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House OKs spending package, restores Pure Michigan funding
State representatives approved a package Tuesday afternoon that will restore partial funding for a number of programs that were cut during last year’s budget battle, including the Pure Michigan tourism campaign. The GOP-led House approved Senate Bill 151, which provides $312.3 million to various state programs and agencies with a 101-4 vote. Senate Bill 373 […]
‘It’s my duty’: Flint voters head to the polls
The north end of Flint is riddled with evidence of poverty, with crumbling buildings, broken or boarded up windows and vacant storefronts, but a vibrant community center known as Berston Field House is a sign that there is still life in the area. The steady stream of people flowing in and out of Berston on […]
Full Michigan results won’t be in until Wednesday, as new, absentee voters surge
Local clerks across the state have their work cut out for them Tuesday, between getting last-minute voters registered and counting the soaring number of absentee ballots that have been submitted since late January. For the first time since Michiganders approved sweeping voting rights reforms, voters are casting ballots in a presidential primary, with the main […]
Nessel urges Supreme Court to block Ohio abortion law
Attorney General Dana Nessel has filed a brief opposing an Ohio law prohibiting abortions if one of the reasons is that the fetus has Down Syndrome. In December 2017, Ohio passed a law criminalizing abortion in certain cases, at all stages of pregnancy. Preterm-Cleveland, a medical facility, challenged the constitutionality of the law and successfully blocked […]
Michigan drivers to get break on license suspension fees ‘to stop penalizing poverty’
A court decision last May allowed the state to continue to suspend driver licenses for failure to pay court fees. But leaders, including Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist and Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget McCormack, are working to offer alternative payment options. A decision by […]
Young people gear up for the 2020 election, whether they can vote or not
Updated, 10:03 a.m., 3/9/20 Zion Helms, a 17-year-old senior at Cass Tech High School in Detroit, won’t be able to vote in Tuesday’s presidential primary, but that isn’t stopping her from getting involved in the political process. “I’m very, very passionate about the way that people are treated, and I’ve always been that way. I […]
Warren had diehard fans, especially women. So why couldn’t she win?
“Michigan needs a social justice warrior,” state Sen. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit) announced to a crowd of Elizabeth Warren fans at a Detroit rally on Super Tuesday. “Warren is a lot like Detroit. She is scrappy; she never gives up; she hopes for better things — and like the phoenix, she will rise.” And with that, […]
Did you vote early for a candidate who dropped out? You can vote again.
Michigan voters have been casting ballots for the primary election since Jan. 25. Since then, seven candidates (six Democrats and one Republican) who were on the ballot have dropped out — and several did previously. But don’t worry if you voted for a candidate who has taken themselves out of the fight. Because Michigan allows […]
10 Michigan counties are at risk to be undercounted in census
A coalition of state leaders are pushing for 82% of Michiganders to participate in the 2020 census to ensure Michigan doesn’t see a cut in federal dollars or lose representation in Congress. “The census is an opportunity to demonstrate our pride, to say that ‘I am so proud that I’m going to step up and […]
Whitmer signs auto industry mobility executive orders
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed two new measures Tuesday creating the Michigan Office of Future Mobility and Electrification and the Michigan Council on Future Mobility and Electrification aimed at continuing Michigan’s leadership in the automotive industry. “In the state that put the world on wheels and that’s home to some of the most innovative, driven workers […]
Slotkin doesn’t plan to endorse for president
Between working on hundreds of bills, voting to impeach President Trump and facing a competitive reelection fight, freshman U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) has had a busy first year. As the Advance previously reported, Slotkin hosted a “State of the 8th District” event Friday, filling in her constituents on what she has been doing on […]
SOS adds self-service stations for vehicle plate renewals at 28 Meijers
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced Monday that 28 Meijer stores across Michigan now provide self-service stations for customers to renew their vehicle plate and registration. “Meijer stores are a favorite shopping spot for many Michiganders, and now many of them will also be a place where you can complete Secretary of State transactions, such […]