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.
A special committee of the Kalamazoo City Commission is expected to move a controversial anti-discrimination ordinance back to the full commission for final reconsideration. The ordinance was passed last December but was promptly repealed when opponents collected enough signatures to put the measure to another vote.
The ordinance was criticized by social conservatives because it expanded anti-discrimination laws to include sexual orientation in addition to gender identity and expression. The ordinance, unlike similar local ordinances in the state, also specifically prohibits discrimination on the basis of HIV status.
As a result of the petitioning process, city commissioners said they would pass the ordinance again but created the special committee to hear additional testimony about proposed changes to the law. That committee held a special session for that purpose on March 11.
Sean Brier, a spokesman for Kalamazoo Alliance for Equality (KAFE), said his group will be in attendance Wednesday night at another meeting of the special committee.
“The subcommittee is reviewing language that has been proposed by the city attorney, Clyde Robinson. Based on whatever recommendations they get from him, they will decide on recommending or not recommending to the full commission,” Brier said.
The ordinance is expected to pass out of committee.
But the controversy surrounding the anti-discrimination ordinance is forcing a group pushing a ballot initiative related to marijuana use to postpone its campaign for fear that a mobilized opposition to the anti-discrimination ordinance could sink the pot measure as a result.
The local group has been working to amend the city charter to make possession of small amounts of marijuana law enforcement’s lowest priority, but as the Kalamazoo Gazette reports, it’s thinking there’s a good chance the anti-discrimination ordinance could make it onto the November ballot.
According to the Gazette, the reason for the suspended activity was simple:
But [organizer Louis Cloise] Stocking said organized opposition is expected if the proposed ordinance creating a protected class for gays, lesbians and transgender people in employment, housing and public accommodations is placed on the ballot. That opposition, she said, could have carried over to the marijuana-enforcement initiative.
Brier said the decision by the Kalamazoo Coalition for Pragmatic Cannabis Laws to delay its initiative until next year had no reflection on the support for the anti-discrimination ordinance.
“Our indication has been very positive towards an inclusive ordinance,” he said.
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