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.
This week could be the make or break week for a statewide smoking ban in public places, according to a story in today’s Detroit Free Press.
Lansing bureau chief Chris Christoff lays out the familiar battle lines separating lawmakers who see a need to exempt Detroit’s big three commercial casinos (as well as cigar bars) from a would-be ban — and those who don’t.
“Some feel strongly there should be no exceptions, others say there need to be exceptions,” said Sen. Ron Jelinek, R-Three Oaks, who is drafting a compromise bill. “Some say they don’t care, let’s get something done. I think that’s where I am.”
While casino owners assume they’ll lose business if they can no longer allow their customers to light up while they gamble — and force their non-smoking patrons to inhale second-hand smoke while they gamble — Christoff’s story doesn’t shed any light on whether that assumption is born out of any research.
It’s not like Michigan is the only state that has faced this particular gambling-bone-is-connected-to-the-smoking-bone argument.
Meanwhile, hanging over potential legislative action is the possibility that ban advocates who favor no exemptions will pursue a ballot initiative to ban smoking outright, bypassing Lansing lawmakers.
In case you haven’t been following Lansing’s smoking-ban saga, here’s some informative recent history from the same story:
In May 2008, the GOP-led Senate approved a total smoking ban statewide. The Democratic-run House in turn passed a smoking ban that would exempt Detroit casinos, cigar bars, bingo halls and horserace tracks. No compromise was reached and the issue died unresolved.
Michigan is one of 13 states with no general smoking ban, although the state forbids smoking in state workplaces.
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