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 State House Education Committee took testimony regarding anti-bullying legislation Thursday morning. A vote on the measure is expected next week. The bill being reviewed is HB 4580, introduced by Rep. Pam Byrnes (D-Lyndon Township). The legislation does not include an enumeration, or list, of protected classes as has been a sticking point in [...]
On the heels of the suicide of a 12-year-old girl from the UP, Gov. Jennifer Granholm renewed her call for the passage of legislation which would mandate school districts create, implement and enforce policies on student bullying.
Gary Glenn, president of the American Family Association of Michigan, has added his voice to a growing chorus of American leaders calling for the re-criminalization of homosexuality in the U.S. In an e-mail to Michigan Messenger, here’s how Glenn responded when asked if he supported the criminalization move proposed by the Family Research Council’s Peter [...]
Earlier, I posted a story about advocates in favor of anti-bullying legislation expressing disappointment the legislation did not end up included in Race to the Top reforms. In that story, I quoted Gary Glenn, president of the American Family Association of Michigan, from a Wednesday press release:
Kevin Epling, co-director of BullyPolice U.S.A. and a staunch advocate in Michigan’s drive to pass anti-bullying legislation, says he is disappointed that in the race to pass reforms to qualify for millions in federal education cash, the state ignored passing comprehensive anti-bullying legislation. In an e-mail to Facebook supporters, Epling wrote:
KALAMAZOO — With the constant din of volunteers talking and phones ringing behind him, City Commissioner David Anderson sat on a metal folding chair at campaign headquarters and explained his reluctant entry into the battle over a proposed anti-discrimination ordinance in this southwest Michigan city. “I didn’t run to work on this issue,” he said, [...]
Opponents of a recently adopted anti-discrimination ordinance in Kalamazoo are one step closer to putting the ordinance on hold and forcing a vote on the ordinance by city residents. Kalamazoo Citizens Voting No to Special Rights Discrimination spokesman Charles Ybema told the Kalamazoo Gazette his group had collected 2,088 signatures. Those signatures were turned over [...]
The American Family Association of Michigan, headed by Gary Glenn, has responded to a call by leaders of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights movement to repeal the 2004 marriage amendment by 2012 “delusional.” In an action alert sent out by the group, Glenn writes:
LANSING — After nearly an hour and half of testimony, the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday voted along party lines to send a two-bill package on bias crimes to the House floor for further action, expected Thursday afternoon. The bills, introduced last month, would expand the state’s ethnic intimidation act to include crimes against persons because of race, religion, disability, gender, gender identity or expression of gender, national origin or ancestry, sexual orientation or status as a veteran.
But it’s been the provisions to include protections from crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity that has outraged social conservatives.
Updated, May 13, 12:05 p.m.
LANSING — Members of the House Judiciary Committee will consider a two-bill legislative package during a hearing Wednesday morning, measures that would add sentencing guidelines for violations of the state’s bias crimes act, making it illegal to target a person because of their real or perceived involvement in any of a variety of protected classes, such as sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran’s status, race or religion.
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