I am writing today to announce the closure of the Michigan Messenger. After four years of operation in Michigan, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news into a single site, The American Independent at Americanindependent.com. This is part of a shift in strategy, towards new forms [...]
An abstinence-only presentation provided to numerous school districts in Calhoun and Eaton Counties in October of this year provided false and misleading information to students about HIV, experts allege.
Two county registers of deeds filed a class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of Michigan’s 83 counties alleging that the Mortgage Electronic Registration Services owes millions of dollars in property title transfer taxes.
Despite evidence of the impact of mercury on children and public health, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette last month joined with 24 other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to scuttle new EPA regulations that would reduce mercury emissions from power plants.
Bob Emerson, Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s budget director, presented the governor’s new budget to a joint session of the Michigan Senate and House Appropriations Committees today.
“It would be hard to describe this as a terribly optimistic budget,” Emerson told the legislators.
The $44.2 billion budget includes proposals to increase some fees and close tax loopholes adding as much as $230 million in added revenues to state coffers, while cutting $640 million in programs. As many as 1,500 state workers may lose their jobs.
The suggested cuts include closure of three more correctional facilities, elimination of the departments of history, arts and libraries and associated arts grants, elimination of before- and after-school programs through the Department of Human Services, and closure of Office of Drug Control Policy. In addition, the budget proposes reductions in spending on K-12 education by reducing the per pupil funding by $59 and three percent cut to university operations.
The proposal also includes more aggressive tax collection policies, elimination of tax loopholes, an increase in liquor license fees, and a tax increase on tobacco products other than packaged cigarettes. There would also be an increase in the annual state park sticker from $24 a year to $28 a year.
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