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The Michigan Messenger going forward

By Staff Report | 11.16.11

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 [...]

Colorado-based abstinence program provided false and misleading information to Michigan students

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By Todd A. Heywood | 11.16.11

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.

Class action lawsuit filed against MERS over unpaid taxes

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By Todd A. Heywood | 11.15.11

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.

Schuette fights important mercury regulations

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By Eartha Jane Melzer | 11.14.11

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.

New bill would let local governments ban smoking

By Todd A. Heywood | 08.25.09 | 2:52 pm

Fed up with the bottleneck on a smoking ban in all places that serve food in Michigan, Rudyard Democratic Rep. Gary McDowell has introduced legislation which would allow local government ban smoking.

The new legislation, the Associated Press reports, will amend current law to allow local jurisdictions to pass their own ban. Right now only the state of Michigan has the power to regulate smoking in places that serve food.

The controversial smoking ban which passed the House in May was supported by health advocates who say no one should be exposed to second hand smoke as an expectation of working. It was and continues to be opposed by businesses that say the decision to be smoke free or not should be up to the food establishment, not the state.

McDonell’s legislation was supposed to get a hearing Wednesday before a House committee, but the legislation has been removed from the agenda.

Comments

  • generalsn

    Here's a popular ban that has been used by many communities. No need to waste a lot of time. “Smoking Ban for Dummies”
    Just click “print” then fill in the blanks naming your community and administrators names, and pass it. Bingo, an instant law. You don't even need to read all the legal mumbo jumbo. Simple, even for the most mentally challenged. This model ban can be customized to your location depending on how wide your local sidewalks are.

    http://www.no-smoke.org/document.php?id=229

    It's on page eight of the tobacco control handbook:

    http://www.no-smoke.org/pdf/CIA_Fundamentals.pdf

  • dkmich

    I would like a ban on drunks, soda pop, loud mouths, Republicans/Blue Dogs, sky diving, ice cream, motor cycles, boats/swimming/summer, sleet/snow/ice, and jailing pot smokers.

    If you want non-smoking, then I want smoking only. Next thing we know, everything but tofu will be banned. Non-smokers wanting smoking banned remind me of the pro-lifers. If they object, nobody can do it.

  • mznomer

    Gary! Gary! Gary! What a pathetic excuse for a legislator you have proven to be!

    However, your recent efforts do earn you a prize as THE poster child for term limits!

    How much longer do the citizens have to endure the nonsense which oozes from your office?

    May your lifelong medical benefits be early term-limited, too. Then, you can decide not to drink in tobacco smoke-filled bars! No local government required. Let the markets decide.

  • Anonymous

    THIS IS SOCIALISM at its best! people need to open there eyes and see what the heck is going on here. This is no joke!!!

    http://www.Crown7.com

  • http://www.aaacaricatures.com grapeapester

    Lets just ban the product alltogether, but government will never give up the tax money they make.

  • Anonymous

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  • Anonymous

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  • marbee

    If our country was a democracy, 51% of the people could decide they want to kill the other 49%. That is why our nation is a Constitutional Republic, to protect the minority, in this case, smokers! These days laws are enacted by polls. We need to get rid of these lawmakers who keep giving voters anything they want and elect those that abide by the U.S. Constitution. If the threat from smoke were real we certainly wouldn't have any firefighters, or meat-smokers, or wood heater manufacturers, or bar-b-que eateries, or …. and the list goes on! Get real people! How can anyone believe this second hand smoke propoganda? Those creating it could convince you the world is once again flat. How on earth did people survive to this point when they had to use fire to live!

  • marbee

    If our country was a democracy, 51% of the people could decide they want to kill the other 49%. That is why our nation is a Constitutional Republic, to protect the minority, in this case, smokers! These days laws are enacted by polls. We need to get rid of these lawmakers who keep giving voters anything they want and elect those that abide by the U.S. Constitution. If the threat from smoke were real we certainly wouldn't have any firefighters, or meat-smokers, or wood heater manufacturers, or bar-b-que eateries, or …. and the list goes on! Get real people! How can anyone believe this second hand smoke propoganda? Those creating it could convince you the world is once again flat. How on earth did people survive to this point when they had to use fire to live!

  • marbee

    If our country was a democracy, 51% of the people could decide they want to kill the other 49%. That is why our nation is a Constitutional Republic, to protect the minority, in this case, smokers! These days laws are enacted by polls. We need to get rid of these lawmakers who keep giving voters anything they want and elect those that abide by the U.S. Constitution. If the threat from smoke were real we certainly wouldn't have any firefighters, or meat-smokers, or wood heater manufacturers, or bar-b-que eateries, or …. and the list goes on! Get real people! How can anyone believe this second hand smoke propoganda? Those creating it could convince you the world is once again flat. How on earth did people survive to this point when they had to use fire to live!

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