Republicans approve bills to strip the incoming Secretary of State of her authority over campaign finance matters. A Kalamazoo state Representative says his bill modernizes laws around transmitting HIV. A Battle Creek school board member resigns amid a child pornography investigation.
(MPRN) Lawmakers in Lansing moved controversial bills to strip the newly elected secretary of state of some of her authority. Bills to create a commission to handle campaign finance matters passed out of the state Senate yesterday. The bills would take that authority from the secretary. Critics say it’s an attempt by the Republican legislature to undercut the incoming Democratic Secretary of State. But supporters call it a move to increase bipartisanship and say it’s similar to the federal elections commission.
(MPRN) The Michigan House has approved legislation that would create an independent board to oversee the state’s public schools. The bills would allow districts to opt out of some state regulations… such as classroom hours of instruction. The majority of the commission members would be appointed by Governor Rick Snyder and GOP legislative leaders. Bill sponsor Republican state Representative Tim Kelly says it gives schools another chance to appeal decisions made by other state entities. Democrats call the legislation a Republican power grab. It now goes to the state Senate.
(MPRN) A bill, which supporters say will implement and clarify Proposal Three has cleared the state Senate. Voters overwhelmingly supported the ballot initiative. It enshrines voting rights such as no-reason absentee voting and straight party ticket voting in the state’s constitution. a spokesperson for Republican Senate Leader Arlan Meekhof says this is a standard implementation bill. But Democrats worry the bill could undermine some parts of the proposal. They say these kinds of implementation bills should wait until after the Legislature’s lame duck session. It now goes to the state House.
(MPRN) The state House has approved bills that would stop criminalizing some people who are HIV positive and have sex with a partner without first alerting them to their status. That’s if their HIV is medically suppressed and does not risk infecting a partner. The bill’s sponsor, Democratic state Representative Jon Hoadley of Kalamazoo, says the legislation modernizes the laws to focus on behaviors that could potentially transmit HIV. People who knowingly and recklessly expose partners to HIV would still be subject to a felony. The bills now go to the state Senate.
(Kalamazoo Gazette) Arcadia Brewing CEO Tim Suprise says he does not expect a bank foreclosure on the company’s brewpub in downtown Kalamazoo. A mortgage foreclosure sale notice was posted this month for the property. Arcadia owes one-point-four million dollars on its mortgage. The company also owes back property taxes. Suprise tells the Kalamazoo Gazette that he has been in contact with First National Bank of Michigan, which holds the mortgage. Suprise says while he can’t speak for the bank, he is confident that an auction won’t happen.
(Battle Creek Enquirer) A Battle Creek school board trustee has resigned shortly after police raided his house searching for evidence of child pornography. Eric Jankowski resigned from the board on Tuesday. Battle Creek School Board president Art McClenny says Jankowski’s resignation letter says he is stepping down for personal reasons. The Battle Creek Enquirer reports that Michigan State Police executed a search of Jankowski’s home early Tuesday morning. The warrant sought evidence of possessing or distributing child sexually abusive material. McClenny told the Enquirer he could not comment further on Jankowski’s resignation from the school board.
State health officials say Michigan has its first confirmed case of a disease called acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM, this year. They say it involves a child in the Detroit area. Seven other suspected cases are being reviewed. AFM causes weakening of the muscles and reflexes, often after a viral infection. So far there have been 134 cases of the disease reported in 33 states this year, mostly affecting children.