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.
An Ingham County Circuit Court Judge has ruled that the Capitol Area District Library can ban open carrying of firearms — at least for now.
Judge Rosemaria Aqualina extended her temporary restraining order until June. The ruling comes in a case where open carry advocates argue they have the legal right to carry their legal firearms in the library. Library officials have said they have the right to ban firearms in the facilities, reports the Lansing State Journal.
The order expands Aqualina’s February order which originally barred members of the Michigan Open Carry group. Now it covers anyone seeking to openly carry a weapon into the libraries locations.
CADL’s Executive Director Lance Werner says he worries about patron safety at the library if guns are allowed.
“I’m concerned that the patron will attack the person with the gun and the person with the gun will shoot the patron,” Werner said. “I’m concerned about safety and it’s about open carry in the library.”
Those in favor of Open Carry say that they should be allowed to carry their firearms openly as state law allows.
“It’s gun control at its worst,” said Rob Harris, vice president of Michigan Open Carry, a statewide organization. “At this point we have no choice but to contact our legislators.”
Aqualina ruled that she believes the library board, which is funded by tax levies approved by voters, have the ability to create restrictions on the carrying of firearms on its property. She has ordered a June 6 and 7 evidentiary hearing. She also chastised the library for its search protocols, which she said were possible violations of the Fourth Amendment.
The issue has come to a head after open carry advocates began having members go into the library with their weapons. The first incident involved an individual carrying a shotgun into the library — shotguns are not covered by open carry laws.
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