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Susan J. Demas: Oh, noes. The Michigan GOP tax cut you’d never have noticed just died.
If you make more than $539,000 a year, well, first of all, congratulations. You can live quite well on that in a state like Michigan (USA Today recently ranked us third-best for affordability in the country). You also just missed out on an election-year GOP state tax cut averaging $4,900, which Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer […]
Susan J. Demas: Journalism is a public service. The Advance is honored to tell Michigan’s stories.
As a parent, you’re forever worrying that you’re not doing things right and your kids will pay the price (especially if you happen to be a chronic overthinker). It’s not dissimilar to how I’ve felt running two publications, first revamping Inside Michigan Politics and bringing it into the 21st century and then building the Michigan […]
New: Whitmer budget plan hikes higher ed by 5%, also boosts nursing home worker pay
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s new budget plan will include a 5% funding hike for Michigan’s 15 public universities and 28 community colleges — the highest increase in decades. Universities would have to cap tuition increases. She also will propose that all nursing home workers stretched thin during the COVID-19 pandemic will receive a $2.35 per hour […]
Gilda Jacobs, trailblazing legislative leader, talks loss during COVID and attacks on democracy
After spending four decades in public office, including leadership roles as a Democrat in the Michigan Legislature, Gilda Jacobs’ second act was helming one of the best-known economic justice groups in the state. Building on her longstanding relationships, she was always there to make the case to lawmakers that Michigan can’t move forward without equity […]
Confused about getting reimbursed for COVID tests? The state has a new webpage.
When the Biden administration announced in December that insurers will have to cover at-home COVID-19 tests, people had a lot of questions. Now the state of Michigan has launched a new consumer webpage through the Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) to help Michiganders understand the new federal rule and what to do. “Ensuring […]
Over 300K Michiganders enroll in Health Insurance Marketplace plans, the most since 2017
More than 303,000 Michiganders enrolled in a 2022 health plan on the Health Insurance Marketplace during the recent open enrollment period, the highest number since 2017. Under the Affordable Care Act signed by former President Barack Obama, Americans who are self-employed, don’t have health coverage through work or need more affordable health insurance options can […]
Whitmer: MIGOP co-chair calling 1st Black LG a ‘scary masked man’ was racist
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer told the Michigan Advance Tuesday that Michigan Republican Party Co-Chair Meshawn Maddock’s tweet last week that Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist was a “scary masked man” and his video would make “babies … cry” was racist. As the Advance first reported, Gilchrist — the state’s first African-American LG — posted a Twitter video […]
Breaking: AG to sue drugmaker Eli Lilly, Whitmer to announce plan to cap insulin costs
Updated, 8:40 a.m. 1/26/22, with comments from Nessel Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will announce in her State of the State address Wednesday night she wants to sign a law chopping the cost of insulin for people with diabetes, and Attorney General Dana Nessel plans to sue an insulin manufacturer under the Consumer Protection Act. Whitmer told […]
6th Michigan hospital gets federal staffing help during COVID surge
A sixth Michigan hospital will see an infusion of staff from the federal government to assist with the months-long COVID-19 surge. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) announced Monday that the feds granted Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s request for additional staffing at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing. Under the agreement, the federal government will […]
MIGOP Co-Chair Meshawn Maddock calls 1st Black lieutenant governor a ‘scary masked man’
Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist has been in office for over three years, making history as Michigan’s first African-American lieutenant governor. The Democratic father of three, who contracted COVID-19 earlier this month after his daughter tested positive, posted a Twitter video Thursday afternoon in which he was masked up and announced that he was back to […]
State issues order requiring Michigan nursing homes to offer COVID shots to residents
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) on Thursday issued an epidemic order that nursing homes must offer COVID-19 vaccines for residents onsite. The vaccine is free. “With the omicron variant rapidly spreading across our state and cases of COVID-19 continuing to remain high, we want to make sure our most vulnerable Michiganders […]
New: Former AG Schuette won’t challenge Rep. Kildee in new congressional district
Updated with additional comments, 10:20 a.m., 11:09 a.m., 1/18/22 GOP former Attorney General Bill Schuette, who lost his 2018 gubernatorial bid, will not challenge U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Flint) in the newly created 8th Congressional District. Schuette made the announcement Tuesday morning on “The Art Lewis Show” on WSGW. He told Lewis he wanted to […]