Groups say Michigan abortion amendment invalidates nearly 50 laws -- hereโs what experts are saying
In a list obtained by Local4, anti-abortion groups claim theyโve identified up to 47 laws they think would be repealed or rendered invalid if the amendment is passed, because of a section that says all laws surrounding pregnancy would be addressed under the new amendment.
GOP-led Michigan Legislature calls abortion a โmedically unnecessary procedureโ in injunction appeal
Michiganโs Republican-led Legislature is asking the state Court of Appeals to lift a temporary injunction that is blocking the enforcement of the stateโs 1931 abortion ban, keeping abortion legal in Michigan following the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Michigan GOP leader: โWe told Trump we were going to follow lawโ after meeting on 2020 election
Michigan GOP Leader Mike Shirkeyโs testimony was featured in a video that aired during the Jan. 6 committeeโs hearing on how President Trump pressured state legislators to overturn election results in 2020.
โZero credibilityโ -- New report from Michigan GOP Senate members debunks claims of vote fraud
The investigation included 30 hours of public hearing, witness testimony from nearly 90 people, more than 400 pages of testimony and subpoenaed key documents from Secretary of State and municipal governments.
Lawmakers urge Michigan State University to release Nassar documents in โincompleteโ investigation
Michigan legislators from both sides of the aisle sent a join letter to Michigan State University Thursday requesting thousands of documents related to the Larry Nassar investigation be released. UPDATE: Michigan AG: Michigan State University refuses to release Nassar documents, investigation forced to closeLed by Michigan Reps. Ryan Berman and Julie Brixie and state Sen. Curtis Hertel, a coalition of nearly 50 Michigan state lawmakers are calling on the MSU Board of Trustees to waive privilege for about 6,000 documents that are related to the investigation of former MSU and USA Gymnastics sports physician Nassar. However, the Attorney Generalโs Office cannot complete its investigation without your cooperation and the release of these documents. AdโFull transparency is essential to restoring public trust,โ the legislators wrote to the MSU Board of Trustees. You have the opportunity to ensure this happens.โYou can see the legislatorsโ entire letter to Michigan State University below.
Michigan GOP consider whether to block Whitmerโs health chief
LANSING, Mich. โ Republican senators critical of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's handling of the coronavirus pandemic are weighing whether to reject her appointee to run the state health department, which has issued orders restricting business capacity and gatherings to limit COVID-19's spread. Elizabeth Hertel took over the Department of Health and Human Services on Jan. 22, the day Robert Gordon abruptly resigned. But Republicans would need to be in near lockstep โ which appears unlikely โ because Democrats support her. โI understand that this is an enormous responsibility โ to try to balance the safety and health of the residents of the state of Michigan with the livelihood of the residents of the state of Michigan,โ Hertel said.
Ann Arbor parent pens open letter to Michigan officials to commit to full-time school in fall
ANN ARBOR โ Local parent Nick Bagley has penned an open letter to the Michigan legislature and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer calling for legislation that would ensure children return to school full time this fall. โI think a lot of parents are feeling kind of hopeless about this school year,โ said Bagley. Ann Arbor Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Jeanice Kerr Swift has publicly said that school will be back full time in the fall. โTheyโve shredded the trust they had in the community.โHe criticized the stateโs decision to leave school openings during the pandemic up to the districts.
Michigan eyes bill to clean up voter registration rolls
Adam Reames, Michigan Department of State's Legislative policy director, testified in opposition to the legislation during two committee hearings in February. He said about 540 names are in the voter rolls with placeholder birthdays. If those who haven't participated in the past 20 years of elections don't properly return the mailing, their voter registration would be marked as challenged. If they don't participate in elections by the second November general election after receiving notice, their registration would be canceled. About 300,000 people are on voter rolls who haven't voted since before 2000, Reames said.
Michigan Legislature had over $600K in confidential severance deals in past decade
Gretchen Whitmer over severance payments to top officials, on Tuesday disclosed nearly $700,000 worth of separation agreements or legal settlements over the past decade. The bulk of the payouts, $632,000, involved 30 separation deals in the Senate since 2010, including 20 in the past five years. Three House agreements in 2018 and 2015, totaling nearly $60,000, settled legal disputes with terminated employees since 2013. Neither chamber disclosed details of the deals to media outlets and a liberal advocacy group, citing their confidential nature. A message seeking additional comment on the 30 Senate agreements was left with Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey of Clarklake, who became leader in 2019.
Michigan Gov. Whitmer signs at least $2 billion in COVID-19 relief spending
LANSING, Mich. โ Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed at least $2 billion in COVID-19 relief spending. READ: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signs $2.5 billion in COVID-19 relief fundingThe veto was the latest in a dispute between the GOP-led Legislature and the Democratic governor over her response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whitmer vetoed legislation that would have ceded the state health departmentโs power to close schools and prohibit sports to local health departments.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signs $2.5 billion in COVID-19 relief funding
Gretchen Whitmer has signed off on at least $2.5 billion in COVID-19 relief funding. Whitmerโs administration wants to get the remaining $2 billion in federal funding appropriated. Whitmer also proposed fully allocating $2.7 billion to help residents feed their families. โRather than these political games, we need to focus instead on how to best help businesses and individuals most impacted by the pandemic. The state has seen its COVID-19 numbers plateau over the past week after they declined steadily throughout the winter.
With billions at stake, Gov. Whitmer and Michigan Republicans refuse to budge
DETROIT โ For a year now the governor and Michigan Legislature have sparred over how to handle the COVID crisis. UPDATE March 9, 2021: Whitmer signs $2.5 billion in COVID-19 relief fundingMost recently the Republican controlled body passed a $4 billion supplemental budget with many strings attached that would require Michigan Gov. They know that is never going to happen and it is just really sad,โ said Whitmer. Working with this governor simply means complying,โ said Owosso. โThe governor is going to have to realize going it alone and shooting from the hip ruling by press conference has to stop.
Michigan Legislatures set to pass $4.2B COVID relief bill
LANSING, Mich. โ Michigan has billions of dollars in federal COVID relief to spend. The GOP Legislature has made a series of bills spending it, but a large piece of that $4.2 billion comes with strings attached. READ: Michigan Legislature nears passing $4.2B in virus aid without deal$2 billion goes to education, which means an additional $450 per student, as well as millions more for summer school and student health. About $840 million is tied to moving the power from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to local health departments when making decisions when it comes to in-person education and high school sports. Another $2.3 billion would give millions in aid to businesses, renters, hazard pay for care workers and more, but it ties $347 million for COVID testing to limiting the amount of time the health department restrictions can stay in place to 28 days.
Fairness of COVID vaccine distribution up for debate in Michigan Legislature
LANSING, Mich. โ The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has prioritized frontline health care workers and those 65 years of age and older to receive the COVID-19 vaccine first. Gretchen Whitmerโs added use of social vulnerability as part of her vaccine distribution calculations has led to concerns about fairness among some -- especially among lawmakers, since thousands of Michiganders struggling to schedule vaccination appointments are calling legislators daily. But state Sen. Sylvia Santana (D-Detroit) says it is a life and death issue, and social vulnerability is included in the eligibility criteria for a good reason. โBlacks are 1.9 times more likely to die, Hispanic Americans are 2.3 times more likely to die and Native Americans are 2.4 times more likely to die,โ Santana said on the Senate Floor Thursday. Duggan also sparred with Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel over vaccine dose distribution.
Michigan lawmakers hold hearing, seek answers about nursing home deaths amid pandemic
The hearing was initially meant to probe whether the stateโs nursing home policy designated them as โhubsโ for COVID patients. Andrew Cuomoโs administration was found to have been undercounting certain types of COVID deaths among nursing home patients, effectively lowering the number of deaths attributed to virus spread in nursing homes. State numbers show that a higher number of deaths: just over 5,500 residents in long-term care facilities have reportedly died from the virus. There has been no evidence, however, that Michigan is undercounting or underreporting long-term care COVID deaths. The plan was also backed by medical experts at Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, the CDC and AARP, among others over the course of the pandemic.
Bills would update Michiganโs bottle, recycling laws: What would change
New legislation introduced in the Michigan Legislature aims to expand the stateโs โBottle Bill,โ and to modernize the stateโs recycling system. Sen. Sean McCann (D-Kalamazoo) and Rep. Christine Morse (D-Portage) introduced legislation to update the 40-year-old bill, proposing an expansion of items allowed. Senate Bill 167 and House Bill 4331 would expand the stateโs current 10-cent deposit on certain soft drinks, beer, and other carbonated beverages to all other non-carbonated beverages, except for milk containers. The proposed bills would also:Permit universal redemption, allowing consumers to take any recyclable bottle to a large store while allowing smaller stores to maintain smaller takebacks. โMichiganโs four decade-old โBottle Billโ was an innovative approach to promote recycling and prevent littering,โ said Sen. McCann.
Michigan Democrats call for federal COVID relief funds to be released immediately
LANSING, Mich. โ Michigan Democrats are pressuring state Republicans to vote to release more than $5 billion in COVID relief, chastising them for holding the funds. โRepublicans need to stop holding these federal stimulus dollars hostage. This is not a partisan issue, these dollars should be at work here in Michigan right now,โ said Michigan House Minority Leader Donna Lasinski. READ: Michigan Republicans unveil $2B COVID relief plan for residents struggling due to shutdownsRepublicans have held funding, hoping to get Gov. In a statement, a spokesperson for Michigan House Speaker Jason Wentworth said, โOur plan addresses all needs...
Michigan aide to embattled Shirkey leaving for job in Nesselโs office
LANSING, Mich. โ A top aide to embattled Republican Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey is leaving to take a job in Democratic state Attorney General Dana Nessel's office. AdMcCann also served as spokeswoman for the two previous GOP Senate majority leaders. He also told Hillsdale County Republican leaders that GOP lawmakers had โspankedโ Democratic Gov. Shirkey had already faced criticism for having met with militia leaders last year, weeks after armed protesters had entered the Capitol. At least one major company, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, said it was โdeeply disappointedโ over Shirkeyโs remarks.
Education leaders say teacher shortages, learning loss among top issues at Michigan schools
DETROIT โ On Tuesday, the K-12 Alliance of Michigan -- representing hundreds of thousands of students, teachers and schools -- held a roundtable to give a glimpse of issues facing students, teachers and learning. READ: Michigan leaders say schools need $1 billion to recover from COVID financial tollAdREAD: Michigan GOP: No aid for K-12 schools unless Whitmer cedes power to ban in-person learning, sportsโI would say to Republicans to find a different bargaining chip, education is not it,โ said Kevin Miller with St. Clair County Regional Educational Service Agency. READ: With districts fully integrated in remote learning will Michigan schools declare a snow day? AdโOne way is to get kids, particularly minority and low-poverty kids, do tutoring throughout the summer and school, and pay them. So, both they get a professional experience and they get a positive relationship, and they contribute to helping with this learning loss,โ DeVault said.
COVID relief funds battle: Why Republicans wonโt budge on Michigan Gov. Whitmerโs $5.5B request
LANSING, Mich. โ Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is asking state Legislature for $5.5 billion to battle COVID. In a statement, the office said โThere is $40 million in the pipeline for release to local public health departments. Local health departments may need to take some actions to accept the funding, but money should be very close to being released.โAdHowever, Frederick said that that is not enough. Whitmer proposes $67 billion state budget that prioritizes pandemic recoveryREAD: Michigan Gov.
Michigan Gov. Whitmer, GOP lawmakers at odds over COVID relief funds
Gretchen Whitmer called for unity in her State of the State address. But this week, the GOP-led state Senate has rejected appointments to various boards. AdRELATED: Michigan house ties billions in COVID aid to giving power to countiesโWhat theyโre doing is saying weโre gonna spend time on rejecting appointments and not put in place the governorโs COVID plan,โ said Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich (D-Flint). Nesbitt said the Senate will take up the House plan in short order. MORE: 7 takeaways from Whitmerโs COVID update: Michigan sports, variant spread, metricsMORE: Michigan youth contact sports can resume Monday -- here are all the rules, specifics and details
Extending Michiganโs school year? It could happen, teacher representatives say
LANSING, Mich. โ The battle to provide education for all during the COVID-19 pandemic continues to become more and more complicated. READ: Return To SchoolState superintendent Dr. Michael Rice called on the state Legislature to extend the school year Tuesday for students to make up for the lost time. โThis school year, in and of itself, canโt even last five minutes longer,โ said Paula Herbart, the president of the Michigan Education Association. Students need a break.โItโs undeniable that the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years have exhausted teachers. Detroit Public Schools Community District superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitti said he canโt realistically extend the school year, but he can expand learning opportunities in every neighborhood.
State superintendent wants to extend Michiganโs school year
LANSING, Mich. โ Testifying in front of a joint committee of the state Legislature, state superintendent Dr. Michael Rice advocated for increasing the number of required school days, which currently stands at 180 days. Weโre gonna have to make sure we extend the time for the purpose of competency and ensure our children are on the right level,โ said Detroit school board member Sherry Gay-Dagnogo. Michigan health department launches program offering weekly COVID testing to educatorsThe Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) said it is moving forward with offering a voluntary COVID-19 testing program to educators. Officials said the MI Safe Schools Testing Program, which began Tuesday, will provide weekly tests for educators at private and public schools. Gretchen Whitmer pushed for schools to resume in-person learning by March 1.
As Michigan Gov. Whitmer calls for unity, GOP lawmakers claim she shut them out
Amid calls for unity, a war of words erupted Thursday as Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Republican lawmakers traded verbal blows just one day after the State of the State address. Shirkey said legislators have not had a productive meeting with Whitmerโs office in the last nine months. When asked about what theyโd be willing to compromise on, both Whitmerโs office and Republican leaders seemed to be locked in a game of political chicken. The buck stops with me,โ Whitmer said after GOP leaders demanded she cede her powers over schools amid the pandemic.
Local 4 News at 5 -- Jan. 27, 2021
Hereโs what you missed on Local 4 News at 5:Michigan Legislature threatens to withhold billions in school funding over COVID safety measuresGov. Gretchen Whitmer is expected to pitch a multibillion-dollar pandemic relief plan during Wednesdayโs State of State speech that would prioritize coronavirus vaccinations and additional aid to schools and businesses amid the crisis. The legislature has unveiled itโs plan to combat COVID and one of the key points ties $2.1 billion in school funding to a law that would allow local health departments, not the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, to make the call on whether school can resume in-person and whether high school sports can be played.
Local 4 News at Noon -- Jan. 14, 2021
DETROIT โ Hereโs what you missed on Local 4 News at Noon. Flint water crisis prosecution team discusses findings from investigationOn Wednesday it was announced former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder is facing charges of willful neglect in connection with the Flint water crisis. The Michigan Legislature defines willful neglect of duty as follows:
Michiganโs first day of legislature gets off on a tense note
New House Speaker Jason Wentworth said during a news conference that he denounces violence but supports the peopleโs First Amendment right to peaceful protest. Wentworth said that although he doesnโt agree with Lasinski, he would continue to have conversations across the aisle. That Donald Trump is the only one who is sent from God to stop that and that the election was stolen from him,โ McMorrow said. Their Democratic counterparts introduced resolutions to condemn and recognize false claims of election fraud and those who signed the letter as contributors to violence. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
6-foot fences to be installed around Michigan Capitol Building due to threats of violence
โMichigan is ground zero for those who are wishing to take over state government,โ said Michigan AG Dana Nessel. Iโm exceedingly worried.โโOn Monday, the Michigan State Capitol Commission unanimously voted to ban the open carry of guns from inside the Michigan Capitol, effective immediately. Nessel said security inside the Michigan Capitol isnโt as impactful as sheโd like. New Michigan Speaker of the House Jason Wentworth held a briefing Wednesday morning along side Speaker Pro Tempore Pamela Hornberger. Additionally, Michiganโs State Capitol Commission voted to ban open carry of firearms at the Capitol on Monday.
Michigan Rep. Abdullah Hammoud tests positive for COVID
DEARBORN, Mich. โ Michigan state Representative Abdullah Hammoud says he has tested positive for the coronavirus. On Jan. 8, Rep. Hammoud released a statement saying he has tested positive for COVID-19, but he is feeling well. Today, I tested positive for COVID-19. Although the Michigan Legislature is scheduled to reconvene next week, I will return to session once it is safe for me to do so. Rep. Abdullah Hammoud
Michigan Gov. Whitmer vetoes bill to let 1-time DUI offenders clear record
Gretchen Whitmer refused to sign a bill that would have let an estimated 200,000 one-time drunken drivers ask a judge to set aside their conviction, despite the measure's broad bipartisan support in the Michigan Legislature. The Democrat took no action on the expungement legislation Monday, allowing it to die when a 14-day review period expired. Michigan currently does not allow someone to petition a court to set aside a conviction for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. In Michigan, an expungement โ or set aside โ clears the public record of a conviction so it does not appear in a background check. People with a DUI on their record can be greatly hampered in their careers, McBroom said, especially those who need a commercial driver's license.
Michigan Senate passes $465 million COVID-19 relief bill
LANSING, Mich. โ The Michigan Senate passed a $465 million COVID-19 relief bill during session Friday night. The Senate voted 35-2 to approve Senate Bill 748. Some of the money distribution includes:$220 million for unemployment$48 million for COVID vaccine distribution and testing$45 million in grants for workers laid off or furloughed in business impacted by restrictions$55 million in small business survival grantsThe bill is set to go to the Michigan House on Monday. UPDATE: Michigan House approves $483 million COVID relief billREAD: Michigan revises COVID-19 order to reopen high schools, some entertainment venuesWatch the report in the video posted above. After her friend Wayne County sheriff Benny Napoleon died from COVID-19, Whitmer said when it comes the vaccine distribution is bottlenecked due to Washington.