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.
The Michigan State Police say that the number of people required to register on the sex offender registry claiming to be homeless has jumped 62 percent since February.
This, police say, is the result of a Michigan Court of Appeals ruling in February which said homeless sex offenders were not required to register. The Appeals Court noted that the law discussed residence, and by definition, homeless offenders do not have one.
“I just don’t think that’s coincidental,” said [MSP Sgt. Chris] Hawkins, a legislative liaison for the state police. “People are going to use homelessness as some sort of guise.”
The Grand Rapids Press report goes on to note that 270 sex offenders have claimed homelessness since the ruling. The register had over 45,000 people on it as of November 2009. Over 3,500 of them are juveniles.
And police say that the homelessness claims could be a ruse by some.
Police aren’t sure how many of Michigan’s 260 sex offenders who list themselves as homeless are using the law to avoid registering, but they say the practice isn’t unheard of.
Grand Rapids Police Officer John Wetzel said his department recently issued an arrest warrant for a sex offender who said he was homeless but was instead living at a home in Benton Harbor. Of the city’s 750 registered sex offenders, eight listed themselves as homeless.
Legislation to address homelessness and sex offender registry has passed the state Senate, which is dominated by Republicans. It is pending the Democratic majority House.
Do you know where to vote on Election Day? Do you know what to bring with you? Get comprehensive voter information for your state here.
Sign up for our email newsletter