Author
U.S. Dept. of Ed: Over 26K borrowers in Michigan are eligible for student loan debt forgiveness
More than 26,000 Michiganders will have their student loan debts forgiven, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The department announced Friday that it had begun contacting the more than 800,000 borrowers who are eligible to have their student loans discharged who qualify under fixes to Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plans implemented by President Joe Biden’s […]
Recall petitions filed against 5 Democratic, 1 Republican House members
Petitions to recall five Democratic state representatives in Michigan over their votes on recent hate crime and gun reform legislation were filed last week, according to the state Secretary of State’s office, as well as one petition against a Republican representative over his vote for the Democratic House speaker. State Reps. Jennifer Conlin (D-Ann Arbor), […]
It’s not illegal to live together as an unmarried couple anymore in Michigan
Men and women who “lewdly and lasciviously” associate with each other by cohabiting can no longer be found guilty of a misdemeanor in Michigan under a repeal of a 1931 law signed on Tuesday by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Michigan is one of only two states with such an “outdated” prohibition, bill sponsor state Sen. Stephanie […]
Whitmer signs bill ending asset test for food assistance in Michigan
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a repeal Wednesday of Michigan’s requirement that an asset test be performed when being considered for eligibility for food assistance. Under the current law, which will now soon reflect the deletion of the asset test requirement, households with more than $15,000 in assets, whether that be savings in the bank or […]
Whitmer signs bills addressing sexual violence, train delays and public safety
Several bills passed by the Legislature last month before its summer break were signed into law Tuesday afternoon by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. They include: Dozens of bills, often championed by survivors of disgraced former U.S.A. Gymnastics and Michigan State University doctor Larry Nassar and other survivors of sexual violence have been introduced in multiple sessions […]
Child marriage is now banned in Michigan
Michigan is the 10th state to ban what advocates for ending child marriage call “a human rights abuse” after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation Tuesday to raise the minimum age for marriage to 18 years old. The ban is “long overdue,” Whitmer said in a news release Tuesday. “Keeping Michiganders – especially young women – […]
Recall effort filed for member of Ottawa County’s far-right commission
A petition has been filed to recall a member of Ottawa County’s GOP-majority commission due to her vote to effectively fire the county health officer without cause. The petition, filed Monday by Larry Jackson, a resident of Park Township, to the county clerk sites the Feb. 28 vote where Republican Commissioner Lucy Ebel, which represents […]
There won’t be a Second Amendment March at the Capitol this year as full gun ban moves forward
This summer, Michigan Capitol building leadership is set to approve a total gun ban at the state Capitol. Meanwhile, the annual Capitol Second Amendment March that’s been taking place for the last decade is canceled. The Michigan Capitol Commission, which works to maintain and manage the Capitol Building, has for years considered weapons bans to […]
Here’s what’s in the $24B Michigan budget for schools
Michigan lawmakers passed a $82 billion Fiscal Year 2024 budget Wednesday, with $24.3 billion of those funds dedicated to the state’s school budget. Several educators-turned-lawmakers are expressing their appreciation for getting certain components of the budget funding in order to support students as they continue their education after COVID-era interruptions and support teachers as the […]
‘Long overdue’: Whitmer signs bills advocated for by sexual assault survivors
Updated, 3:52 p.m., 6/29/23 Lawmakers have introduced dozens of bills for years stemming from lessons the state learned from survivors of sexual violence since the Larry Nassar sex abuse scandal. On Thursday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a six-bill package and announced her intention of signing more in the coming weeks. The victim impact statements of […]
Legislature passes $82B budget, including record $21B for schools
Lawmakers in Michigan passed a $82 billion state budget for Fiscal Year 2024 drafted by the first Democratic-majority Legislature in roughly 40 years with appropriations for programming in health care, infrastructure, state police and schools, among other areas. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is expected to quickly sign the bills that passed after long sessions that carried […]
Bills creating harsher penalties for assaulting health workers pass the Michigan House
Assaulting doctors, nurses or other employees of a health care system would have heightened penalties under legislation that cleared the Michigan House Tuesday. Earlier in June, health care workers told the House Criminal Justice Committee about their colleagues getting assaulted and threatened while doing their job, often by upset family members of patients. Health care […]