The Michigan Messenger

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The Michigan Messenger going forward

By Staff Report | 11.16.11

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 [...]

Colorado-based abstinence program provided false and misleading information to Michigan students

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By Todd A. Heywood | 11.16.11

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.

Class action lawsuit filed against MERS over unpaid taxes

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By Todd A. Heywood | 11.15.11

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.

Schuette fights important mercury regulations

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By Eartha Jane Melzer | 11.14.11

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.

Posts Tagged Triangle Foundation

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Year in Review: LGBT issues figure prominently in 2010

By Todd A. Heywood | 12.29.10 | 7:53 am

While lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people saw gains at the federal level in 2010, Michigan saw the ugly side of anti-gay animus with straight pride celebrations in local schools, a rash of national and local teen suicides and the death of LGBT-specific legislation in the Republican-controlled state Senate.

Granholm renews call for passage of anti-bullying legislation

By Todd A. Heywood | 04.08.10 | 7:30 am

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.

Suicide of 12 year old UP girl renews debate on anti-bullying legislation

By Todd A. Heywood | 03.23.10 | 7:59 am

News last week of the suicide of a 12-year-old middle school student in Michigan’s upper peninsula has activists and lawmakers renewing their calls for swift action on stalled legislation that supporters say would help prevent bullying.

HIV-testing consent law moves to the full House

By Todd A. Heywood | 03.11.10 | 7:31 am

The Michigan House Health Policy Committee Tuesday voted unanimously to forward a controversial piece of legislation that will change the way HIV testing is conducted in Michigan to the full House for a vote, where it may or may not be amended to address serious medical and legal concerns.

State gay rights organizations merge

By Ed Brayton | 02.18.10 | 10:08 am

Michigan Equality and the Triangle Foundation, probably the two most influential gay rights organizations in the state of Michigan, announced this morning that they are merging the two groups. While both groups have focused on equal rights for the LGBT community, they’ve generally gone about it in different ways. Michigan Equality was originally formed as [...]

Lansing has new policy on FOIA requests

By Todd A. Heywood | 02.17.10 | 3:03 pm

Under a new policy adopted by the Lansing City Attorney’s Office, medical information is required to be redacted from public documents. In addition, employees who handle requests for public documents will be required to undergo an annual training regarding the law and the policy. The new policy arose after City Attorney Brigham Smith released the [...]

Year in Review: Top LGBT stories of 2009

By Todd A. Heywood | 12.29.09 | 7:33 am

2009 saw a number of issues regarding equality for the LGBT community come to the forefront in local communities and in the state legislature, including human rights ordinances, anti-bullying and hate crimes legislation and a nascent movement to overturn the state’s ban on same-sex marriage.

Lansing FOIA group takes steps toward public transparency

By Todd A. Heywood | 12.07.09 | 6:49 am

Members of the Lansing city attorney’s Freedom of Information Act policy working group left a 45-minute closed-door meeting on Friday promising a renewed spirit of openness going forward.

New Lansing FOIA policies to be developed behind closed doors

By Todd A. Heywood | 11.24.09 | 10:41 am

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.

Byrnes calls for repeal of Michigan’s same-sex marriage ban

By Todd A. Heywood | 11.04.09 | 4:07 pm

Following up on a June surprise, Michigan House Speaker Pro Tem Pam Byrnes on Wednesday announced she had introduced legislation to roll back a 2004 constitutional amendment which bans same-sex marriage in the state.