran unsuccessfully for a state judgeship.
Bullard and his wife moved to Port St. Lucia, Florida
in 1996, but both returned to Michigan in 1998. Bullard died in Canton Township, Michigan
on October 15, 1998.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politician and lawyer in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
.
Bullard was born in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. After serving in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, he ran successfully for the Michigan House of Representatives in 1972. He continued to hold his 53rd-district seat, representing Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
, until 1993.
Bullard was known for his strongly liberal stances and his passion for defending and expanding personal civil liberties.
According to the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, Bullard was part of a group of young liberal representatives who, during the 1970s, were known as the "Kiddie Caucus"; other members included David Hollister
David Hollister
David Hollister served as the mayor of Lansing, Michigan from 1993 to 2003, until he resigned to be the director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth under Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm's administration...
of Lansing
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
and Morris Hood of Detroit. Early in his tenure, Bullard was the subject of criticism after he was photographed using marijuana
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
at the second annual Hash Bash
Hash Bash
Hash Bash is an annual event held in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on the first Saturday of April at high noon on the University of Michigan Diag. A collection of speeches, live music, street vending and occasional civil disobedience are centered on the goal of reforming federal, state, and local marijuana...
, a rally promoting less restrictive marijuana laws. Bullard eventually came to chair the state house Judiciary Committee. He sponsored the Open Meetings Act, the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, and blocked legislation making it easier for police to conduct wiretaps and enter homes in the absence of a warrant.
During the 1990s, after retiring from the state legislature, Bullard ran unsuccessfully for a state judgeship.
Bullard and his wife moved to Port St. Lucia, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in 1996, but both returned to Michigan in 1998. Bullard died in Canton Township, Michigan
Canton Township, Michigan
The Charter Township of Canton, usually referred to as Canton, is an affluent charter township of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The commuter town is located west of Detroit and east of Ann Arbor. As of the 2010 census, the township had a population of 90,173, making it Michigan's...
on October 15, 1998.
External links
- Perry Bullard information at The Political Graveyard
- Associated Press, "Former Ann Arbor Rep. dies at age 56," Michigan Daily, 19 Oct. 1998.
- Extensive biographical feature in Dave Dempsey, "Perry Bullard: Liberal Lawmaker, 1972-1992," Michigan Historical Review, 22 Mar. 2003.