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 citizens advocacy group, Progress Michigan, is calling on Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop (R-Rochester) to raise taxes in order to keep school bus inspections part of the state budget, according to a press release put out by the non-profit group on Friday.
According to the Detroit Free Press, the Michigan State Police has already sent out 11 layoff notices to school bus inspectors.
“People are dying without health care, there are fewer police on the streets to protect us, and now we can’t even get our kids to school unless we agree to do away with safety inspections?” David Holtz, executive director of Progress Michigan said in a statement from the group. “This is the height of absurdity, and Mike Bishop’s at the top of it all.”
The Freep reports:
“The [school bus] inspections are a crucial part of ensuring school buses are safe. The most recent data, for the 2008-09 school year, showed that while 89% ( 15,214) of the school buses passed inspection, 9% (1,606) failed and were put out of service. Another 2% (264) had violations that had to be repaired within 60 days of the inspection.
Current state law mandates third party bus inspections, something that will have to change under the new budget. “The law may be amended quickly to make bus inspections voluntary,” Rep. Richard LeBlanc, (D-Westland) told The Detroit News.
Progress Michigan is calling on Bishop and the Senate Republicans to adopt the House’s revenue package and restore funding for health care, public safety and education.
“Some wonder why the Senate is willing to risk the safety of school children rather than raise revenues to address the underlying budget deficit,” the press release noted.
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