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 Republican-led House has, temporarily at least, failed to extend three surveillance provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act that are set to expire this month.
These provisions allow federal investigators to conduct roving wiretaps of terrorism suspects, to conduct surveillance on foreign terrorism suspects who are not affiliated with groups, and to access personal materials, including library records, of suspects in the U.S. without a warrant.
With a 277 to 148 vote in favor of the extension on Tuesday, the House failed to produce the two-thirds majority needed to pass the extension under suspension of the rules.
“The bill’s provisions would authorize extraordinarily intrusive acts by the executive branch,” Rep. John Conyers (D-Detroit) said during the vote. “They are part and parcel of the broader Patriot Act regime that was put in place by the Congress in 2001 – one of the worst laws this body has ever passed.”
The Los Angeles Times called the failure to extend the surveillance provisions, “an unexpected setback for GOP leaders that shows the difficulty they face in controlling their majority and its “tea party”-inspired members.”
Eric Baerren of Michigan Liberal points out that Michigan delegation’s vote included some surprises.
The vote split up Michigan’s delegation, but not along partisan lines as you might have assumed. Voting against were Justin “Lil’ Fella” Amash along with Democrats Dale Kildee, John Conyers, Hansen Clarke and John Dingell. Everyone else, including Democrats Gary Peters and Sander Levin voted in favor (apparently, Dan Benishek hates the War on Drugs, but doesn’t mind government snooping through your library records).
From Govtrack.us:
Michigan
Yea MI-1 Benishek, Dan [R]
Yea MI-2 Huizenga, Bill [R]
Yea MI-4 Camp, David [R]
Yea MI-6 Upton, Frederick [R]
Yea MI-7 Walberg, Timothy [R]
Yea MI-8 Rogers, Michael [R]
Yea MI-9 Peters, Gary [D]
Yea MI-10 Miller, Candice [R]
Yea MI-11 McCotter, Thaddeus [R]
Yea MI-12 Levin, Sander [D]Nay MI-3 Amash, Justin [R]
Nay MI-5 Kildee, Dale [D]
Nay MI-13 Clarke, Hansen [D]
Nay MI-14 Conyers, John [D]
Nay MI-15 Dingell, John [D]
The defeat is almost certainly temporary. The bill will come up again soon under normal House rules and the 277 votes in favor of the extension will easily supply the simple majority necessary to pass the measure.
The Obama administration has said it favors extending the surveillance measures through 2013.
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