News
Dillon stepping down as Michigan Dem Party chair, Barnes seen as frontrunner
Citing accomplishments in the 2018 mid-term elections, Michigan Democratic Party Chair Brandon Dillon announced today he won’t seek re-election for the position he’s held since 2015. The decision to step aside comes just over a month after the party flipped two congressional seats; elected a Democratic governor, attorney general and secretary of state; re-elected a […]
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 […]
Updated: Economic development leaders urge Whitmer to stay the course
Updated: 12/12 at 11:15 a.m. As Michigan’s next governor prepares to take office next month, Gretchen Whitmer has met with leaders about keeping the economy moving in areas across the state. Birgit Klohs is the president and CEO of The Right Place Inc., a West Michigan business and economic development organization. She told reporters in […]
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 […]
Bill honoring Detroit educator clears Michigan Senate
A bill that would rename a portion of the John C. Lodge Freeway (M-10) in Detroit after legendary educator Violet T. Lewis last week unanimously cleared the Michigan Senate. The measure, Senate Bill 1137 sponsored by state Sen. Ian Conyers (D-Detroit), is now being considered in the House of Representatives. In 1929, Lewis, an African […]
Harvard Law professor: GOP power plays may be unconstitutional
A Harvard Law School professor, who also was a President Barack Obama appointee, says recent Michigan Republican moves to strip Democrats’ authority may be unconstitutional. Laurence Tribe is a professor of constitutional law at Harvard who helped write the constitutions of South Africa, the Czech Republic and Marshall Islands. He told the Michigan Advance that […]
Longtime colleague says former Robertson aide is being ‘railroaded’
A former chief of staff for state Sen. Dave Robertson (R-Grand Blanc) is the target in an ongoing Michigan State Police embezzlement investigation. But Erika Farley’s former colleague says she’s innocent. “I have the utmost respect for her,” Matt Marsden, who worked with Farley for years in the Michigan Senate, told the Advance today. […]
Michigan Legislature passes Nassar bills
Legislation aimed at curbing future sexual abuse crimes, like those of former Michigan State University Dr. Larry Nassar, passed the Michigan Legislature last week. The Associated Press reported that the bills received unanimous approval in the state Senate and are now awaiting the signature of Republican Gov. Rick Snyder, who signaled his support for helping […]
Trump-backed short-term health plans introduced, but not supposed to move in Senate
A GOP bill introduced last week in the Michigan Senate takes aim at Obamacare, loosening regulations for short-term health insurance plans. But its future is uncertain. These policies have been a favorite of the Trump administration. In August, it issued a new rule allowing for plans that last up to 364 days, with an option […]
Whitmer to join governors-elect in Trump meeting this week
Michigan’s next governor, Gretchen Whitmer, is slated be part of a group of governors-elect meeting on Thursday with President Trump at the White House, the Detroit Free Press reports. A Whitmer spokesperson told the Free Press that the Democrat wants to talk about “federal trade policies, access to affordable health care, protecting our Great Lakes […]
Coleman A. Young sworn in as Michigan senator on this day in 1964
On Dec. 10, 1964, Coleman A. Young was officially sworn in as a member of the Michigan Senate. During his nine-year tenure, Young, who had previously been an elected to the Michigan Constitutional Convention of 1961 and 1962, championed civil rights and collective bargaining issues. While in Lansing, Young served as minority floor leader and […]