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 county boards that issue concealed weapons permits rely on applicants to self disclose mental illness. Kent County Clerk Mary Hollinrake, told the Grand Rapids Press that although officials are required to deny weapons permits to people with mental illness they have no way of verifying information supplied by applicants.
In 2005, Kent County Judge Paul Sullivan overturned a local board requirement that forced applicants to produce a doctor’s note attesting to their mental fitness.
Although the state law requires the Kent County Sheriff to verify the mental health of an applicant for a concealed weapon, Sullivan ruled the county’s verification requirements were “void and unenforceable.”
This creates a serious loophole in the gun law.
Wallace Duffin, a member of the Kent County board for the past 9½ years, said applicants are asked if they have ever been committed “voluntarily or involuntarily” to a mental health institution.
“It depends on the truthfulness of the applicant to some extent,” Duffin said. “We are somewhat limited in our ability to delve into a person’s mental health.”
Lt. Chris McIntire, commander of the Rockford State Police Post and a member of the Kent County Concealed Weapons Board, told the Press that in his three years on the board it has never refused an application on mental health grounds.
According to State Police records there are 255,874 current concealed weapons permits in Michigan.
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