As the minimum age to 

purchase 
tobacco 
products 

and e-cigarettes in Ann Arbor 
changes from 18 to 21 with 
the turn of the new year, the 
community reacts with mixed 
opinions.

The resolution, introduced 

by Ann Arbor Councilmember 
Julie Grand (D–Ward 3), passed 
its initial read July 18, before 
being officially approved Aug. 4 
by a City Council vote of 9-2.

Ann Arbor is the first city 

in Michigan to implement the 
measure as part of the Tobacco 
21 national movement. This 
proactive effort, led by the 
Preventing Tobacco Addiction 

Foundation 
when 
aims 
to 

reduce smoking and tobacco-
related health problems.

The Saint Joseph Mercy 

Health 
System 
in 
Canton, 

Michigan— 
working 
in 

collaboration with community 
members and local officials — 
funded signs for retailers to 
post in their stores with the 
new legal tobacco purchase age 
as well as the city press release 
explaining the measure.

As of right now, there is no 

developed plan to educate local 
tobacco 
retailers. 
However, 

Grand said there may be further 
action if the ordinance poses 
complications.

“If we feel like something 

else needs to be done, we’ll 

Michigan Lt. Gov. Brian 

Calley signed a bill on last week 
banning local governments from 
regulating plastic shopping bags 
in the state. The legislation 
supersedes 
Washtenaw 

County’s fee on plastic bags, the 
first regulation of its kind in the 
state. 

Senate Bill 853 prohibits 

municipalities from banning 
or placing fees on “auxiliary 
containers,” 
which 
include 

plastic single-use bags and other 
disposable packaging. The bill 
will go into effect on March 6.

The 10-cent fee adopted by 

the Washtenaw County Board 
of Commissioners in June was 
scheduled to take effect this 
April.

The 
Republican-sponsored 

bill passed on almost completely 
partisan lines in both houses of 
state legislature, 62-46 in the 
House of Representatives and 
25-12 in the Senate.

State Rep. Adam Zemke (D–

Ann Arbor) criticized the bill 
for attacking local governments’ 
autonomy.

“This is largely a local issue 

and I thought it was a really 
big infringement on what the 
local government had decided 
for itself,” Zemke said. “The 
state already has a really nasty 
precedent set of limiting local 
control. It’s overreach.”

Supporters of the bill argue 

that 
the 
implementation 

of 
“patchwork 
legislation” 

hinders the ability of national 
businesses to adhere to all 
county regulations and adds 
unnecessary complexities and 
costs.

Robert 
O’Meara, 
the 

Michigan 
Restaurant 

Association’s 
vice 
president 

of government affairs, said in 
a statement business will be 
hindered 
with 
“patchwork 

legislation” 
in 
place, 
and 

supported 
the 
bill 
as 
it 

reduced restrictions for chain 
restaurants.

“With many of our members 

owning and operating locations 
across the state, preventing 
a 
patchwork 
approach 
of 

additional 
regulations 
is 

imperative 
to 
avoid 
added 

complexities as it related to day-
to-day 
business 
operations,” 

O’Meara said.

State 
Sen. 
Jim 
Stamas 

(R–Midland) 
also 
called 

for consistency in business 
regulations when he introduced 
the bill in April, according to 
MLive.

“This simply provides that 

you’re not putting different 
regulations across the state on 
the containers,” he said.

Zemke pushed back against 

claims of inconsistency.

“You’re talking about one 

community that charges for a 

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — On a 

night when Jourdan Lewis became 
Michigan’s all-time record holder 
for career pass breakups, further 
cementing his status as one of 
the best cornerbacks in program 
history, the senior All-American 
lined up to make a play he makes 
all the time.

He 
has 
haunted 
opposing 

receivers on those plays for most of 
his career. He gets his hands on the 
ball almost as often as they do, and 
opponents have simply stopped 
throwing at him. Entering Friday’s 
Orange Bowl, receivers had just 10 
catches against him, while Lewis 
had eight pass breakups and two 
interceptions.

With 42 seconds left in the 

game Friday, Lewis lined up in the 
slot against Florida State receiver 
Nyqwan Murray. On 3rd-and-9 
from the Michigan 12-yard line — 
with the Wolverines up by a field 
goal — if Lewis could just break 
up one more pass, he could at least 
force overtime. But the Seminoles 
had one more highlight in them.

“He snatched the ball out of the 

air,” Lewis said after the game. “I 
turned my head around a tad bit 

michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Wednesday, January 4, 2017

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INDEX
Vol. CXXVII, No. 1
©2016 The Michigan Daily

N E WS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

O PI N I O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

CL A S S I F I E DS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

S U D O K U . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

S P O R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

See TOBACCO, Page 2

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor speaks at the City Council meeting on Tuesday.

Ann Arbor residents who are 

hearing-impaired may soon be 
able to enjoy closed captioning in 
television sets in public areas.

During their first meeting of 

the year, City Council discussed 
a new city ordinance mandating 

that any television set compatible 
with closed captioning in “places 
of 
public 
accommodation” 
– 

such as businesses, schools, and 
restaurants – must activate the 
feature to accommodate those 
residents 
with 
hearing 
loss 

problems. Television sets unable 
to provide closed captioning are 
exempt from the requirement.

The council did not vote on 

the 
ordinance 
this 
meeting. 

Councilmember Kirk Westphal 
(D-Ward 2) said because he 
is waiting for responses from 
members 
of 
the 
business 

community in an A2 Open City 
Hall survey, he is postponing the 
vote until the first meeting in 
February.

Westphal, who sponsored the 

ordinance, said similar measures 
in 
Portland, 
Oregon 
were 

implemented last December with 
only one compliant. Westphal 
reasoned the process in Ann Arbor 
should not be complicated to 
implement if similiar to Portland.

Currently, only meetings of the 

See ORANGE BOWL, Page 3

MAX KUANG/Daily

Estabrook Learning Community students Christian Benitez-Reyes and Shanese Saines perform in PUNCH: A Bully 
Play at the Walgreen Drama Center on December 9th, 2016. 

Just not enough 

Despite a fourth-quarter 

comeback that gave Michi-

gan its first lead of the 

game, the Wolverines lost to 
Florida State in the Orange 

Bowl. » Page 1B 

michigandaily.com

For more stories and coverage, visit

See PLASTIC BAG, Page 3

See CITY COUNCIL, Page 3

Ford 
CEO 
Mark 
Fields 

announced plans to invest $700 
million into Michigan while 
cancelling a $1.6 billion plant in 
San Luis Potosi, Mexico in a press 
conference Tuesday morning.

According 
to 
Fields, 
the 

new Michigan investment will 
involve a transformation of a 
facility in Flat Rock into a new 
manufacturing and innovation 
center, which will in turn create 
700 jobs.

“We are today announcing 

that we are investing $700 
million to transform Flat Rock 
into a new manufacturing and 
innovation center,” Fields said.

Ford does still plan to build 

the next generation of its Focus 
in Hermosillo, Mexico in order to 
maintain profitability.

The 
announcement 
also 

included information about a 
new initiative towards electric 
vehicles. Fields said Ford will 
launch 13 new hybrid and electric 
vehicles including the F-150 and 
Mustang, some of the company’s 
best selling vehicles, over the 
next five years as part of a $4.5 
billion investment.

See FORD, Page 3

ACTING AGAINST BULLYING

Local retailors 
express their 

concerns on business 
effects of new tobacco 

ordinance

City Council proposes captioning 
on TVs in businesses, restaurants

ANN ARBOR

Tobacco purchasing age raised from 18 
to 21 leads to community disagreement

If passed, ordinance would provide funds for captioned programming in public spaces

ISHI MORI

Daily Staff Reporter

Michigan 
falls 32-33 
in Orange 
Bowl game

SPORTS

Wolverines’ fourth-
quarter effort not enough 
to defeat Seminoles

JAKE LOURIM
Daily Sports Writer

New bill banning plastic bag regulation 
supercedes county’s previous fee

Lt. Gov. Brian Calley signs legislation preventing local shopping bag ordinances

CARLY RYAN

Daily Staff Reporter

Ford plans
local plant
investment 
 

of $700M

BUSINESS

CEO Mark Fields also 
announced cancellation 
of planned Mexico facility

LYDIA MURRAY

Daily News Editor

JENNIFER MEER
Daily Staff Reporter