NATION IN BRIEF : MICHIGAN : Ann Arbor Votes for $5 Abortion Fine

Voters in Ann Arbor, Mich., approved a token $5 fine on abortion, should the procedure be banned, and a fivefold increase in the city’s $5 marijuana penalty. The abortion measure, known as Proposal C, amends the city’s charter by imposing a fine similar to a parking ticket should federal or state law ever restrict abortion. Who would pay the fine would depend on how the penalty was stated in the federal or state law. The marijuana measure, or Proposal B, was put on the ballot by the Ann Arbor City Council. Opponents of the small fine said the minor penalty has created a perception of the city as being a haven for drugs.