Traverse City Record-Eagle

Michigan

July 4, 2012

Michigan in Brief: 07/04/2012

FROM WIRE REPORTS ----

Snyder vetoes portion of new election laws

LANSING — Republican Gov. Rick Snyder has vetoed bills sponsored by his own party that would have required some voters to show a photo ID before they could get an absentee ballot and mandated extra training for groups registering voters.

He also vetoed legislation to require voters to reaffirm their U.S. citizenship before receiving a ballot. The governor said in a statement Tuesday that he signed 11 other election bills into law.

Common Cause of Michigan and the League of Women Voters are among groups praising Snyder's veto of the voter registration measure.

Snyder names 12 to Autism Council

LANSING — Gov. Rick Snyder has named 12 people to the newly created Autism Council within the state Department of Community Health.

The governor's office issued an order Thursday's order creating the council as a step to implement Michigan's Autism Spectrum Disorders State Plan.

On Tuesday, Snyder announced his appointments to the council.

The members are Mary Chaliman of Holt, Kimberley Gaedeke of Plymouth, Elizabeth Knisely of Plymouth, Joanne Winkelman of Bloomfield Township, Michael Caine of Lansing, Anthony Ianni of East Lansing, Amy Matthews of Grand Haven, Robert Sheehan of Lansing, Colleen Allen of Detroit, R. Wayne Fuqua of Kalamazoo, Stacie Rulison of St. Johns and Jane Turner of East Lansing.

Two communities postpone fireworks

MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP — Two Lansing-area communities have postponed their annual fireworks because of warm and dry weather that's settled in across Michigan.

The Fourth of July celebration for Ingham County's Meridian Township had been planned for tonight. A new date hasn't been set. Fire Inspector Mark Hornberger said it's "just too dry," adding that: "Everything is crispy out there."

Fireworks in Williamston also were postponed.

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