Michigan

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Whitmer’s Proposed 2025 Budget Carries 1,288 Percent Trash Fee Hike Increase

Feb 14, 20242 min read
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says the proposed 2025 budget wouldn't raise taxes but it would dump a 1,200% increase in trash fees onto local taxpayers. The budget aims to raise the landfill tipping fee rate for state landfills from 36 cents to $5 per ton – a 1,288% increase.

Lawmaker: Vehicle Repair Fund Exists Because Michigan Roads Aren’t Fixed

Feb 10, 20242 min read
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s 2025 budget includes $5 million for a car repair program. The program would fund vehicle repairs, purchases and other services to obtain and retain employment not to exceed $2,000 in the past year – the same cap as last year’s budget but more than double from the $900 cap in the year prior.

Mother of Michigan School Shooter Found Guilty of Manslaughter

Feb 7, 20241 min read
The mother of a shooter who killed four students at a high school in Oxford, Mich., in 2021 was found guilty Tuesday on all charges of involuntary manslaughter. Jennifer Crumbley, 45, had pleaded not guilty to four involuntary manslaughter counts, and the jury found her guilty after 10 hours of deliberation, per CNN. 

Michigan Senate Republicans Push School Improvement Plan

Feb 3, 20243 min read
Michigan Senate Republicans on Thursday announced their plan to improve childhood learning and support teachers in the K-12 schools. They proposed a MI Brighter Future plan they said would help students gain access to additional resources and learning opportunities, require proven training methods for educators, give parents more control over their child’s progress, reinstate accountability in teacher evaluations and provide for performance-based bonuses.

Lawmakers: Probe Supply Chain of Michigan EV Plant

Jan 31, 20244 min read
A letter urges an investigation into suppliers of a Ford electric vehicle plant in Marshall, Michigan. Republican U.S. Reps. Mike Gallagher, R-Wisconsin, chairman of the House Select Committee on the CCP, and Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Washington, chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, signed the letter.

Republicans Wary of Whitmer’s Proposed Taxpayer-Funded Programs

Jan 27, 20243 min read
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proposed expanding the Michigan government by at least new five programs costing an unknown amount. In a video talking to a potato, Whitmer proposed that taxpayers fund two years of community college for all high school graduates.

Lawmaker: Michigan Growing Council Funding Not Transparent

Jan 24, 20243 min read
Michigan’s Growing Together Council was funded partly by private groups – a detail omitted in the final report which one lawmaker called an “abuse of the pubic trust.” State Rep. John Roth, R-Interlochen, told The Center Square in an email Republican concerns continue to grow.

Justin Amash Launches Senate ‘Exploratory Committee,’ Considering Running for Michigan Office

Jan 20, 20242 min read
Former Michigan GOP Rep. Justin Amash said Thursday that he is considering running for Senate in 2024. "Today I’m launching the Justin Amash for Senate Exploratory Committee as I consider entering the race," Amash wrote on the social media platform, X, on which he cites himself as a libertarian. 

Michigan Schools to Get 45 Electric Vehicle School Buses

Jan 17, 20244 min read
School districts in Detroit, Lansing and Pontiac will each receive $5.9 million in federal funding to buy 15 clean-powered school buses apiece. The funding flows from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Clean School Bus Program grants.

Michigan Couple Sues Brooks Township over New Cemetery Ban

Jan 13, 20243 min read
A Michigan couple has sued Brooks Township for refusing to allow them to open a cemetery on private land. Peter and Annica Quakenbush filed a lawsuit against Brooks Township in Newaygo County, challenging its blanket ban on opening any new cemeteries.

University of Michigan Spending on ‘Diversity’ Grew 66 Percent in One Year

Jan 10, 20243 min read
The University of Michigan’s (UM) spending on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) increased about 66% from the 2022-2023 school year, according to an analysis by Mark Perry, a senior fellow at Do No Harm. The school’s DEI payroll for the 2022-2023 school year came in at $18 million, but increased to over $30 million for the 2023-2024 academic year, according to Perry’s analysis. UM’s DEI department had 132 full-time diversity employees in the 2022-2023 school year and now has over 300.

Michigan’s Spending Spree Is ‘Unsustainable,’ Economist Says

Jan 6, 20244 min read
Since the pandemic began, Michigan has embarked on an "unsustainable" spending spree, says James Hohman, the Director of Fiscal Policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, “Michigan lawmakers will spend every dollar that they receive in revenue and state taxes have increased faster than residents' ability to pay since the pandemic began,” Hohman said in a statement. “This is fundamentally unsustainable and lawmakers should practice restraint. Spending less would protect taxpayers, stabilize the budget and ensure that lawmakers have flexibility to meet unexpected needs.”

Michigan State Police Ticket, Warn 1,563 People over New Distracted Driving Law

Jan 4, 20243 min read
Michigan State Police have given 1,563 citations and written warnings for the new distracted driving law over about five months. From July through late November 2023, MSP issued 720 citations and 843 verbal warnings for the law to keep drivers focused on the road to prevent distracted driving and road deaths, according to documents obtained through records requests.

Detroit Becomes Overwhelmed by Migrants Needing Shelter

Dec 30, 20232 min read
Detroit has become overwhelmed by a surge in migrants needing shelter, according to The Detroit News. Shelters supporting migrants in Detroit say they’re working long hours with little resources to help, according to The Detroit News. The city is experiencing a surge amid record encounters of migrants crossing the southern border illegally.

Audit: Michigan Unemployment Agency Paid $245 Million in Possibly Improper Payments

Dec 29, 20234 min read
A fifth and final audit of the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency found the agency “undercounted fraud penalties by at least 49.4%” because it didn’t fix programming issues with the Michigan Integrated Data Automated System. The audit from the Office of Auditor General Doug Ringler marked two “material conditions” – the most severe rating finding that the agency didn't protect agency funds.