State News

Pure Michigan is back. After a hiatus caused by budget cuts, a $1.2 million campaign to promote winter tourism was launched yesterday across the upper Midwest. The video ad features the tagline “Still Pure Michigan.” Target markets include Minneapolis and Green Bay, along with Fort Wayne, Toledo, Detroit, Flint, Grand …

Some COVID-19 restrictions will be relaxed in Michigan beginning Monday, but the ban on inside restaurant service will continue. This afternoon, Governor Gretchen Whitmer said that progress in bringing infection rates down across the state warrants the resumption of some activities – but only those in which masks can be …

 A recount of presidential votes in Antrim County has resulted in no appreciable difference in the result. Antrim County has been in the national spotlight after a clerical mistake on election night caused an erroneous vote total to be reported. The error was quickly corrected, but conspiracy theorists latched on …

Six men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their alleged roles in a conspiracy to kidnap the Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Adam Fox, Barry Croft, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta each face up to life in prison if convicted. Fox, Garbin, Franks, Harris, …

A former Michigan governor could be headed to Washington. There are reports that Jennifer Granholm will join the new Joe Biden administration as Energy Secretary. Granholm’s knowledge of the auto industry is seen as a key to facilitating the conversion from gasoline-powered vehicles to electric-powered vehicles. Granholm served as Michigan’s …

The Republican Party’s continued resistance to Joe Biden’s presidential victory has driven one of its highest-profile Michigan members from its ranks. U.S. Representative Paul Mitchell resigned from the party yesterday, and asked House leadership to re-list him as an independent. Mitchell represents the 10th District, which covers Michigan’s Thumb area. …

Michigan’s 16 presidential electors followed the law yesterday afternoon, and cast their votes for president-elect Joe Biden and vice president-elect Kamala Harris. Threats of violence that obliged legislative leaders to close the capitol building and state offices to other activities did not materialize, with less than a dozen demonstrators outside. …

Minimum wage workers in Michigan will probably not get a raise next month. The base minimum wage was supposed to increase from $9.65 an hour to $9.87 an hour on January 1st. However, the law that mandates that also says that the increase will not take effect if the state’s …

All state House and Senate offices will be closed today, as electors gather to cast their presidential votes. The Michigan electoral college ballots will be cast at 2:00 this afternoon, in the Senate chamber in the state capitol building. Other than that, the capitol will be off-limits to the public. …

Another participant in last Wednesday’s Michigan House committee election hearing has reportedly tested positive for COVID-19. Attorney Jenna Ellis sat next to lead Trump Campaign counsel Rudy Giuliani at the four-hour session in Lansing. Neither wore masks. Giuliani has since been hospitalized with the coronavirus. Axios also reports that Ellis …