On Thursday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer named The Right Place president and CEO Randy Thelen to the Michigan Strategic Fund board.
Read the full storyCritics Cite Conflict of Interest in Questioning Whitmer’s Appointment
Category: Michigan
Michigan Republicans Pitch Plan to Fix Child Development and Care Program
Michigan Republican lawmakers are asking Auditor General Doug Ringler to review the state’s Child Development and Care program after a Detroit Free Press investigation raised red flags.
Rep. Tom Kunse, R-Clare, vice chair of the House Ethics and Oversight Committee, sent a letter requesting a review of the state’s program.
Read the full storyMichigan Senate OKs Speeding Low-Income Tax Credit
The Michigan Senate approved a bill aiming to speed up the earned income tax credit refund to low-wage workers from 2024 to this year.
Senate Bill 144 passed on a vote of 27-10 in the Democrat-dominated Senate.
Read the full storyMichigan Gov. Whitmer Signs Five Bills, One Tax Break
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed five bills into law on Wednesday.
The bills cut taxes by exempting delivery and installation costs from sales tax, update sentencing guidelines for providing false statements on firearm sales, establish the volunteer employee criminal history system, and modifies membership on the Michigan Strategic Fund Board.
Read the full storyMichigan Strategic Fund OKs $615 Million for District Detroit
The state signed off on $615 million of taxpayer incentives in the transformational Brownfield Plan for District Detroit.
The Michigan Strategic Fund approved funds for the $1.5 billion development from the Related Companies and Olympia Development of Michigan, which aim to renovate the area near Little Caesars Arena, Comerica Park, Ford Field, the Fox Theatre, Cass Park, and the Masonic Temple.
Read the full storyMichigan School District Sued for Viewpoint Discrimination
Two Michigan students sued their school district for viewpoint discrimination after they were banned from wearing apparel implicitly critical of President Joe Biden.
In February 2022, two Tri County Middle School students wore sweatshirts to school with the phrase “Let’s Go Brandon,” a political slogan critical of Biden with origins in a more profane chant.
Read the full storyHundreds Protest Chinese-Owned Electric Vehicle Battery Plant in Michigan
Hundreds of people protested against a Chinese-owned electric vehicle battery plant being constructed in northern Michigan due to concerns about national security.
“How many abuses have we seen over the years from China? And to think that they will set up a battery factory in our state and they will just play by the rules? That makes no sense whatsoever,” Michigan Republican Chair Kristina Karamo said at the protest Saturday, NewsNation reported.
Read the full storyNational Right to Work Foundation Files Amicus Brief in Michigan Union Lawsuit
The National Right to Work Foundation filed an amicus brief at the Michigan Supreme Court opposing a strategy used by a Michigan union.
The brief, filed Friday, says the union officials of the Technical, Professional, and Officeworkers Association of Michigan “weaponizes” the grievance process to force nonmember public employees to pay fees to the union.
Read the full storyAdvocates Protest Michigan Gov. Whitmer’s $42 Million Budget Cuts for Online Education
More than 21,000 Michigan online charter public school students face a $42 million funding cut under Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s 2024 proposed budget.
Each online charter public school student would lose at least $1,463 for a total cut of $42 million under the budget because Whitmer says online schools have less brick and mortar facilities.
Read the full storyMichigan Democrats Approve $175 Million in Taxpayer Funds to Chinese-Owned Company
Michigan Democratic lawmakers authorized taxpayer funding for a Chinese-backed project Thursday, prompting criticism from state residents at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing.
Lawmakers approved $175 million in public funding for Gotion to construct an electric vehicle battery factory in Big Rapids, Michigan. However, the public expressed worries due to China-based parent company Gotion High-Tech having corporate bylaws establishing a Communist Party of China (CCP) Committee within the company; every committee Republican and three Democrats voted against it, but the measure passed with a 10-9 vote.
Read the full storyCourt of Claims Rejects Relief for Michigan Gun Group Lawsuit
Court of Claims Judge Thomas Cameron has denied immediate relief via a temporary restraining order for two gun groups that sued the Michigan House and Senate with claims alleging the bodies suppressed speech and violated the Open Meetings Act.
Great Lakes Gun Rights and Michigan Open Carry sued on April 13 to challenge gun restriction bills moving through the Legislature. The lawsuit, filed in the Court of Claims, says that the House and Senate – both dominated by Democrats – suppressed speech by not allowing gun rights activists to testify against the bills, thus violating the Open Meetings Act.
Read the full storyBill Proposal Would Allow Alcohol Sales at Michigan University Sporting Events
A bipartisan plan in Lansing seeks to allow Michigan universities to sell alcohol at certain on-campus sporting events.
Rep. Graham Filler, R-Clinton County, and Sen. Sean McCann, D-Kalamazoo, introduced measures in the House and Senate that would allow university governing boards to apply for liquor licenses to sell alcohol at basketball, football, and hockey games.
Read the full storyMichigan Bill Aims for Agencies to Make Rules Stricter than Federal Standard
A Michigan bill aims to make it easier for state agencies to adopt or promulgate rules more stringent than federal standards.
Bill sponsor Sen. Sean McCann, D-Kalamazoo, said Senate Bill 14 aims to repeal the no stricter than federal law signed into law in 2018. The law prohibited state agencies from setting rules more stringent than federal law, in most cases.
Read the full storyBill Requires Michigan Employees to Give Home Address, Phone Number to Unions
A Michigan Senate bill currently under consideration aims to require employers to share employees’ name, home address, cell phone number, work address location, and personal email address with labor representatives every 90 days.
Sen. John Cherry, D-Flint, sponsored Senate Bill 169.
Read the full storyAmericans for Prosperity Warns Wisconsin Lawmakers Against Spending Too Much
There was one group at Wisconsin’s budget hearing pushing for less. Americans for Prosperity warned Wisconsin lawmakers about spending too much of the state’s record $7.1 billion surplus.
Americans For Prosperity Wisconsin this week waited through hours of requests for more money at the legislature’s public budget hearings to make the simple case to spend less.
Read the full storyGreat Lakes States’ Social Security Disability Backlog Increased Between Five and 130 Percent Since 2019, Report Finds
Nearly every U.S. state recognized increased backlogs for new Social Security disability benefit applications since 2019, And the Great Lakes states were no different.
In fact, Wisconsin’s backlog more than doubled, ranking in fifth nationwide for increased backlogs. From 2019 to 2023, Wisconsin’s backlog grew 130 percent, with an increase of 11,500 backlogged applications. It has the fifth highest backlog increase in the nation.
Read the full storyMichigan Senate Dems Push 100 Percent Clean Energy by 2035
Michigan Senate Democrats introduced on Thursday a clean energy plan to force a 100% clean energy standard by 2035.
The plan includes forcing the end of coal-fired electricity generating plants by 2030, requiring utilities to move toward eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from power generation by 2035, and developing a 100% clean energy standard by 2035.
Read the full storyMichigan Gov. Whitmer Signs Background Checks, Safe Gun Storage Bills
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed gun restriction bills that will establish universal background checks for all firearm purchases as well as require safe firearm storage.
The gun package follows a February shooting at Michigan State University that killed three students and wounded five others. However, none of the bills would have stopped the shooting if enacted beforehand.
Read the full storyReport: Michigan Needs $4.5 Billion Annually for Education
A new report from the Education Law Center and the Michigan Education Association says Michigan needs $4.5 billion annually so students can achieve state academic standards.
School funding adequacy refers to the funding necessary to provide students with reasonable opportunities to achieve state standards.
Read the full storyMichigan Township Trustee Well-Positioned for Big Payout via Gotion Deal
Green Township trustee Dale Jernstadt could recognize a tidy personal profit if Gotion Inc. moves forward with building a portion of its controversial battery manufacturing plant on land he owns.
Mecosta County property records show Jernstadt took out a $180,000 mortgage on the 72-acre parcel in 2012. In September 2021, he sold the development rights for the property to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development through December 2027. As a result, he must receive a waiver to sell the property for any use other than agricultural.
Read the full story1 Million Michiganders to See Records Expunged Today
More than 1 million Michiganders should receive automatic expungements today for their criminal records, thanks to Clean Slate legislation enacted in 2020 and effective Tuesday.
The Michigan State Police launched its new automatic program to search the state’s Criminal Historical Record database system daily for eligible convictions to expunge automatically.
Read the full storyJobs Data Conflicts with Whitmer’s Claim of ‘Securing’ 35,000 Auto Jobs
In a video released Monday morning, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer touted Democrat’s accomplishments in their first 100 days of office.
She again claimed that she “secured” 35,000 auto jobs since 2019.
Read the full storyFeds Charge Former Speaker Rick Johnson, Allege $100k Bribe in Medical Marijuana Licensing Scheme
Former House Speaker Rick Johnson and three others were charged in connection with a bribery scheme related to the state’s medical marijuana licensing board.
At a press conference in downtown Lansing, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten said Johnson took more than $100,000 in bribes after then-Republican Gov. Rick Snyder appointed Johnson chairman of the state’s medical marijuana licensing board, where he served from May 2017 through April 2019.
Read the full storyUpdates on Michigan Emergency School Funding Targeted for Late May
Michigan’s still among 20 states that haven’t reported on a public dashboard what Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding was used to purchase or provide, a recent report found.
However, the state is adding more details soon, a state official said Wednesday.
Read the full storyGM Buys Out 5,000 Workers to Avert Layoffs
General Motors says it bought out 5,000 salaried positions to avert layoffs as it pivots to electric vehicles and others that require less human labor.
In March, The Center Square reported that the automaker is looking to cut $2 billion in fixed costs by 2024 as the company transitions its manufacturing operations to produce electric vehicles.
Read the full storyDeSantis Touts Florida ‘Freedom’ at Hillsdale College
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis visited Michigan on Thursday, claiming his state’s “freedom” is the antithesis of Michigan.
Headlining the stage at Hillsdale College’s Searle Center, DeSantis touted Florida laws that he said empower parents to object to items that violate their standards such as pornographic material in school libraries.
Read the full storyWhitmer: Keep Preventative Health Care Services After Michigan Court Ruling
After a Texas federal judge voided the Affordable Care Act requirement for health care insurers to cover some preventive care services without additional cost, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer directed state government to inform Michiganders which preventative care services are affected.
Whitmer called on the state legislature and Congress to pass laws to help ensure that Michiganders can access services cost-free such as early detection of colon and skin cancer, high blood pressure, and hepatitis.
Read the full storyDetroit City Council OKs $12.69 Million Opioid Settlement
The Detroit city council approved a $12.69M opioid settlement on Tuesday against four companies they say contributed to the opioid epidemic.
Detroit was one of about 4,000 local governments that sued opioid manufacturers and distributors. The funds will flow to local governments and the state.
Read the full storyCity in Michigan Revokes Marijuana Dispensary License
The city of Gaylord revoked the retail marijuana license of an Exclusive Brands dispensary last week for violating city ordinance violations.
Since Wednesday, 25 employees are out of a job while the dispensary exercises the option to appeal to the city within 30 days.
Read the full storyGrand Rapids Cannabis Operators Chafe Under City’s Social Equity Rules
When Grand Rapids enacted a social equity program for recreational cannabis, the goal was to create “equitable policies and opportunities that address the historical systemic and institutional injustices often connected to cannabis.”
But some cannabis operators say the rules are nearly impossible to follow as business grows.
Read the full storyMichigan State University Releases Diversity Report Promoting Anti-Semites and Communists
Michigan State University released its 2022-2023 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion report in late March, intended, they say, to update stakeholders on the implementation of more than 200 DEI “action items” previously laid out by the university.
Among the 270 DEI items the university hopes to implement was an initiative to require all undergraduate academic programs to “report on improvements made to its curricula to infuse DEI components” into coursework. Additionally, MSU is moving to “[include] DEI in the reappointment, promotion and tenure process.”
Read the full storyDetroit Gives $6 Million in Down Payments to Low-Income Residents
The city of Detroit will allocate $6 million to give low-income Detroiters who don’t own a home a down payment of up to $25,000.
The Detroit Down Payment Assistance Program provides qualifying Detroit households grants up to $25,000 for a down payment. Funding also can be used for other home purchase-related expenses, including prepaids (such as escrow deposits for property taxes), interest rate buy-downs, closing costs and reduction in principal.
Read the full storyColumbus School District Bought Controversial Gender Books for its Libraries
The Columbus Public School District purchased many controversial books on gender in 2022, including “Gender Queer,” a novel at the center of a national debate on what is being presented in public school libraries to children.
The Center Square submitted a public records request for the books the district purchased in 2022, and the list included: “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” “Beyond The Gender Binary,” “Gender Queer,” “New Queer Conscience”, “My Rainbow,” “Sparkle Boy” and “They, She, He, Easy As ABC.”
Read the full storyAlmost $800,000 Grant Will Fix Roads in Michigan County
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer awarded a $790,000 state Transportation Economic Development Fund grant to upgrade Shelby Road in Oceana County to an all-seasons roadway, which will allow Perdue Farms and Peterson Farms expand their businesses.
The grant will support what the governor’s office claims will create 128 new jobs at a cost of $6,171 per job.
Read the full storyMichigan College Professor Suspended for Saying Some Conservative Campus Speakers Should Be Killed
A college professor at Wayne State University in Michigan, Steven Shaviro, was suspended without pay after posting on Facebook that it would be better for students to kill their political opponents rather than just protest against them.
“I think it is far more admirable to kill a racist, homophobic, or transphobic speaker than it is to shout them down,” Shaviro said on Facebook, according to Fox News.
Read the full storyTreasurer: Michigan Income Tax to Drop for One Year
Michiganders should see $50 of savings after the state income tax decreases to 4.05% for one year.
“Michigan’s strong economic position has led to a reduction in the state income tax from 4.25% to 4.05% for 2023,” Treasurer Rachael Eubanks said in a statement. “When Michiganders file their 2023 state income taxes in 2024, they will see the rate adjustment in the form of less tax owed or a larger refund.”
Read the full storyDeadline Approaching to Join Michigan Unemployment Class-Action Suit
Michiganders who believe they were falsely accused of fraud between 2013-15 for receiving unemployment insurance benefits should know two upcoming deadlines to join a $20 million class action settlement with the state of Michigan.
The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency blames an old computer system for wrongly accusing roughly 40,000 people of fraud.
Read the full storyFerris State University Responds to Gotion Controversy
In a video posted on YouTube, Ferris State University President Bill Pink says the university hasn’t discussed housing Chinese nationalists to work at the nearby electric vehicle battery plant.
Pink posted the video on March 23 to dispel rumors surrounding the planned Gotion electric vehicle battery plant. Last week, The Center Square reported that the company – with $1.14 billion of state and local backing – must adhere to communist rules.
Read the full storyMichigan Senate Approves Cocktails-to-Go
The Michigan Senate passed Senate Bill 141 on a vote of 37-1, which aims to make cocktails-to-go permanent.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, lawmakers allowed cocktails-to-go to provide businesses another way to generate revenue while the operation of bars and restaurants were restricted by the state.
Read the full storyMichigan Cities Enlist Community Violence Intervention
Michigan communities fed up with persistent retaliatory gun violence are turning to new solutions to stop homicides.
The cities of Lansing and Detroit will pay community-based violence intervention groups to reduce gun violence in targeted areas.
Read the full storyWhitmer Signs Bill Repealing Michigan’s Right-to-Work Law
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed a bill to repeal right-to-work legislation.
Michigan is the first state to repeal right-to-work laws and restore collective bargaining rights since 1958. Signed Friday, the legislation requires private sector employees to join a workplace union or face termination.
Read the full storySupreme Court Rules Deaf Michigan Student Can Sue School for Damages
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously Tuesday that a deaf former student can pursue monetary damages against a Michigan school district that allegedly failed to provide an adequate education.
Nine-year-old Miguel Perez, the plaintiff, left Mexico with his family and enrolled at Sturgis Public School District in 2004. Perez was assigned to a classroom aide and was never given a sign language interpreter – only aides who were either unqualified or absent.
Read the full storyMichigan House Votes to Repeal Right-to-Work, Reinstate Prevailing Wage, End A-F Grading System
The Michigan House on Tuesday voted to repeal right-to-work, reinstate the prevailing wage, and trash the state’s A-F grading system for public schools.
The Democrat-dominated House approved Senate Bill 34 on a vote of 65-52. The bill aims to allow unions to require workers to pay dues to a labor organization as a condition of obtaining or continuing employment. The Senate approved the bill last week to repeal the policy enacted in 2012 by former Republican Gov. Rick Snyder.
Read the full storyMichigan College Holds Segregated Graduation Celebrations
A public university in Michigan promoted several graduation celebrations that are organized based on students’ race, according to the university website.
Grand Valley State University (GVSU) will hold five graduation celebrations to recognize students in several different groups, its website promotes. The celebrations, which are held in addition to the university’s larger commencement ceremony, are offered for Asian, black, “latino/a/x,” LGBTQIA+ and Native American graduates.
Read the full storyCommentary: A Modicum of Justice in Michigan for a COVID-Exploiting Teachers’ Union
America’s teachers’ unions exploited the COVID-19 pandemic to maximum effect, leveraging school lockdowns for which they lobbied to pursue political demands stretching far beyond their salaries and benefits – and helping drive a $190 billion windfall in taxpayer dollars to K-12 schools.
The public bore that cost, in children’s learning loss and mental health struggles; in the burdens the closures placed on parents already struggling to make ends meet in an economy crippled by government decree; and on the literal costs that the teachers’ unions passed on to taxpayers.
Read the full storyMichigan City Sued over Landlord, Voting Information Ordinance
An East Lansing ordinance compelling landlords to promote their tenants to vote has prompted a lawsuit from the Thomas More Society.
On Thursday, attorneys from the conservative Roman Catholic public-interest law firm filed litigation in federal court against East Lansing in response to the city’s ordinance requiring landlords provide voter application forms and voter-registration information to new tenants. Refusal to comply with the law would result in the landlord being charged with a civil infraction.
Read the full storyMichigan Senate OKs Bill to Ban Employer Retaliation for Abortions
The Michigan Senate voted along party lines to prohibit some employers from firing an employee for having an abortion.
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Erika Geiss, D-Taylor, said Senate Bill 147 aims to close a “loophole” in the Elliot Larson Civil Rights Act.
Read the full storyMichigan Senate Approves Red Flag, Safe Storage Gun Bills
The Michigan Senate passed gun legislation on party lines Thursday.
The bill package aims to expand background checks, enact safe storage requirements, and add red flag laws.
Read the full storyTeacher Courses Promoting Critical Race Theory Were Funded by Michigan Pandemic Relief
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer used federal pandemic relief funds to create virtual courses for teachers about anti-racism and social justice, which encouraged teachers to engage with sources espousing critical race theory.
The CARES Act in 2020 included funds for governors to award to education-related entities via the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund. Whitmer and state officials allotted $1.4 million to Michigan State University College of Education, the University of Michigan’s School of Education and Michigan Virtual to create professional learning modules for K-12 teachers.
Read the full storyMichigan Senate Votes to Repeal Right-to-Work, Reinstate Prevailing Wage
The Democrat-dominated Michigan Senate voted to repeal right-to-work and to reinstate the prevailing wage.
The House passed bills to repeal right-to-work last week.
Read the full story