MICHIGAN LEGISLATURE

Gretchen Whitmer and Ann Arbor Public Schools Superintendent Jeanice Swift vows that the governor will work with the Michigan Legislature to change the law around Count Day, after this year’s student count fell on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. The October count represents 90% of the funding school districts receive, with the other 10% coming from a spring count day in February. This year’s fall count day, on Oct. 5, falls on the major Jewish religious holiday of Yom Kippur. This year, six districts, including AAPS, applied for count day waivers due to Yom Kippur. Count day, as currently defined in state law, however, is not the only opportunity for a student to count toward a district’s enrollment total.

Michigan lawmakers have reached an agreement that would allow larger municipalities to begin processing ballots two days before an election.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a package of bipartisan bills aimed at boosting police patrols on roads, and to increase officer retention efforts at local sheriff departments.

In a list obtained by Local4, anti-abortion groups claim they’ve identified up to 47 laws they think would be repealed or rendered invalid if the amendment is passed, because of a section that says all laws surrounding pregnancy would be addressed under the new amendment.

A Michigan Court of Claims judge on Wednesday declared the state’s 1931 law banning most abortions is unconstitutional, months after issuing a preliminary injunction that blocked enforcement of the law.

The Michigan appeals court has issued a major ruling affecting long-term victims of car crashes.

A Michigan Court of Claims judge has denied a motion filed by Republican lawmakers to disqualify her from ruling in a case that may ultimately determine the future of abortion regulation in the state.

When a candidate has held public office before, you can learn a lot about how much that candidate has achieved and how they interact with other officials

Hundreds of thousands of signatures were submitted Tuesday to the Michigan Secretary of State’s office for a minimum wage ballot measure seeking to land itself in front of Michigan voters in 2024.

Michigan’s Republican-led Legislature is asking the state Court of Appeals to lift a temporary injunction that is blocking the enforcement of the state’s 1931 abortion ban, keeping abortion legal in Michigan following the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Republican-led Michigan Legislature have reached a budget deal for the 2023 fiscal year.

Michigan GOP Leader Mike Shirkey’s testimony was featured in a video that aired during the Jan. 6 committee’s hearing on how President Trump pressured state legislators to overturn election results in 2020.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has officially signed into a law a plan to add a financial literacy course to the state’s high school curriculum.

A Michigan bill that would allow 17-year-olds to serve alcohol at bars and restaurants has passed both chambers of the Michigan Legislature, and now heads to the desk of the governor.

New developments in the battle to block enforcement of Michigan’s 1931 abortion law as the Michigan Legislature plans to step in as the defendant and fight to keep that law in place if Roe v. Wade gets overturned.

Republicans want to make abortion illegal in the state if ‘Roe v. Wade’ is overturned

Michigan Republicans have again blocked any sort of movement on gun safety laws introduced by Democrats after a new push following multiple mass shootings in the U.S.

Both Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Republican-led Legislature are proposing new plans to cut taxes but remain at odds over the scope and immediacy of any relief.

House Joint Resolution R proposes an amendment to the state Constitution that would also let voters consider reforming Michigan’s term limits.

Virtually prescribing medication for an abortion would be illegal in Michigan under a bill introduced recently in the Michigan Legislature. State Rep. Pamela Hornberger, R-Chesterfield Township, introduced a bill last week that would prevent physicians from diagnosing pregnancy and gestational age of a pregnancy, as well as the prescription of a medical abortion, without a physical examination of the patient.

The Michigan Legislature voted Tuesday to put before voters a constitutional amendment to revise the state's legislative term limits law and require state elected officials to disclose their personal financial information.

A lawsuit filed by the Michigan governor looking to secure the right to an abortion in Michigan has a “decent shot” in the state Supreme Court, according to a former U.S. attorney.

A bill before the Michigan Legislature would bring financial education into the state's public schools

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy have reported that Michiganders’ recycling rate is up 35.4%.

Examples provided in the lawsuit cite cases in which residents owed property taxes far less than what their homes eventually auctioned for. “Some people would say, well, if you can’t afford your property, you should sell it and pay off the taxes,” Visser said. Kent County sold a property with $7,309.81 in past due property taxes for $102,000, resulting in a $95,190.19 profit to the county. Muskegon County sold a property with $4,400 in past due property taxes for $25,250, resulting in a $20,850 profit to the county. St. Joseph County sold a property with $2,600 in past due property taxes for $25,250, resulting in a $22,650 profit to the county.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer vetoed legislation Friday that would have suspended Michigan’s 27-cent-per-gallon tax on fuel for six months. Whitmer noted last month that the bill...

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is planning to sign the Building Michigan Together Plan, making massive investments to improve roads, bridges, regional airports and transit.

Senate Joint Resolution O would amend Michigan’s constitution to create a permanent, bicameral, bipartisan oversight committee. Our current system of legislative oversight relies mostly on politics and the personal preference of committee chairs,” Irwin said in a press release. Our plan puts accountability and the public interest first.”The joint oversight committee would receive and request audits from the auditor general, the executive branch and any other sources. “Only a few legislative committee members demonstrate knowledge and familiarity with state government programs that they are responsible for monitoring. Irwin and McBroom would create a legislative oversight system, similar to 11 other states, that balances party membership on its oversight committees.

LANSING, MI — There’s bipartisan support in the Michigan Legislature to temporarily eliminate annual year-end teacher evaluations for the 2021-2022 school year due to the ongoing effects the pandemic has had on students and instructors. Senate Bill 969, sponsored by Sen. Dayna Polehanki, D-Livonia, would temporarily eliminate the evaluations for the 2021-2022 school year. Michigan law requires that teacher layoffs and recall decisions are based on effectiveness, which is their annual year-end teacher rating. “To choose which teachers to lay off or recall based in large measure on student growth during the pandemic is unfair,” Polehanki said. READ MORE:Work remains to end disparities caused by K-12 funding gap, advocates saySchool financing report updates cost of educating Michigan students in post-COVID worldGas tax vs. sales tax on gas: Will Michigan lawmakers suspend taxes for relief at pump?

LANSING, MI — Another Sunshine Week has passed in Michigan without any meaningful reform to the state’s weak transparency laws. Sunshine Week has become nationally celebrated among news organizations advocating for openness and transparency in government. “It’s something I’ll continue to review,” Shirkey said of legislation that would lift public records request exemptions for state lawmakers. Even in those states, members of the public seeking disclosure reports can obtain the documents via a public records request. “It’s Sunshine Week, and our bipartisan transparency plan is getting well-tanned as it sits in the Senate,” State Rep. Mark Tisdel, R-Rochester Hills, said in a news release.

Four state House districts held primary elections Tuesday where seats were left vacant due to three resignations and the death of former Rep. Andrea Schroeder, R-Independence Township. With election season underway, Michigan clerks are calling on the Legislature to work together to pass changes to streamline their processes. Two associations representing Michigan clerks signed a letter to lawmakers asking them to put politics aside in favor of bipartisan changes to the state’s election procedures. Primary elections held for four vacant Michigan House seats"I voted" stickers are shown in this file photo from a 2020 election. (MLive file photo)Cory Morse | MLive.comTwo Trump-aligned Republican candidates won races in special House primary elections this week.

LANSING, MI -- Republican gubernatorial hopeful James Craig said proposed tax cuts passed by the Michigan Legislature are a “great start,” but he’d like to go even further. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, told legislative leaders it’s fiscally irresponsible to cut the state income tax rate from 4.3% to 3.9% and reduce the corporate income tax rate from 6% to 3.9%. Craig, speaking with reporters during a business development conference in Lansing, said he thinks the state can do better.

The Republican-led Legislature have given final approval to a veto-destined bill that would cut Michigan’s income tax, expand tax exemptions for older people and largely restore a per-child tax credit that was eliminated a decade ago.

Ford once again delayed its return-to-office procedures for the majority of its salaried employees.

Contributors Stephen and Nolan discuss Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's 2023 fiscal budget of $74 billion, a record setting number for Michigan.

Republicans who control the Michigan Senate have voted for a $2.5 billion annual tax cut, passing a bill that would reduce income and corporate rates and let taxpayers claim a credit for their children.

The Michigan sex registry is illegal and actually makes the public less safe, the American Civil Liberties Union claims. During that period, the sex registry law reporting requirements were added and applied to the case retroactively. She was released in 2004 and has has no criminal convictions since, but remains on Michigan’s sex registry for life. The 2021-amended sex registry law retroactively categorized him as a “tier 1″ offender, which now requires him to register for 15 years. Read the full lawsuit:More on MLive:Michigan Court says sex registry punishesLegislature approves tightened sex registry conditions

LANSING, MI — The Michigan Legislature is canceling its votes and committee hearings Wednesday due to emergency snow conditions, according to a Senate Republican spokesperson. Related: When the snowstorm starts: Timeline on the heavy snow

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was out and about in Flint on Thursday, the first stop in what she’s calling her “Post State of the State Tour.”

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was out and about in Flint on Thursday, the first stop in what she’s calling her “Post State of the State Tour.”

Did you hear the one about the Governor who had a surplus of money to spend?

“I’ve always been opposed to the retirement tax,” Whitmer said in a Tuesday interview. She also suggested doubling the Earned Income Tax Credit to offset a proposed tax on gasoline to fund road repairs, but the gas tax failed to gather much buy-in from lawmakers. The Earned Income Tax Credit gives working families who qualify a 6% refund on their state tax returns. In a statement, Albert said he’s not fixed on a single tax relief proposal and wants to work with the governor to build consensus. There are many potential relief options including an income tax rollback, increased income tax deductions for retirees and families, property tax reduction, and the list goes on.

The City of Monroe is mandated to hold in-person meetings by virtue of recent State of Michigan legislative changes.

Gretchen Whitmer’s annual address to the Michigan Legislature will be held virtually for the second year in a row due to the COVID-19 pandemic. No other details were released about the schedule or content of Whitmer’s fourth State of the State address. “The State of the State address is a tradition rooted in history. “This year, we’ve agreed that the State of the State address should once again be held remotely to ensure everyone can safely partake in this time-honored event.”The governor typically addresses members of the Legislature gathered inside the state Capitol. Garlin Gilchrist announced Sunday that he contracted the virus and Whitmer’s husband Marc Mallory tested positive a week earlier.

From federal COVID-19 relief funds to the newly formed Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, the Michigan Legislature has faced a lot of changes in 2021. Reporter Zach Gorchow looks back at the year’s political landscape in Michigan, and what to expect from 2022. “There has been some warming of this cold war that’s been going on for the last two years … That said, I don’t think everyone’s singing Kumbaya.” —Zach Gorchow, Gongwer News ServiceListen: A look back at 2021 in Lansing. He says one of the major developments of 2021 was the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, “It is night and day compared to how redistricting has been handled in the past. He also says we should expect more lawsuits against the commission going forward.

KALAMAZOO, MI — Ask around Kalamazoo political circles about Mary Brown, and you will find more than a few people with stories about sage advice she once offered, or simply the example she set for her successors in the Michigan Legislature. The world lost a bright light, and a trailblazer, when Mary Brown, a former member of the Michigan House of Representatives, died, say friends and supporters who she left behind.

It’s a brief in support of a lawsuit filed by the other states.

LANSING, MI — A petition initiative based on Republican legislation that would allow public funding to be steered to private schooling is currently in the works. However, if the petition initiative can collect just over 340,000 signatures, the Legislature could enact the changes without the governor’s approval. Related: GOP scholarship tax credit bills that Dems call ‘voucher schemes’ pass House and Senate“We should have approval as to form and our summary language within 30 days. “This isn’t giving them a tax credit, it’s giving a donor who gave money to a nonprofit organization a tax credit,” he said. “The Michigan Constitution sets up a system of school funding designed to ensure the quality of free public education in Michigan,” said Whitmer spokesperson Bobby Leddy.

The bills were the latest of dozens Whitmer has vowed will stop at her desk.

Clerks are confused, frustrated and want to know why they’re being asked to do another review of the 2020 General Election.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday announced the reinstatement of higher “prevailing” wages for workers involved in state construction projects.

Of course, the veto has the support of Detroit NAACP President, Reverend Wendell Anthony.

Several election bills passed by the Michigan legislature were vetoed Sunday by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Wayne, Oakland and Washtenaw counties are keeping their K-12 school mask mandates in place, but it’s a mixed bag across the rest of the state.

The Michigan Legislature has passed election bills that would limit who can access the state voter file, keep voting equipment from being connected to the internet and require election challengers to receive training.

Gretchen Whitmer is expected to veto slightly more than $16 million in funding for programs that explicitly favor abortion alternatives in the state’s $70 billion budget, her office confirmed Tuesday. When considering budget bills, Michigan governors can strike out any specific allocations they disagree with prior to signing off on the spending. Related: $70B Michigan budget deal includes spending boosts for child care, higher ed, infrastructure and moreWhitmer has long rebuffed anti-abortion measures, both as governor and during her tenure in the state Legislature. Funding includes $50.7 billion in spending on state agencies and programs and $2.2 billion for higher education. Coupled with a $17.1 billion school aid budget signed into law this summer, the state’s upcoming budget will clock in at $70 billion.

ANN ARBOR, MI — Ann Arbor officials say they’re getting pushback from city labor unions on implementing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for city employees. The city wishes to have its employees vaccinated to ensure other employees and members of the public who interact with them are protected, Mayor Christopher Taylor said. Acting City Administrator John Fournier announced the city’s mandate in an Aug. 26 email to city employees, requiring them to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 8. Deputy City Attorney Margaret Radabaugh told council she and the human resources director are negotiating with the city’s nine labor unions about the vaccine mandate. The vaccine mandate is incredibly important for public safety and maintaining a safe workplace, Taylor said.

FLINT, MI -- Flint programs and projects would get a $3-million boost in the state budget that’s working its way through the Michigan Legislature, including $1 million for Berston Field House and $1 million for blight removal. State Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint, announced the package in a news release and state Rep. Cynthia Neeley also highlighted the blight investment in a budget passed by the state House of Representatives. In addition to funding for Berston and blight removal in Flint, Ananich said funding has been secured for the Flint Public Library ($250,00), Flint Social Club ($375,000), Flint United Basketball ($100,000), and North Flint Food Market ($460,000). Bryant W. Nolden, executive director of the Friends of Berston Field House, said the state funding is a huge boost to an overall plan to invest up to $20 million in the field house complex. “It’s a great start to seeing a major project in north Flint,” Nolden told MLive-The Flint Journal.

LANSING, MI — The Michigan Legislature on Wednesday voted to pass a $70 billion budget agreement that includes major investment boosts in infrastructure, child care and higher education. The budget, which includes $2.7 billion in federal COVID-19 funding, was approved by both chambers and will head to the governor’s office for signature. Related: Michigan 2022 budget deal includes millions for water infrastructureThe funding includes $50.7 billion in spending on state agencies and programs and $2.2 billion for higher education. Coupled with a $17.1 billion school aid budget signed into law this summer, the upcoming budget will clock in at $70 billion. Related: Michigan lawmakers, administration announce budget deal“This budget is a victory for Michigan,” said state Rep. Joe Tate (D-Detroit), vice chair of the Appropriations Committee.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s team and its legislative counterparts have come to a budget agreement before the Oct. 1 deadline.

Michigan Rep. Steve Marino will challenge a personal protections order taken out against him by Rep. Mari Manoogian.

On Wednesday, Manoogian accused Marino of domestic abuse. Sources in Lansing said the abuse allegation is not physical, rather alleged threatening text messages.

Gretchen Whitmer’s administration have reached a deal on the state budget and anticipate a vote in the coming week, officials announced Wednesday. Full details of the deal were not immediately disclosed, although officials said the budget will be considered in conference committee prior to floor votes in the House and Senate. Addressing their needs --from jobs to education to government accountability -- is at the center of today’s budget deal,” Stamas said. An agreement on funding for the rest of the state budget took more time as officials grappled with how best to leverage additional revenues and federal COVID-19 aid. For months prior to the schools budget passing, the administration and Republican lawmakers stalled on allocating billions of dollars in federal funds amid disagreements over the administration’s pandemic policies.

A Michigan lawmaker was stripped of his committee assignments after a female legislator said they had a “volatile” personal relationship that included domestic abuse and threats.

Republicans who control the Michigan Legislature want to limit Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s ability to send statewide emergency alerts to wireless devices and broadcast stations except for “immediate” threats.

Michigan State Budget Director Dave Massaron will soon be leaving his state government position for a new role at Wayne State University. Massaron, who started the job in January after previous Director Chris Kolb departed for a position at the University of Michigan, will become Wayne State University’s chief financial officer, according to a statement from Gov. Before serving as State Budget Director, Massaron served as the city of Detroit’s chief financial officer. Whitmer also named Susan Corbin permanent director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity Friday. Related coverage:Republican lawmakers agree to negotiate budget, pandemic-related orders with WhitmerHow Michigan governments can, can’t spend their $11B in COVID-19 stimulus money$17B spending plan to fund K-12 passes Michigan Legislature

Michigan legislators have voted to let an estimated 200,000 one-time drunken drivers seek to set aside their conviction, finalizing expungement bills that will be signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Gretchen Whitmer is pushing the Michigan Legislature to appropriate $75 million in federal funds to hire more police officers, increase their pay and fund programs to fight a surge in violent crime across the state. “I’m proposing dollars to hire more police officers and ensure they’ve got great pay, good training and better resources to do their jobs effectively,” Whitmer said. Whitmer said she’s met with police, community leaders, victims of violent crime and other stakeholders to discuss ways to create safer communities. Whitmer said Michigan experienced a 12% increase in violent crime and a 36% increase in murders last year. The city is one of 15 nationwide that is using federal funds to increase investment in community violence intervention strategies.

Under Michigan law, citizen-led ballot initiatives approved by both chambers of the Michigan Legislature do not need the governor’s approval to become law. “Our Unlock Michigan citizen army collected over 540,000 signatures in just 80 days,” Unlock Michigan spokesperson Fred Wszolek said. She continued to do so until the Michigan Supreme Court determined she didn’t have that authority last fall. Opponents of the Unlock Michigan initiative in the Legislature defended the actions Whitmer took during the pandemic. Under state law, the Legislature gets the first pass at citizen-led ballot initiatives proposing statutory changes before they head to the ballot.

The Michigan Senate approved Unlock Michigan’s initiative to repeal the law used by Gov. Related: Michigan Legislature primed to repeal emergency powers law after certification of Unlock Michigan petitionRepublicans who supported the Unlock Michigan measure said the initiative was needed to prevent abuse of executive powers. Read more: Canvassers have ‘legal duty’ to certify Unlock Michigan petition, Supreme Court rulesUnlock Michigan collected more than the 340,047 valid signatures needed to qualify for the ballot. Under state law, the Legislature gets the first pass at citizen-led ballot initiatives proposing statutory changes before they head to the ballot. Read more on MLive:Unlock Michigan launching new petition drive, this time to curb health department powersUnlock Michigan petition certification fails in split vote of state canvassersUnlock Michigan petition signatures deemed valid by Secretary of StateUnlock Michigan petition effort was ‘sleazy,’ but not illegal, AG says

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer held a news conference Tuesday afternoon to announce a proposal to invest millions into state parks and recreational facilities.

Gretchen Whitmer, aims to bring equitable funding between districts, advocates say there is still work left to remedy the disparities caused by the decades-long funding gap. Following the passage of the bill Wednesday, Michigan Education Association President Paula Herbart called on education advocates to remain committed to fixing the state’s school funding system. The School Finance Research Collaborative, a group of business and education leaders studying K-12 finance, estimates adequate per pupil funding at over $10,400. Inequities in school funding also play out in the form of salaries for school employees across the state. The Legislature’s plan includes investing hundreds of millions of dollars toward attracting and retain teachers, school psychologists, counselors and social workers.

LANSING, MI — The passage of a bipartisan, $17.1 billion K-12 funding plan highlighted the action in Lansing this week, while Gov. The Legislature entered its summer break Wednesday after passing the K-12 spending plan, but before meeting its self-imposed July 1 deadline for approving the full state budget. Read more: $17B spending plan to fund K-12 passes Michigan LegislatureThe plan is similar to a proposal backed last week by the House and Gov. Whitmer signed Senate Bills 155 and 156, which allows pharmacists to dispense emergency supplies of insulin to those with an expired prescription, and requires insurers to provide coverage for emergency supply. The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited another 13 workplaces for COVID-19 violations, according to its online dashboard.

LANSING, MI — The Michigan Legislature approved a $17.1 billion plan Wednesday for funding K-12 schools next fiscal year. Senators approved the K-12 funding in a 33-1 vote Wednesday before adjourning until July 15, while the House passed the bill 106-3. In all, the proposal would boost funding for K-12 education by 10%, compared to the current budget. The Senate-passed plan differed slightly from the House plan of approximately $16.7 billion, up about 8% from current-year spending levels. ALSO ON MLIVE:Michigan Senate clears $17B spending plan to fund K-12 schoolsFour big issues lawmakers, Whitmer need to resolve to get the budget passedWhitmer signs off on $2.2 billion in federal COVID-19 aid for food, rental assistanceMichigan lawmakers OK spending plan for billions in COVID-19 aid

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.

Billions of dollars on a deadline can change a freezeout in a hurry.

If the Legislature misses this deadline, Michigan students may lose out on one-time opportunities to fix the gaps in their pandemic education. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to make critical investments … to fix generational holes in Michigan school funding formulas.” —Robert McCann, K-12 Alliance of MichiganThe Michigan Legislature has already missed the May 24 deadline to appropriate $3.7 billion in federal post-pandemic recovery education funding. Listen: What happens if the Michigan Legislature fails to allocate school funding by July 1? This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to make critical investments… to fix generational holes in Michigan school funding formulas.”McCann says many other states have already spent their federal education funding, leaving Michigan students behind. “It’s deeply disappointing that we are tying political issues to school funding, but that’s the unfortunate reality of Lansing right now.”

Twenty-four communities across Michigan collect income tax from people who work in them but live elsewhere.

Michigan Rep. Cynthia Johnson said it was the last thing she was expecting to hear when checking her voicemail -- an extremely racist and violent rant coming from a complete stranger.

Michigan lawmakers are advancing a package of bills that would ban most cell phone use while driving, as well as increase penalties for doing so.

Whitmer and legislative Republicans have also been at odds for months over when and how to spend federal COVID-19 aid directed the state’s way by Congress. Can Whitmer and legislative Republicans set aside their differences to craft a bipartisan spending plan for what Budget Director David Massaron has described as a “once-in-a-generation” budget opportunity? Related: Republican lawmakers agree to negotiate budget, pandemic-related orders with WhitmerThe budget process itselfBoth Whitmer and the Senate’s initial budget proposals were crafted around a traditional annual budget cycle. Here’s whyInfrastructure costsIn initial budget proposals, Whitmer, the House and the Senate all included funding increases for the state’s Department of Transportation. Related: Michigan lawmakers to unveil $500M for dam safety upgradesRelated: How Michigan governments can, can’t spend their $11B in COVID-19 stimulus money

The bill is also opposed by the Michigan High School Athletic Association, which called it unneccessary.

Instead of getting needed dollars out to our community, state Sen. Dale Zorn spends his time bullying kids. Stop playing politics, Dale.

Part of a package of bills aimed at making first-time drunken-driving convictions eligible for expungement advanced in the Michigan Legislature this week. Senate Bill 400, sponsored by Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan, would require a person with a first-time OWI offense on their record to wait five years before applying to set aside the conviction. The House legislation in the package, House Bills 4219, 4220, 4308 and 4309, are still pending in the Senate after clearing the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee. A similar effort to loop first-time OWI offenses into the state’s expungement policy also sponsored by McBroom cleared both chambers of the Legislature last session, although Gov. Read more:Whitmer pocket vetoes first-time DUI expungement bill with little explanationMichigan House renews bipartisan push for first-time drunken driving expungementMichigan House approves drunken driving expungement for first-time offenders

After months of going back and forth, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and legislative leaders have come to an agreement on some COVID rules and the budget.

In the past, when the Michigan Legislature controlled redistricting, no one had to listen to average citizens' ideas about what an ideal voting district might

The fate of the House proposal is unclear as legislative budget negotiations ramp up.

Hundreds of instructors at the University of Michigan recently signed a petition in support of a campus-wide COVID-19 vaccine mandate. At Wayne State University, a similar petition has been circulating for a COVID-19 vaccine mandate as well. Now, more than 2,100 community members at more than a dozen Michigan schools and universities have signed a petition calling for a COVID-19 vaccine mandate on their respective campuses. Implementing a vaccine mandate would signal that Michigan’s public universities are science-driven institutions recognizing that vaccination is a civic duty, according to the petition. The American College Health Association also recommends COVID-19 vaccination requirements, which says the practice of vaccination requirements for colleges are now new.

Where is legislative leadership?

LANSING, MI - Republican lawmakers argued during a Thursday oversight committee hearing that the separation agreement paid to former Michigan health director Robert Gordon may have been unconstitutional. According to state law, the term usually refers to local governments such as municipal, city, county, school or other districts. “It may be that our body wants to forestall the possibility of severance agreements going forward,” he said. Read more from MLive:House Oversight chair seeks subpoena power to compel former Michigan health director to testifyHouse OKs subpoenas for separation agreements from Gov. Whitmer’s officeWhitmer, Gordon waive confidentiality agreement after backlashFormer Michigan health director given $155K severance pay after abrupt resignationWhitmer curbs use of controversial separation agreements in executive directive

First-time homebuyers would be allowed to save for their purchasing costs using a tax-exempt savings account under bills that passed in the Michigan Legislature, a move designed to keep residents in the state workforce.

“We are witnessing state legislators acting as if their anti-American effort to take away citizens freedom to vote is somehow the right thing to do,” said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.

On the first day of Michigan Legislature’s return to session Tuesday, the steps of the state Capitol were flooded with people saying to stand up for voting rights.

The legality of the health orders, which restrict capacity and gatherings and require masks in public, has become a talking point among those who oppose the orders. Michigan law provides the state health director with the power to create rules to safeguard public health and prevent the spread of diseases and sources of contamination. MDHHS health orders have already survived one legal challenge. Critics say the MDHHS orders are a way for Whitmer to continue issuing orders while bypassing the Legislature. In a press conference last week, State Rep. Steven Johnson, R-Wayland, tried to draw a distinction between state law and public health orders.

JACKSON, MI -- Jackson city officials will continue to host public meetings virtually as a statewide extension permitting remote government meetings is set to expire. Jackson City Council voted unanimously to continue to allow public meetings to be held remotely during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Michigan Legislature previously amended the Open Meetings Act, which sets the requirements for public meetings, to allow for remote public meetings during the pandemic. Tuesday’s resolution to continue virtual meetings cites the country’s plateau instead of decline in COVID-19 cases as a reason to continue virtual meetings and mitigation efforts. Related: How government meetings changed during the COVID-19 pandemicThe city streams city council meetings on its website, Facebook page and Comcast Cable Channel 21.

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 General’s Office cannot complete its investigation without your cooperation and the release of these documents. Ad“Full transparency is essential to restoring public trust,” the legislators wrote to the MSU Board of Trustees. You have the opportunity to ensure this happens.”You can see the legislators’ entire letter to Michigan State University below.

Michigan school districts are getting $3.3 billion in funding from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan stimulus package, approved earlier this month. Take St. Joseph and Benton Harbor, for example – two neighboring, relatively small school districts in southwest Michigan. St. Joseph Public Schools will get an estimated $1.3 million from the latest federal stimulus. The discrepancy is there because the funding is distributed in proportion to how much Title I, at-risk funding schools get. Michigan is getting $3.7 billion for schools, although only 90% of it must be directly allocated to school districts.

A package of bills aimed at subjecting the Michigan Legislature and governor to more public scrutiny is one step closer to seeing the light of day in the Senate. The Michigan Senate Oversight Committee moved Tuesday to advance the bills to the Senate floor for further review. Gretchen Whitmer has previously expressed support for expanding public records laws but stopped short of voluntarily subjecting her own office to FOIA when rolling out an executive directive to update the process for state agencies. She said in 2019 she’d prefer the legislative package get passed “so this isn’t just a policy for the Whitmer administration” and has a wider reach. House bills:- House Bill 4383- House Bill 4384- House Bill 4385- House Bill 4386- House Bill 4387- House Bill 4388- House Bill 4389- House Bill 4390- House Bill 4391- House Bill 4392Senate bills:- Senate Bill 232- Senate Bill 233- Senate Bill 234- Senate Bill 235- Senate Bill 236- Senate Bill 237- Senate Bill 238- Senate Bill 239- Senate Bill 240- Senate Bill 241Related coverage:Whitmer campaigned on transparency, but Michigan still lags the nationMichigan House unanimously votes to include governor, legislature in open records lawsOpen records expansion poised to advance in Senate committee as group tees up ballot initiativeSecretary of State announces ‘worst to first’ agenda to improve Michigan’s transparency laws

LANSING, Mich. – 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 — which appears unlikely — because Democrats support her. “I understand that this is an enormous responsibility — 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,” Hertel said.

ANN ARBOR – 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. “I think a lot of parents are feeling kind of hopeless about this school year,” said Bagley. Ann Arbor Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Jeanice Kerr Swift has publicly said that school will be back full time in the fall. “They’ve shredded the trust they had in the community.”He criticized the state’s decision to leave school openings during the pandemic up to the districts.