George James

Driver’s license expired, but no appointment scheduled at the Secretary of State? Don’t worry; new laws have been signed to expand the validation of licenses and state IDs.

Expirations on vehicle registrations, driver licenses, and state IDs have been extended by 120 days after an original expiration date between March 31 and August 1st of this year. Late fees are waived and will be refunded if needed.

Senate Bill 507 extends the validity of an operator’s or chauffeur’s license. Senate Bill 508 extends the validity of enhanced driver’s licenses and IDs, and Senate Bill 509 extends the expiration dates on ID cards.

After signing the bills last week, Governor Gretchen Whitmer said the laws “put Michigan drivers first”.

With a backlog of people waiting for appointments, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said, “We are glad to be entering a new era of services at our offices that are more efficient and convenient than ever before.”

Benson said all SOS offices are open to any residents, which they can access by “walking up or scheduling their visits online or by phone.” 

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Say goodbye to telephone directories, or “phone books”. If you remember the days of getting wound up in a ten-foot-long phone cord and understand terms like “busy signal” and “collect calling”, you probably remember the days of easily looking up a phone number in a phone book. You probably also know the words to all the New Kids on the Block songs and have a set of encyclopedias on your bookshelf.

Michigan Senate Bill 372 has sent telephone directory publishing the way of party lines and rotary dials, by removing the requirement to provide a phone book from the Michigan Telecommunications Act.

The Bill was introduced by State Senators Horn, Hollier, and Schmidt, as well as local State Senator Dan Lauwers. The bill was supported by AT & T, Frontier Communications, and Telecommunications Associations of Michigan.

The bill also addresses something from a bygone era, 1-900 numbers, saying that telephone service providers must provide “the option of having access to 900 prefix services blocked”.  Once popular in the 1980s and 90s, 1-900 numbers are functionally obsolete with the development of the internet, but there are still a few “premium numbers” in use.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

After nine years of litigation, the Michigan Supreme Court has ruled that the 2011 Sex Offenders Registration Act is unconstitutional ex post facto punishment. What does that mean?

According to a press release from the State Appellate Defender Office, it means that many of the Act’s requirements cannot be imposed against those whose offenses requiring registration came before the enactment of the 2011 Sex Offenders Registration Act.

Referencing the case People v Paul Betts, State Appellate Defender Jessica Zimbelman said, “The Court correctly recognized the extreme and unconstitutional burden placed on nearly 40,000 Michiganders by requiring registration with no determination as to who actually poses a risk to the public.”

The decision was based on the court’s view that being on the Sex Offender Registry restricts where registrants can live, work, and loiter and is comparable to shaming. The court also felt that the registry resembles parole, given the “significant amount of supervision by the state” and it imposes onerous burdens, all without any evidence of reducing crime.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland