State News

Could Michigan’s next state park be located in downtown Flint? Governor Gretchen Whitmer floated the idea at a recent appearance in the Vehicle City. The park could be built on the bank of the Flint River, on property once occupied by the historic Chevrolet Plant Number Four. That was the …

An anti-abortion group says it has collected enough signatures to create an initiative that would outlaw a specific type of abortion in Michigan. The Michigan Values Life Committee is targeting the dilation and evacuation procedure that was used in seven percent of abortions in our state last year, in the …

Independent candidates who want to run for statewide office will have an easier time getting on the ballot. A federal judge has ruled that Michigan’s 30,000-signature requirement for statewide ballot placement was too high. Judge Victoria Roberts of the Eastern District of Michigan has lowered the standard to 12,000 signatures. …

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has created a task force to develop recommendations to help lift Michigan families out of poverty. The Michigan Poverty Task Force will operate within the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. It will include directors or other representatives from a number of state departments and agencies. The …

The State of Michigan is suing four pharmaceutical distributors for the role they allegedly played in the opioid epidemic. We become the 49th state to take such action – only Nebraska has not. Attorney General Dana Nessell blamed her predecessor, Bill Schuette, for the delay. Michigan is using a state …

The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to hold a vote on impeachment articles against President Trump today. Michigan’s congressional delegation is expected to split along party lines. Republican First District Representative Jack Bergman announced his support for the president early on, and has not wavered. Detroit-area Democrats Haley Stevens …

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed a series of bills that will expand the number of online retailers that will need to collect Michigan sales tax. The bills extend the six percent levy to third-party retailers who sell items directly on such websites as Amazon, Wayfair and Overstock, even if those …

More than 238,000 people enrolled in the Healthy Michigan Plan will begin receiving letters this week explaining what they need to do to comply with the program’s new work requirements. Beginning January 1st, enrollees will be required to spend 80 hours per month either working, or taking part in other …

The bidding process opens today for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources winter surplus land auction. 147 parcels of state property are being offered for sale. Only one is in the Copper Country – a 1.44-acre parcel with frontage on Otter Lake. The minimum bid has been set at $6,440. …

The first round of budget adjustments following Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s vetoes in late September includes money for rural hospitals, sheriff’s patrols, and isolated school districts. Those are likely to be approved this week. It does not include money for the Pure Michigan tourism campaign, which has helped drive visitors from …