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U.S. House Passes Revised Version of the American Health Care Act—Michigan U.S. Reps. Respond
by Dave Alexander
The final vote was 217 in favor and 213 against. The House bill to revise Obamacare now goes to the Senate.
Here are key aspects of the House version of bill (per the AP):
Ends tax penalties Obama's law…
Emails/Texts Reveal Council Members Staged Homeless Support for Library Lot Sale Vote
by Patricia Lesko
The Ann Arbor Independent used FOIA to obtain emails, Tweets and text messages sent over several weeks prior to the April 17 City Council meeting between a trio of Council members and Caleb Poirier, founder of tent…
Ballot Initiative Effort Expected in 2017 to Legalize Marijuana in Michigan
Josh Sidor
Last year, efforts fell short to get it on the ballot but the question of whether to legalize marijuana in our state just might be left up to voters to decide after all.
The push for a 2018 ballot initiative is expected to…
Ward 3 Challenger Kunselman Says City Council “Lacks Direction and Leadership”
by Patricia Lesko
Ward 3 resident and former council member Stephen Kunselman announced on April 26 that he has qualified to appear on the August 8 Democratic primary ballot. The City Clerk's office confirmed that he had submitted at least…
OP-ED: During National Volunteer Week—Why Michigan Needs AmeriCorps
by Robert Kolt, Rep. Julie Calley (R-Portland), Rep. Sam Singh (D-East Lansing)
Most people recognize the Peace Corps, a great American service program to help meet social and economic challenges internationally.
AmeriCorps is the…
Sierra Club Issues Surprise “Early” Endorsement of Ward 4 Candidate for Council
by Patricia Lesko
The Sierra Club, Huron Valley Group, and Sierra Club, Michigan Chapter today formally announced an early endorsement of Ann Arbor Council member Jack Eaton (D-Ward 4) for re-election. In past, such endorsements have…
Records Reveal Ward 3 Council Member Spends Hours on Social Media and Sends Secret Emails During Public Meetings
by Patricia Lesko
City web server log records turned over to the The Ann Arbor Independent in response to a series of FOIA requests show that yet another Ann Arbor City Council member used his city-owned computer to access Facebook and…
Ann Arbor’s EPA Facility Could Lose 168 FT Jobs Under Trump’s Proposed Cuts
by Keith Laing
The Detroit News is reporting that Democrats in Michigan’s congressional delegation are working to stave off cuts proposed for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s facility in Ann Arbor, which is home to most of the…
OP-ED: Michigan Must Finally End Civil Forfeiture
by Jarrett Skorup
Michigan has made great strides to reforming civil forfeiture — the process that allows law enforcement to take someone’s property and forfeit it to the government. But Michigan still has laws that are among the weakest…
Amid Claquers, Boos, Cheers and Political Theater Council Votes 8-3 to Sell Library Lot to Core Spaces
by Patricia Lesko
The 8-3 vote last night to sell the Library Lot, a plot of publicly-owned land adjacent to the Downtown Library on Fifth Ave., will bring in $10 million from the developer, half of which will be deposited into the…