Michigan Senator Jim Barcia introduced Bill 1502 to Revise child ward
of the state appeals.

This Bill is to remove the right of appeal from parents, who have had
their parental rights terminated, designate the procedure to
challenge the Michigan Children's Institute Superintendent's decision
of adoption as a "contested case", and place it as an Administrative
Hearing.

This usurpts the procedural due process and equal protection under
the law. Is the trend of Michigan to make parenting a licensed
privilege that is to be scrutinized in administrative hearings or
will Michigan stand up and admit that it has an addiction to federal
funding?

The MCI Superintendent is the sole legal guardian for more than 7,000
children as wards of the state. Having to "care and protect the best
interests" of so many children would normally leave one to wonder if
he omnipotent.

Since the MCI Superintendent is the point man for Michigan meeting
its previous year's benchmarks of adoption numbers for further Title
IV-E and other adoption subsidies, then it may be time to put him in
the spotlight and question his authority. This has not been done
since FDR mandated states to create social safety nets in 1935,
MCL 400.207.

I ask all to contact Sen. Barcia and post comments on this
legislation on Michigan Votes, of the Mackinac Policy Institute.

http://www.michiganvotes.com/Legislation.aspx?ID=48157

Tran