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.
A very broad Freedom of Information Act request for all emails and communications from professors in labor relations programs at the state’s major public universities is sparking controversy and questions about the motivation for the request.
In an era where the word “transparency” is a favorite bell to ring, a Congressional committee chair has asked federal agencies to provide a complete list of names of every person that has made a request under the Freedom of Information Act.
In an opinion that voting rights advocates are celebrating as a victory for election transparency, Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox has stated that voted ballots are public documents subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. “A person must be allowed to inspect or examine voted ballots, which are not traceable to the individual [...]
In a study of how transparent the 50 states are with their budget data, prepared by the Public Interest Research Group, Michigan is one of 18 states to receive a failing grade. The study evaluated the states on how closely they met the guidelines of Transparency 2.0, a standard requiring a comprehensive, searchable database of [...]
Despite a history of ethically challenged research funded by corporations — and Dow Chemical specifically — the University of Michigan is refusing to release internal documents that could reveal problems with a study that downplays the dangers of dioxin.
It’s National Sunshine Week, a time for Americans to celebrate America’s open records laws.
The Lansing City Council may have two new members, and a brand new committee structure and leadership, but it is still wrestling with a proposed Freedom of Information Act policy. The body’s newly reconstituted Public Safety Committee, with Councilmember Carol Wood now at the helm, took the issue up again Tuesday morning. During that meeting, [...]
From terrorism to discrimination to privacy issues, HIV-related issues made headlines in Michigan in 2009.
1. HIV-as-terrorism case in Macomb County
Perhaps the most watched, and outrageous, HIV related story of 2009 is the situation facing Daniel Allen, a 44-year-old Clinton Township resident who has been charged by Macomb County prosecutors under state terrorism laws.
The working group tasked with putting together a new Freedom of Information Act policy for the city of Lansing in the wake of two incidents where private information was released in response to FOIA request is, as planned, meeting privately at Lansing City Hall at this moment. The press was not allowed into the room [...]
LANSING — City Attorney Brigham Smith wants a working group being put together to develop new Freedom of Information Act policies for the city in the wake of a series of incidents earlier this year where he was criticized for being careless with private information. But the details of the capital city’s information disclosure guidelines will be hammered out in private.
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