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 House approved a bill than bans smoking in all workplaces, including bars and restaurants.
On Wednesday the House gave approval to House Bill 4163 - introduced by Rep. Brenda Clack, D-Flint – by a vote of 56-46. Opposition to the bill has come from powerful lobbying groups and trade associations, like the Michigan Restaurant Association, who object to the bill’s banning of smoking in bars and restaurants. They maintain that the choice to ban or not to ban smoking should be left up to the business owner, as well as claiming it will hurt business.
Exempted from the smoking ban in the bill were casino gaming floors, tobacco retailers, bingo halls, horse racing tracks, cigar bars and private residences where a business is run with the owner being the only employee.
Despite the close vote, it had bipartisan support with 10 Republicans crossing over to vote with the majority Democrats. But it also had bipartisan opposition with seven Democrats casting no votes. The bill also failed to get enough votes to give it immediate effect.
Continued -Despite the apparent victory, it’s doubtful the bill will become law or even be taken up by the Republican-controlled Senate any time soon. Sen. Ray Basham, D-Taylor, introduced the companion bill in the Senate, Senate Bill 109, in January, and it remains stalled in committee.
In fact, Basham has been championing the smoking ban for more than 10 years, including the last five in the Senate, and he has not been able to get the bill out of committee or even to get the bill a hearing before the Committee on Economic Development and Regulatory Reform.
Proponents of the ban say that according to the U.S. Surgeon General, second-hand smoke is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, killing more than 50,000 annually, and that there is no amount of safe second-hand smoke. In addition to the 50,000 deaths caused by the more than 4,000 chemical compounds found in second-hand smoke, many toxic, it also causes more than 790,000 doctor visits a year for nonfatal diseases, such as asthma, inner-ear infections and other afflictions. Second-hand smoke is the single, greatest environmental hazard most people will ever face.
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