Nonprofits & Social Services

Michigan prepares for Syrian refugees

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By ROHITHA EDARA
Capital News Service
LANSING — Michigan nonprofit organizations are preparing for an influx of Syrian refugees after the U.S. Senate rejected a bill that would stop them from entering the country. “We are expecting a new wave of refugees, especially that of Syrians,” said Ken Fouty, community outreach coordinator at Lutheran Social Services of Michigan based in Detroit. “We anticipate that it will happen in the summer.”
About 100 Syrian refugees were resettled by his organization in 2015. It is prepared to take about 300 more in response to the refugee crisis in Syria, he said. Michigan took in 180 refugees in total in 2015, said Erica Quealy, marketing specialist at  the  Department of Health and Human Services.

Government

Law confuses local officials ahead of March elections

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By ROHITHA EDARA
Capital News Service
LANSING — As upcoming March elections approach, local government officials are struggling to comply with the new state law that restricts them from sharing information about their ballot initiatives. Sometimes they’ve had to interrupt efforts already underway. “Fremont had 3,000 brochures that were ready to be sent out, not advocating but just educating about how a millage will be used, but they couldn’t send them out,” said Steve Currie, deputy director of the Michigan Association of Counties. Gov. Rick Snyder signed a new law Jan. 16 that prohibits local government discussion of ballot proposals 60 days before an election.