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.
State Rep. Kim Meltzer (R-Macomb Township) says she will be introducing legislation similar to Arizona’s controversial new immigration enforcement law here in Michigan.
Here’s how Meltzer announced the legislation in a press release:
“I have received numerous calls, faxes and emails to my office asking me to introduce legislation similar to the new Arizona Immigration Law which was approved by 70 percent of their voters, and I agree with our area residents — it just makes sense for Michigan, with all of its national boundaries, to enact similar security for our citizens,” said Meltzer, R-Macomb Township. “Illegal is illegal, but state law enforcement officers must be given the proper training and authority to provide this basic level of protection that already exists at the federal level for our state.”
At a press conference at the Clinton Township Police Department in Macomb County, Meltzer had this to say, according to the Macomb Daily:
“When the federal government ignores its (border patrol) responsibilities, that presents a financial liability for our states, local communities and schools,” said Meltzer, a Macomb Township Republican. “And another thing, if people are here illegally, what makes anyone think they will suddenly grow a conscience and obey our laws?”
Meltzer is term limited in the state house and is seeking to represent portions of Macomb county in the state senate. She is facing off with several other Republicans in what is considered a traditionally Republican seat.
She defends the legislation, saying it is not racist nor does it allow for racial profiling. She says it only allows officers to seek information about a person’s immigration status and papers when they come in contact with law enforcement for another reason, such as a traffic stop. The law would make it a state crime to be in the U.S. illegally, allowing local law enforcement to detain people suspected of being in the country illegally.
But the legislation is not sitting well with Hispanic community leaders in Macomb, reports the Daily.
“This is completely inhumane,” said [Emily] Diaz-Torres [executive director of the new Macomb Hispanic and International Service Center in New Haven], who was born in Minnesota. “These undocumented people, they have rights, even in the United States.”
The Daily piece goes on to cite The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) as claiming there are as many as 120,000 undocumented workers in Michigan. The Daily does not note that FAIR has been listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
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