Michigan Politics

The list of who can administer emergency opioid overdose medication in Michigan could grow.

Michigan students are a signature away from getting four snow days forgiven after a brutal winter left some schools closed for weeks. The state Senate sent the bill to Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s desk Thursday. 

A state Senate committee approved a budget provision to financially penalize communities with sanctuary city policies. 

The leader of the state Senate Republicans says he’s not in favor of the Secretary of State’s call for candidates to disclose their financial information.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed her first bill into law Thursday. The new law will keep a judge’s seat in a court in the Upper Peninsula. 

It could be a challenge to end the practice of shifting money meant for K-through-12 education to higher education. 

Michigan’s cash bail system needs an overhaul. That’s the message of bipartisan legislation introduced in the state House and Senate.

Hourly workers at schools are concerned about a bill in the state House that saves schools from having to make up some snow days. 

Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s appointees for top level offices are in the clear. The state Senate has 60 days to object to Whitmer’s appointments. It has not objected to her picks to lead departments like health and human services, natural resources, and agriculture. And the clock has run out for the Senate to stop those and other appointments.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s budget proposal is slated to include an increase in spending for kindergarten through 12th grade education. 

Whitmer will present the plan as part of her budget proposal Tuesday. She wants to put more money toward students with additional educational needs. That includes special education, low-income, and career and technical education students. 

Governor Gretchen Whitmer wants to re-organize the department that enforces environmental rules. Senate Republicans are opposed to the Democrat’s executive order to do that.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s plans to restructure the state Department of Environmental Quality could be over.

Some lawmakers in Lansing want to finish what they started last year when it comes to police taking property.

The board assembled to advise Governor Rick Snyder on pipeline safety in the state of Michigan held its last public meeting Monday. 

The group of environmental and government advisors was created to minimize risks on nearly 400 pipeline-water crossings in the state of Michigan. The board’s most important role was advising the Governor on Line 5, the controversial oil and gas pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac.

The State House made a few minor changes to the bills that the state Senate signed off on before sending the bills to the governor.

Several Michigan groups joined together Monday to protest bills being pushed through the lame duck session that they say would hurt working families.

Michigan won’t limit how much money corporations and unions can spend to influence elections in the state – under legislation that’s cleared the state senate.

In 2010 the US Supreme Court said corporations and unions could spend as much money as they wanted on political campaigns.

Seven years later, Michigan lawmakers are putting that standard into state law.

Arlan Meekhof is the Senate Majority Leader. He voted in favor of the bills, “Because everybody should have free speech and the Supreme Court has said that free speech equals money in what you give.”