michigan legislature

On Wednesday, Governor Gretchen Whitmer again claimed the Legislature’s Republican leaders are failing to bargain on a COVID-19 plan for Michigan. The governor said GOP leaders have not engaged in serious discussions, even though Republicans and business groups have put forward their plans.

The legislative committee looking into the state’s COVID-19 response meets again Monday – where top health officials in Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s administration will face questions from lawmakers.

This will be the first committee hearing since the state Supreme Court struck down the governor’s continued use of emergency powers and encouraged the Legislature and Whitmer to strike a bargain.

State lawmakers plan to finish up their work in Lansing this week.

The state House is expected to vote on bills to restore funding for some of the items vetoed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in late September.

Some democratic state lawmakers want universal background checks for all people looking to own a firearm. They plan to introduce bills in the House and Senate.

The state Bureau of Elections has tossed out petitions and thousands of signatures seeking a recall election against state Representative Larry Inman (R-Williamsburg). The decision is based on two typos on the petition form.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer wants Republican leaders to come back to the bargaining table.

Earlier this week Whitmer announced more than 100 line item vetoes that she made in the state budgets, and she moved money around within departments. That’s something she can do without the approval of the Legislature.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed all of the state’s budgets for the new spending year — and used a lot of red ink in the process.

One of the many items Whitmer said “no” to was millions of dollars in one-time funding toward the state’s roads. She also vetoed the School Aid budget.

Thousands rallied at the state Capitol Wednesday against Michigan’s auto insurance law. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed sweeping changes to the law in May that ended requirements for everyone to have unlimited, lifetime medical benefits for catastrophic car accidents.

MichiganGov. Gretchen Whitmer says the budgets on their way to her desk are “a mess.”

New legislation in the Michigan House would create a program for importing pharmaceutical drugs from Canada.

Lawmakers behind the bill say the goal is to give state residents access to prescription drugs that can be found more cheaply in Canada.

The Legislature has sent a K-12 schools budget to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The bill was adopted with the support of Republicans and Democrats, but the budget has a lot less money then what the governor recommended for special education and at-risk students.

Discussions to bring sports betting and online gaming to the state are on hold until Michigan has a budget.

Plans to make Michigan a sports betting state are moving through the state Legislature. A package of bills is scheduled to be voted out of a House committee Tuesday.

Some Michigan lawmakers think women need to be warned of the potential dangers of using marijuana while pregnant.

Negotiations to come up with a long-term plan to fix Michigan’s crumbling roads have been put on hold. Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Republican legislative leadership announced Monday that their main priority is the budget.