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Renewable energy tax break snags Snyder veto
Former Gov. Rick Snyder vetoed legislation that would have offered a tax exemption for homes with rooftop solar panels and wind turbines in one of his last actions as governor last week. A pair of bills — HB 5143 and HB 5680, both sponsored by now-state Sen. Tom Barrett (R-Potterville) — would have offered personal […]
Whitmer, Nessel push back on Snyder’s Line 5 plan
A day after being inaugurated, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is pushing back against Republican efforts to keep oil flowing through the Great Lakes. Whitmer has asked Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a fellow Democrat, to issue a formal opinion on the legality of a new law creating a panel of officials appointed by Republican Gov. Rick […]
Whitmer looking at many options in Flint
Gov.-elect Gretchen Whitmer’s team today said she will work with Flint Mayor Karen Weaver’s office to continue ensuring that Flint residents have access to safe drinking water. “We’re working with the mayor of Flint,” the Democrat said when asked by a reporter during a media call this morning whether she’ll be involved in offering bottled […]
Whitmer appoints most cabinet members, with one Snyder holdover
Gov.-elect Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday announced 10 key appointments to her administration, including new directors in charge of regulating the environment, roads and state police. There is one holdover from the GOP Gov. Rick Snyder administration. After campaigning on a promise to “fix the damn roads” and clean up Michigan water as it struggles with […]
Snyder to weigh cyber school teaching hour changes
During an all-night Lame Duck session, the Michigan House sent Gov. Rick Snyder a bill that Democrats worry could allow cyber schools to count kids among their tutelage they’re not actually educating. House Bill 5907, sponsored by state Rep. Ben Frederick (R-Owosso), passed the House 58-45 early Friday morning along party lines just before adjournment. […]
Singh counts GOP rival as friend in farewell speech
In a lengthy farewell speech thanking friends, family and colleagues who helped him during a six-year stint in the state House, Minority Leader Sam Singh (D-East Lansing) says he counts the leader on the other side of the aisle a his dear friend. Singh, who was first elected to the House in 2012, thanked his […]
Updated: MSU stonewalled state probe into Nassar abuse, AG report says
Updated, 3:40 p.m. Dec. 21 What Michigan State University employees may have known about the sexual abuse of hundreds of young girls at the hands of former gymnastics Dr. Larry Nassar may never be fully known, according to a lead state investigator for the state attorney general’s office. Explaining a blistering report accusing the Big […]
Updated: Snyder to decide on deregulating wetlands
Gov. Rick Snyder will now decide on a plan to deregulate some small wetlands that could be filled and dredged after the Legislature approved the bill during a marathon session stretching into early Friday morning. But the bill was dramatically scaled back in the version the Michigan House voted on late into the last Lame Duck session […]
DEQ staffers tell Snyder to veto weaker enviro cleanup standards
In a rare show of opposition, 82 state employees working for the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) have urged Gov. Rick Snyder to veto legislation they say would present “unacceptable risks” to the public. The employees wrote that proposed changes “are based solely on the cost of cleanups” for responsible companies and “have no basis […]
Updated: No-fault overhaul crashes and burns, but supporters vow 2019 fight
Updated, 4:00 a.m. Dec. 21 An attempt to overhaul the state’s auto no-fault law has died in the House before a vote ever took place, according to a statement released by House Republicans. State Reps. Tom Barrett (R-Potterville) and Joseph Bellino (R-Monroe) had been pushing fellow Republicans to support tiered auto insurance options in a […]
GOP memo: Latest no-fault plan won’t guarantee lower rates
The latest version of draft legislation to overhaul the state’s auto no-fault law scraps mandated insurance rate reductions. That’s despite allowing tiered plans that provide less medical coverage, according to a Republican memo obtained by the Michigan Advance. Lowering costs for Michiganders was a fundamental part of previous plans. It was the reason why no-fault […]
Dems drop dramatic ‘dark money’ quotes
On Tuesday, the Michigan Advance covered the House vote on a so-called “dark money” bill that would shield nonprofits that influence our elections from disclosing information about their funders. But we didn’t get a chance to share some of the colorful comments Democrats made in floor speeches against the legislation. House Republicans remained silent on […]