Michigan Selected to Participate in Free School Meals Program

(DETROIT) -- Michigan has been selected as one of three states in the country to participate in a pilot program that will offer free breakfast, lunch and snacks to students, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday.

Detroit Public Schools have already qualified for the program, which aims to promote healthy nutrition while challenging the stigma of being from a low-income family. Under the guidelines of the project, any charter schools and districts in Michigan can participate in the program as long as at least 40 percent of its students are eligible for public assistance. If a school is deemed eligible, the free meals will be provided to every student -- not just students from low-income families.

The program is part of the Obama administration's "Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act," which focuses on assisting states with a high degree of poverty-stricken areas. Under the terms of the legislation, all states will be eligible to participate in the program beginning in the 2014-2015 school year.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

The 'Anti-Sharia Law Bill' Debated in Michigan

(DETROIT) -- A controversial piece of legislation named the Anti-Sharia Law Bill has drawn the attention of civil rights activists and Democrat leaders alike, ABC News Detroit affiliate WXYZ-TV reports. 

The law was introduced in Lansing in June by Republican Representative Dave Agema, and aimed to protect Muslim Americans from the religious Sharia Law -- the strict code of conduct of Islam that covers matters stemming from marriage to crime and punishment.

Activists argue that the Anti-Sharia Law could affect people of other religions or those working with foreign companies, as it would prevent Michigan courts from enforcing foreign laws to be followed -- violating a right guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution.

A press conference on the measure will be held by elected officials and civil rights leaders in front of the Cadillac Place in Detroit Tuesday.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Ad Campaign Targets Drunk Drivers

(LANSING, Mich.) -- Michigan authorities are taking to the streets and the airwaves to get the message out to drivers to refrain from driving while under the influence of alcohol.

Monday saw the launch of a new advertising campaign, which warns drivers about an upcoming statewide drunk driving crackdown that begins on Friday and runs through September 5. The advertising campaign titled, "Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest," along with stepped up enforcement, make up a two-part effort by the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning to reduce alcohol-related fatalities on the state's roadways, according to a State Police news release.

Officials say such fatalities are at their highest during the period from June through September.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Michigan GOP Will Hold Closed Presidential Primary

(LANSING, Mich.) -- Michigan Republicans decided Saturday to have a closed presidential primary early in 2012.

The Michigan Republican Party State Committee voted in favor of the primary to be held sometime after Feb. 28.

The date has yet to be finalized.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Children Left Behind: 717 Michigan Schools Fail to Make Federal Grade

(WASHINGTON) -- The Michigan Department of Education announced that more than 700 Michigan schools failed to meet the academic goals of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law during the 2010-11 school year, according to school report card information released Monday.

The Detroit Free Press reports that the number of schools was up 41 percent from the previous school year, when 509 schools failed to meet the goals.

The 2010-11 school year saw 717 schools -- 21 percent of all schools in Michigan -- fail to make the mark.

Federal goals are intended to get tougher as the NCLB law, which has been around for 10 years, will eventually require that 100 percent of students in a school be proficient on state exams by 2014.

Michigan has requested a 10-year waiver to meet the 100 percent academic goal from the U.S. Department of Education.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio