April 16 -22, 1
t
MICHIGAN CI'I1ZEN
Po
os
dla
.
.ould require �i
By Kim y . polls are open, the employer
must allow the worker tim e off
Capiull News Servia
- during the wor day to vote,
LANSING - Prospecti e I Ciaramitaro said
voters wiD not have to miss the The bill call for the
chance to cast their ballots be- employee to be allowed to leave
cause of job obligations if work for a "reasonable amount
proposed legislation is ap- of ime." The employer may
proved. choose to payor not pay the
Rep. Nick Ciamamitaro; D- employee during that time.
Roseville, is sponsoring a bill to employees must notify their
make it m ndatory for employer that they intend to
employers to s edule worker take the time off to vote 245
� that they wo d have time off hours in advance.
'when the polls are open. The Under the bit, an employee
House Elections Committee allowed to leave work to vote
reported the bill to the full could not engage in any other
House last week. political activity.
Under the legislation, if an Employees are eligible for
employee wre scheduled to time off to vote if they were
wort during the entire time the given less than 36 bours notice
Ethnic intimation' now a
felony offense in the state.
Benny N poleon, chair of tIJe
Michigan Civil Rights Commis-
ion, announced that copies of
Public Act 371, making ethnic
intimidation a felony, will be dis­
tributed to prosecutors around
the tate.
Under P.A. 371, which too
effect March 29, ethnic in­
timidation is a felony punishable
by maximum of two years in
prison, a fine up to $5,000 or
both
According to the law, a per-
• guilty of ethnic intimida­
tion if that person maliciously,
and with specific iDlent to in­
timidate or harass another per­
son because of that person's
race, co or, religion, gender, or
national origin, does any of the
following.
- Causes physical contact
with another person.
- Damages, destroys ot
defaces any real or personal
property of another person.
- Threatens, by word or act,
to do an act described bove, or
i there is reason ble cause to
believe that an act described
will OCQ1r.
Victims of ethnic intimida­
tion may see, appropriate relief,
. including damages for emotion­
al distress and attorney fees.
Pe
By Billie Bates
Capital News Service
lANSING - A $4.5 million
pi n to assure safety in
Michigan's produce to be con­
sidered by tbe Senate Ap­
propriations Committee this
week has raised doubts among
some senators.
The program, introduced by
Sen. Dan DeGrow, R-Port
Huron, was developed by the
Department of Agriculture and
- includes provisions for review­
ing pesticides before food is
grown as wen testing ripe
produce, said Keith Creagh,
i rim director of the pesticide
... � __ t��tdWUion
o the departmenL
But there is some question as
to ether the bill is really
needed. Sen. Harmon Oopsey,
R-Decatur, said that he was not
- found trong opinions in the
Ho pital, Se ate about the program,
. F I, bich he sa' d he hopes is not a
'Po Ile, replay of similar but unsuccess-
. 0 .- ful federal progr .
As- "I haven't found anybody
ready to put their neck on the
line and say we need it or don't
eed it," Cropsey said "I think
ere's going to be a lot of ques­
tiODS asked before it's passed"
I
that their schedule would inter­
fere with voting.
Th� employee's absence also
must not pose danger to the
health or safety Of other in­
dividuals.
If passed, employers who
violate the legislation would
face civil penalties brought
about' by the state attorney
general or county prosecutors
of up to $500 for each violation.
Ciaramitaro said the idea for
the legislation came after a com­
plaint from a oonstitutent who
could not vote because he was
scheduled to work 7:30 a.m. to 8
p.m. during an election.
But Rep. Joanne Emmons,
R-Big Rapids, said legislation
should not be formed around
orst case" situations.
"The one thing about law is
you don't take the worst case"
and create legislation, she said.
Emmons, who voted against
the proposal in committee, said
people in situations where they
could not vote because 0 or
should get emergency absentee
ballots.
But Ciaramitaro argued that
voting absentee is not a good
substitute.
"It isn't a fair substitute for
someone who chooses to vote
on Election day;" he said "Many
people p'efer to cast their ballot
on I;lection Day."
I t
Since 1970. anufaclUring Jo in Michigan h ve decreased by 32
percent while ice jobs have more than doubled and trade jobs
have risen by one-third. By 1990 new trade and service jobs will
replace positions lost in thc,m uraclUri�g sector.
Trade jO� .. w$';;(·· .;. "::.'
:.,: ,..... i
-
.at
c '.
�
:s
Q .
= '800
c
._
._,
fI)
JQ
Q
�
Source: Department of Management and Budget
The major emphasis of the
program would be on preven­
tion of dangerous subs ces in
the state's food, according to
David Wade, toxicologist with
the department. He said the
program was devised after con­
siderable publicity over apples
contaminated with the pesticide
Alar and Chilean grapes in-
jected with cyanide.' ..
"this showed how vulnerable
our food supply is to tamper­
ing, " Wade said.
He said the program would
monitor: both domestic and im­
ported food sold in Michigan, as
foreign countries are not under
the same pesticide laws as the
United States.
The progr m aims to:
- Revie all pesticides on
the Environmental Protection
Agency's special list, enning
which has the greatest tential
for harm and should no longer
be used
- Establish a pesticide sur­
veillance program and step up
sampling of food from grocery
stores.
- Increase � icide residue
monitori . more lab sam­
pling in new ways to detect pes­
ticides.
- Create a w laboratory
certification program to assure
reliability of lab residue
analysis, .
- Enhanqe current pest­
management programs.
- Create referral programs
for consumer concerns.
- Develop information
programs for industry, retailers
and consumers,
Of -the proposed allocation,
about $1 miUion would be spent
to help farmers practice sus- '-ili�lI�
tamable griculture, Wade said. .�
Other designated expen­
dituresinclude nearly $1.7 mil­
lion for laboratory support and
over S5OO,000 for food and con­
sumer protection.
"I think it will ina-ease con­
sumer confidence in buying the
food," DeGrow said f the
program. "Some might be op­
posed to the cost, but I don't
hink anyone would think irs a
bad idea to keep the food safe."
If approved as part of the
agricultural budget, the
program might take effect in,
.October, DeGrow sai
3
