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.
LANSING — State Rep. Pam Byrnes, a Democrat from Washtenaw County’s Lyndon Township, is planning to introduce legislation that would repeal Michigan’s 2004 ban on same-sex marriages.
“The time has come,” the speaker pro-tem said in an interview with Michigan Messenger on Friday afternoon. “I think attitudes are changing. We are seeing other states flip on this issue especially when you get the former Vice President Dick Cheney acknowledging same-sex marriages then I think we definitely see a change in attitude and it’s time to revisit this.”
Byrnes plans on formally announcing her legislation on Saturday at the Michigan Pride gay rights rally at the state Capitol.
The move is only a first step toward eliminating the ban, Byrnes said. Because the legislation would change the state constitution, it will require a two-thirds vote in both houses of the legislature before the question can be placed on the ballot.
Byrnes’ move is in line with calls by some Michigan lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups in the state, who are pushing for marriage equality by 2012. Byrnes said she is not sure how many co-sponsors she will get in the Democratic-controlled House, but expects the “progressive” caucus to back the move.
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