Governor Rick Snyder is proposing, through executive order bypassing the Legislature, that all children be checked for their Body Mass Index (BMI) and reported to a state registry. Besides the personal liberty issue involved, this administrative rule may be a violation of patient confidentiality.  The Governor claims the reporting will be voluntary, but Dr. Meg Edison doesn't think so. You can read her analysis at Core Principles.  You can also read the proposed rule from the Governor and decide for yourself.

If you believe this is the wrong way for Michigan to be headed, there may still be time for you to act. The Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) is reviewing the administrative order. JCAR was put in place to check the power of the executive branch, which is not supposed to pass legislation. That is the role of the legislature. If the governor creates a mandate through administrative rule, he could be in violation of the separation of powers by, in effect making a law through the rules process. Legislators to contact include your representatives, the Senate Chair, John Pappageorge, and House Chair, Rick Olson.