Morning Briefing March 4, 2021: Michigan to expand COVID vaccine plan, 3rd stimulus check changes, House passes sweeping voting rights bill

Here are this morning’s top stories

Michigan to expand COVID-19 vaccine plan to residents 50 and up

The state of Michigan will be expanding its COVID-19 vaccine plan to include residents age 50 and older.

Next week

Starting Monday (March 8), any Michigan residents age 50 and up with pre-existing medical conditions or disabilities will be eligible to make an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said.

Caregiver family members and guardians who care for children with special health care needs will also be eligible to receive the vaccine, starting Monday.

“The more people we can get the safe and effective vaccine, the faster we can return to a sense of normalcy,” Whitmer said. “I urge all eligible Michiganders to get one of the three COVID-19 vaccines to protect you, your family and your community.”

Later this month

On March 22, all Michiganders age 50 and up will become eligible, Local 4 has learned.

More than 40% of Michiganders age 65 and older have been vaccinated, according to the state.

Read: 6 ways Michigan residents can sign up for COVID-19 vaccine


Stimulus check changes

Who is eligible for $1,400 stimulus payment?

The legislation provides a rebate that amounts to $1,400 for a single taxpayer, or $2,800 for a married couple that files jointly, plus $1,400 per dependent. Individuals earning up to $75,000 would get the full amount as would married couples with incomes up to $150,000.

The size of the check would shrink for those making slightly more with a hard cut-off at $80,000 for individuals and $160,000 for married couples, according to changes agreed to by President Biden and Senate Democrats.

Under current law, most taxpayers can reduce their federal income tax bill by up to $2,000 per child. The package moving through the House would increase the tax break to $3,000 for every child age 6 to 17 and $3,600 for every child under the age of 6.

The legislation also calls for the payments to be delivered monthly instead of in one lump sum. If the secretary of the Treasury determines that isn’t feasible, then the payments are to be made as frequently as possible.


House passes sweeping voting rights bill

AP: House Democrats passed sweeping voting and ethics legislation Wednesday over unanimous Republican opposition, advancing to the Senate what would be the largest overhaul of the U.S. election law in at least a generation.

House Resolution 1, which touches on virtually every aspect of the electoral process, was approved on a near party-line 220-210 vote. It would restrict partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts, strike down hurdles to voting and bring transparency to a murky campaign finance system that allows wealthy donors to anonymously bankroll political causes.

Read more here.


Michigan Legislature passes $4.2B in virus aid

AP: Michigan’s Legislature on Wednesday approved a $4.2 billion coronavirus relief plan without a deal with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, as majority Republicans pressed to curtail her administration’s pandemic powers and Democrats opposed a decision to not allocate all federal aid immediately.

The Democratic governor could sign some of the package and nix other parts.

One bill, passed 77-33 by the House, includes a provision linking $840 million in federal school funding to Whitmer signing a measure to cede the state health department’s authority to prohibit in-person instruction or sports to local health officials. Another provision, included in a bill approved 85-25, ties $347 million in funds for COVID-19 testing to a measure requiring legislative approval to lengthen virus-related orders beyond 28 days.

Read more here.


Weather: What to expect heading toward weekend


Coronavirus in Michigan 💉

The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has risen to 591,753 as of Wednesday, including 15,563 deaths, state officials report.

Wednesday’s update includes a total of 1,536 new cases and five additional deaths. On Tuesday, the state reported 590,217 confirmed cases, including 15,558 deaths.

New COVID-19 cases have plateaued and deaths have slowed. Testing has slowed in the last week, dropping to about 35,000 diagnostic tests reported per day on average, with the 7-day positive rate down below 4.0% as of Tuesday. Hospitalizations declined for several weeks and have been flat for the last week.

Michigan’s 7-day moving average for daily cases was 1,113 on Wednesday -- which is up slightly from last week. The 7-day death average was 21 on Wednesday. The state’s fatality rate is 2.6%. The state also reports “active cases,” which were listed at 34,900 on Wednesday -- the lowest it’s been since October. More than 541,000 have recovered in Michigan.

Michigan has reported more than 2.3 million doses of the COVID-19 administered, as of Wednesday.

Here’s a look at more of the data:


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