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 governor’s office has confirmed that Janet Lockwood, the longtime head of Michigan’s Film Office, will retire at the end of the month. The Grand Rapids Press reports that Lockwood’s departure comes amid intense criticism of the state’s film incentive program which provides rebates of up to 42 percent of the cost of production. The Film Office has been criticized for refusing to provide details about the deals it has made with film producers.
More recently, questions were raised over film infrastructure tax credits, including a proposed $10 million credit tied to Walker’s Hangar42 Studios project inside the former Lear auto-parts plant, 2150 Alpine Ave. NW.
Lockwood’s office gave initial approval to the $10 million rebate based on a claim of a $40 million investment in the studio. Critics point out the site was listed for sale for less than $10 million just weeks before that application, with little proof of major renovations or other investment since.
State Sen. Nancy Cassis (R-Novi) has protested Michigan’s film incentives, arguing that they deprive the state of needed revenue and have failed to create jobs. Last year Cassis sponsored legislation to require more transparency from the state Film Office. Her bill cleared the Senate but was not taken up by the House.
Cassis said Lockwood’s departure doesn’t mean any substantial change will take place that would allow the public better scrutiny of its work.
“People can come and go, but if the transparency and the disclosure is not in place, the system remains the same, the culture remains the same,” she said.
According to the Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency, the film incentive program is expected to cost the state $150 million this year while providing unclear job benefits.
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