Synthetic
Drug Ban Finalized
A package of legislation developed to prevent
the sale of synthetic substances designed to have effects similar to illegal
drugs like marijuana received final legislative approval in overwhelming
fashion this week. The bills, once signed, will remove substances such as K2 or
Spice from store shelves and provide the State with the ability to act more
quickly to block any substances posing danger in the future. The package
includes Senate Bills 789
and 1082
and House Bill 5338.
Cunningham
to State Bar
Peter Cunningham has been named the Director
of Government Relations for the State Bar of Michigan. Former legislative
director and chief of staff to then-House Speaker Andy Dillon, Cunningham had
most recently been serving as the Executive Director of the Campaign for
Justice.
Bridge
Card Reform Measure Moves to Governor
Senate
Bill 109, sponsored by Senator Rick Jones (R-Grand Ledge), was unanimously
passed by the House of Representatives Wednesday, sending the measure to the
Governor’s desk for approval. The measure prohibits Bridge Card holders from
making cash withdrawals at casino ATMs.
Two Reps
Prohibited from Speaking on House Floor
State Representatives Barb Byrum (D-Onondaga)
and Lisa Brown (D-West Bloomfield) were prohibited from speaking on the House
floor Thursday as the result of their conduct on Wednesday while debating
highly controversial abortion measures. Speaker of the House Jase Bolger
(R-Marshall) stated that Wednesday’s actions by the two lawmakers did not
maintain the proper decorum of the House of Representatives and that the ban
from speaking would last only through the end of the day.
Special
Panel Will Not Convene on PA 4
The Michigan Court of Appeals has decided not
to convene a special seven-member panel to determine if the referendum to
repeal the emergency manger law, PA 4, should appear on the ballot. Supporters
of the law had hoped the special panel would convene and deny the language
placement on the ballot due to insufficient font size. While the decision
currently means the referendum will appear on the ballot, PA 4 supporters still
have the option of appealing the Michigan Supreme Court.