Environment
Michigan’s manic Lame Duck session continues to mesmerize national media
Michigan’s frenetic end-of-the-year legislative session before Democrats assume all top statewide offices continues to command the attention of national outlets. Reporters from national outfits like CNN attended the exit interview last week of GOP Gov. Rick Snyder and Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, eager to see if the term-limited governor would show his hand on signing […]
Public comment on Enbridge pipeline plan cuts off before Lame Duck ends — on Tuesday
If you want to weigh in on the new section of pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac, you don’t have much time. The public has until Tuesday, Dec. 18 to register comments or concerns about the plan just signed into law by GOP Gov. Rick Snyder that encases Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline in a tunnel […]
Whitmer talks roads, Asian carp with Trump at White House meeting
At the White House today, Gov.-elect Gretchen Whitmer naturally took the opportunity to talk with President Trump about “fixing the damn roads,” but she also said she raised the issue of Asian carp. “That was an interesting conversation because I don’t think President Trump had really had the chance to think, or learn much about […]
Snyder makes good on promise to sign Great Lakes pipeline legislation
Gov. Rick Snyder on Tuesday vowed he would sign legislation that will keep Enbridge’s petroleum operation under the Straits of Mackinac up and running. And today, he made good on that promise. The Republican governor announced via press release this morning that he had signed Senate Bill 1197 sponsored by state Sen. Tom Casperson (R-Escanaba). The bill […]
Snyder says he’ll sign Line 5 bill, but stays mum on other Lame Duck action
Gov. Rick Snyder said today that he plans to sign Enbridge Line 5 legislation, but will not necessarily go along with all GOP-sponsored Lame Duck bills. Snyder and Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, who unsuccessfully ran in the GOP primary this year to succeed him, met this afternoon with about three dozen reporters, including some from […]
Legislature again tries to bar Michigan regulations from exceeding federal standards
A bill prohibiting state regulations from being more stringent than those in federal law is now on the desk of Gov. Rick Snyder, who vetoed similar legislation during his first year in office. House Bill 4205, sponsored by Rep. Triston Cole (R-Mancelona), amends state rules to mandate that heads of agencies must not adopt any regulations […]
Updated: Enbridge tunnel bill awaits Gov. Snyder’s signature
Updated: 2:08 p.m. Both houses of the Legislature today wasted no time acting on legislation that could ensure that oil and natural gas continue running through the Straits of Mackinac. The bill is now on Gov. Rick Snyder’s desk. This has been one of term-limited governor’s top priorities in his last few weeks in office […]
Former El-Sayed policy director behind ‘Green New Deal’
Rhiana Gunn-Wright, who served as Abdul El-Sayed's policy director for his 2018 gubernatorial campaign, has moved on to the national stage.
Enbridge pipeline plan flows to Michigan House
With almost no debate, the state Senate approved legislation that would create a three-person panel to finalize a deal between Gov. Rick Snyder and a major Canadian energy company to keep oil flowing through the Great Lakes.
Michigan Senate votes to deregulate small wetlands
The Michigan Senate voted Tuesday on legislation to deregulate small wetlands currently protected by the state.
Koch think tank leads legal push with big implications for Great Lakes
A conservative think tank founded and led by one of the Koch brothers is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on a case that could determine whether people have the right to walk along Great Lakes shorelines.
New bill could trash part of Milliken’s environmental legacy
The “bottle bill” was a key part of GOP former Gov. William Milliken’s environmental legacy.