For Immediate Release
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Contact: Patrick Wright
Director, Mackinac Center Legal Foundation

or

Michael Jahr
Senior Director of Communications
Mackinac Center for Public Policy

989-631-0900

LANSING — The Mackinac Center Legal Foundation will appeal the case of Loar v. DHS to the Michigan Supreme Court, according to Director Patrick Wright. Wright and his clients, home-based day care owners Sherry Loar of Petoskey, Michelle Berry of Flint and Paulette Silverson of Brighton, will discuss the case at a press conference Wednesday at 9 a.m. outside the Hall of Justice in Lansing.

The public-interest law firm brought suit against the Michigan Department of Human Services in September on behalf of home-based day care providers who were forced into a government employees union and had dues withheld from state subsidy payments provided to low-income families. In late December, the Michigan Court of Appeals dismissed the case without explanation.

At least 40,000 home-based business owners and millions of dollars were affected by the DHS/union effort to designate the providers as government workers for unionization and dues-collecting purposes. The MCLF is suing to prevent the DHS from collecting dues from the providers. The brief will be submitted to the Michigan Supreme Court Wednesday morning.

#####