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New: Whitmer, DHHS announce plan to ease access to public assistance
Updated, 12:58 p.m. with additional details Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Director Robert Gordon on Thursday morning announced policy changes aimed at making access to food assistance and other public benefits easier for families. The state will make the asset limits for food assistance, cash assistance and state […]
Stabenow, Peters call on DeVos to abandon rule stripping student borrower protections
U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing) and Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Twp.) are calling on the President Trump administration to undo a rule that guts protections for defrauded or misled students seeking debt relief. Stabenow and Peters urged U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to abandon the proposed rule in a letter to the department last week. The […]
How Trump admin food stamp changes could put school districts in greater debt
The rollout of new federal regulations for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has families and school districts nervously waiting to find out who will pay for school lunches after more than 95,000 Michigan households are expected to lose their food stamp benefits. The changes, which make qualifying for SNAP benefits much more difficult, will […]
Nessel joins brief against DACA repeal
Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined a brief in the lawsuit against the federal repeal of the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The brief, filed Friday with the U.S. Supreme Court, argues that allowing DACA program recipients, commonly referred to as Dreamers, to participate in American society generates significant positive impacts for both […]
As the fastest-aging state in nation, Michigan joins national AARP effort
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced on Monday that Michigan is the fifth state to join the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States to help address the state’s aging demographics. “Active aging is a lifelong process and making communities more age-friendly is a common-sense policy approach for responding to demographic aging,” Whitmer said. “I look forward to continuing […]
Progressive Women’s Caucus members introduce domestic violence awareness resolutions
State lawmakers in the Progressive Women’s Caucus are introducing resolutions to recognize October as Domestic Violence Awareness month in Michigan. The resolutions, introduced by state Rep. Tenisha Yancey (D-Harper Woods), co-chair of the PWC Gender Violence Task Force, and PWC member state Sen. Rosemary Bayer (D-Beverly Hills), are intended to create awareness for advocates and […]
Speaker directs Democrat to end ‘gun-free’ policy in her House office
Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield (R-Levering) says a policy prohibiting guns in the office of state Rep. Kara Hope (D-Holt) is “discriminatory” and has asked her to refrain from implementing the restriction. On open carry day, Sept. 10, when 2nd Amendment activists rallied at the Capitol with firearms, Hope posted a sign on her door […]
Homelessness increases across the state, especially for senior citizens, families
Michigan saw an increase in the state’s homeless population this past year, especially for veterans and families, but according to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) this is partly due to better documentation and reporting. “This annual report tells a story about our collective work and it shows that we are making progress,” Kelly […]
Woman fights for civil rights in first-ever transgender case before the Supreme Court
The first case involving the civil rights of transgender people will go before the U.S. Supreme Court on Oct. 8 to rule whether a federal law against job discrimination on the basis of sex protects transgender people. Aimee Stephens, a 58-year-old transgender woman from Ferndale, was fired from her position as a funeral director after […]
Nessel opposes Trump’s SNAP restrictions, calls rule ‘entirely unacceptable’
Attorney General Dana Nessel filed a comment letter against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) arguing that President Trump’s restrictions on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) would violate federal law and be detrimental to public health. The proposed rule, called Revision of Categorical Eligibility in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, would end the state’s ability […]
Judge says state can’t refuse to work with anti-LGBTQ adoption agencies
Religious-based adoption agencies can once again refuse services to same-sex couples and still receive state funding after a federal court ruling Thursday. District Judge Robert Jonker in Grand Rapids, who was appointed by President George W. Bush, ordered in Buck v. Gordon that child welfare agency St. Vincent Catholic Charities can’t be blocked from state […]
GM backs down ending on health coverage for striking workers
As the UAW strike continues, General Motors has decided to continue to offer health care coverage to its almost 50,000 striking employees. GM released a statement reported by the HuffPost on Thursday that said the company is “very concerned about the significant confusion” surrounding health insurance and that it had “chosen to work with our […]