STEPHANIE CHANG

One Detroit covers plans to commemorate the Vincent Chin murder, AAPI Heritage Month, Fisher Body Plant renovations and pianist Chucho Valdés.

One Detroit's Bill Kubota takes viewers to Detroit's former Chinatown for an announcement from the City of Detroit on Vincent Chin's murder.

The effort will take place June 16 to 19

Detroit Mayor Duggan's May 2 News Conference to Highlight Vincent Chin 40th Event and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

The Stellantis Mack Assembly Plant in Detroit has been served with yet another air quality violation.

Attempts to tweak auto insurance legislation have stalled out in Lansing -- but does no-fault insurance reform need more reform?

Watch Flashpoint every Sunday at 10 a.m. on Local 4 News.

Ann Arbor, MI -- Adults in the Ann Arbor area now can take in-person Mandarin lessons at Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning. Guests at the event included Michigan Senators Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit, and Jeff Irwin, D- Ann Arbor; State Rep. Yousef Rabhi, D-Ann Arbor; Washtenaw County Commissioner Andrew LaBarre; Ann Arbor City Council members Kathy Griswold and Elizabeth Nelson and Eastern Michigan University President James Smith. Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning offers a three-hour, in-person class on Friday nights at the center or an hour-long virtual lesson. Ko Yu Chan, who taught at Ann Arbor Chinese Center of Michigan for 10 years and now works for the center, looks forward to teaching adults. More from The Ann Arbor News:Ann Arbor schools should prioritize attracting staff, mental health services, survey saysMay Erlewine discusses heartfelt new album ahead of Ann Arbor showAmadeus’ paprikash, pierogi inspired by owner’s travels around Europe‘I wake up and my chest is burning’: Ukrainians call for support at Ann Arbor rallyWelcome to pothole season, a ‘delicate’ time for Washtenaw County roads, officials say

LANSING, MI — Michigan senators passed a resolution Tuesday signaling their support for the Ukrainian people and urging the world to join together against Russia. The resolution condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine and urges the world community to join together in sanctioning Russia. The Senate resolution was introduced by Sen. Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit and Sen. Paul Wojno, D-Warren. “We stand with the people of Ukraine and democracy because any attack on democracy is an attack on all of us. READ MORE FROM MLIVE:Michigan congressional delegation condemns Russian attack on Ukraine, demands punishing sanctionsMichigan lawmakers express sympathy for Ukrainians amid Russian invasion

Political candidates in Michigan could use their campaign accounts to fund child and dependent care under new legislation introduced in the House and Senate, a move supporters say could make it easier for parents and caregivers to run for office. The bills were referred to the House Elections and Ethics Committee and the Senate Elections Committee, respectively. Black candidates find elation at being ‘the first,’ frustration at being left behind in Kalamazoo County‘Those women from Michigan’ led the state through its toughest year yet. Women win big in Michigan, reflecting nationwide trendMore voters want to see women in politics address sexism head-on. Experts say that’s a ‘sign of progress.’Few have faith in the Michigan Legislature’s sexual harassment and discrimination policies.

According to the White House, the crisis on the Ukrainian border has become an invasion.

In 2007, Governor Jennifer Granholm signed a tax increase from 3.9% to 4.35%, which was supposed to be temporary until 2015.

LANSING, MI — The Michigan Senate Finance Committee approved a $2.3 billion tax cut Republican supporters of the proposal said will benefit individuals and corporations. The bill, SB 768, would lower the state’s personal and corporate income tax rates to 3.9% from 4.25% and 6%, respectively, and provide families with a $500 per child tax credit. Related: Michigan sees ‘astounding’ multibillion-dollar boost in state revenueSenate Finance Committee Chair Jim Runestad, R-White Lake, said keeping tax rates low is imperative for Michigan to be competitive. In 2007, Michigan’s income tax rate was increased from 3.9% to 4.35%. She said she’s not sure whether lowering tax rates will actually result in increased wages.

Democrats in the Michigan Senate have introduced legislation that would require public schools to include lessons about the cultures of people of color and indigenous communities in their social studies curriculum. Critical Race Theory (CRT) is a framework in education aimed at fostering understanding of race and racism on an institutional and structural level. Conservatives in Michigan argue that critical race theory inaccurately characterizes U.S. history and could sow division among students. Related:Critical Race theory isn’t taught in Michigan schools, so why is it such a hot topic? - mlive.comAmid debate over critical race theory, Michigan college creates K-12 curriculum based on conservative perspectivesCandidate for governor threatens to wipe out Education Department over Critical Race Theory.

When someone is having a behavioral health crisis, the standard response is to send a police officer. However, introducing law enforcement without the proper mental health training into a crisis situation can lead to the affected individual’s arrest, or even death. “Individuals who are experiencing a behavioral health crisis need to be met with help, and not handcuffs.” —Cynthia HarrisonListen: Behavioral health advocates’ efforts to decriminalize mental illness. GuestsCynthia Harrison is the mother of an individual who has been jailed 23 times in response to behavioral health crises. She says she thinks of the clubhouse approach “as a kind of PT for your mental health or as a gym for your mental health.

LANSING, MI — Activists and lawmakers joined formerly incarcerated people and their loved ones on the Capitol lawn Thursday in a rally for prison sentencing reforms that aim to give thousands of Michigan inmates a chance at freedom. Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit, and Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, announced a plan to introduce “Second Look” reforms that would allow courts to re-evaluate sentencing after inmates serve a certain amount of time in prison. Michigan’s prison population is at an all time low since the Michigan Department of Corrections began keeping track in 1960. “Not only are there progressive folks like me who believe in second chances and support Second Look, there are conservatives who believe in second chances.”Irwin said in an interview with MLive that there are Republican lawmakers pushing Michigan’s Department of Corrections to be more fiscally conservative. They deserve — they need a second look,” Cotton said.

The City of Detroit, Great Lakes Water Authority and DTE Energy are investigating an incident that happened in southwest Detroit near Fort and Dearborn street late Saturday night.

Aug. 16—While Michigan's African American population declined slightly over the past decade, Black residents have become a majority in two more Detroit suburbs, according to U.S. Census data, reflecting a continued movement from the state's largest city to nearby communities. Blacks comprise 13.5% of the state's population, down from 14% in 2010, according to the latest Census Bureau numbers. ...

State lawmakers are entering the fray to expand Michigan ports’ ability to handle international maritime cargo.

The James and Grace Lee Boggs Foundation plans to transform the activist couple's historic home into a museum on Detroit’s east side. The Boggs House...

Countless Michigan residents marched against police brutality, a few rioted, some called for rethinking the role of law enforcement altogether and the state attorney general released a detailed proposal intended to hold bad law enforcement officers accountable. Taylor and his niece and co-organizer Nakia-Renne Wallace led a 6-mile march through Detroit.Nicole Hester/Mlive.comLaw enforcement concernsSome of the proposals are already meeting resistance from the law enforcement community. The various bill sponsors spent two months deciding which measures would be included in the package with input from various law enforcement groups. Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Officers attempt to diffuse the protests in Kalamazoo, Michigan on Saturday, May 30, 2020. HB 5837, introduced on June 25, 2020 by Democrat Rep. Ronnie Peterson sought to require law enforcement officers to complete de-escalation, implicit bias, procedural justice training.

Michigan is one of the only states in the U.S. that hasn’t approved a single anti-police brutality measure following the death of George Floyd. That...

Michigan lawmakers have unveiled bipartisan bills that would require updated use-of-force policies and make changes designed to hold police accountable for misconduct a year after the slaying of George Floyd.

Nearly 14 months after it began, the pandemic’s grip is finally loosening as Elizabeth Hertel, Director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, talked about with Senior Producer/Host Carol Cain on “Michigan Matters” airing...

Nearly 14 months after it began, the pandemic’s grip is finally loosening as Elizabeth Hertel, Director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, talked about with Senior Producer/Host Carol Cain on “Michigan Matters” airing...

The Derek Chauvin guilty verdict has local lawmakers once again discussing criminal justice reform and change in Michigan.

The “workplace” might be the Capitol, a lawmaker’s Lansing or district office, a conference, an extracurricular event, a downtown bar. And the top bosses — lawmakers — can’t be fired outright even if they’re found in violation of policy. Lucido, who left the Senate in December 2020 after winning election for Macomb County Prosecutor, continues to deny that he harassed anyone. Following the Lucido investigation, Sen. Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit, launched a bipartisan workgroup aimed at improving the Senate’s policy. The investigation into her complaint found no laws had been broken, she said, and she no longer works in Michigan.

Related: Community rallies in Grand Rapids to denounce Asian hate, remember those killed in AtlantaChang and more than a dozen other people spoke at the Saturday, April 17 rally at Rosa Parks Circle. The goal, according to organizers, was to bring voices together from several different groups to combat racism and hate. Hate crimes have increased significantly during the coronavirus pandemic, event organizers said. “We know that Asian-American hate crimes have increased 150 percent and that’s only those that are reported. But I think those hate crimes are related to a lot of the prejudices and the stereotypes that exist in our society that make it possible for the hate crimes to happen,” she said.

“Our communities know this history of oppression it’s not new and we know we are going to be able to get through this again. She also referenced the media’s handling of the Atlanta Spa shooting. We know the fetishization of Asian American women is a real thing many of us have had to deal with that. This was the second rally the city held since the Atlanta spa shootings. “It’s time to stop the silence and to see the support of not just Asian people but everybody.

DETROIT – For years, Michigan Sen. Stephanie Chang counseled women with the Detroit Asian Youth Project and now as an elected official runs a fellowship program called Girls Making Change. Like so many working mothers Chang juggles having a toddler and her job, in this case as a state senator. Chang is the first Asian American woman elected in Michigan. While the landscape is changing, Chang says young women and women of color in particular face an uphill battle. Following the mass shooting in Atlanta that killed eight including six Asian American women, Chang helped lead a Detroit rally in support of the victims.

DETROIT – A large group marched through the streets of Detroit, calling for an end to violence against the Asian American community Sunday. Six of those killed were Asian women. READ: As virus-era attacks on Asians rise, past victims look backAdDuring the pandemic, hate crimes against Asian Americans jumped nearly 150% with about 3,800 incidents reported. “As Asian American women, we wonder what are the places that are safe for us?”More than a hundred people showed up for the Stop Asian Hate vigil in Downtown Detroit. You can reach out by email or call the Hate Crimes Unit at 313-456-0200.

Resolutions condemning the growing number of hate crimes against against Asian American and Pacific Islanders were adopted by the Michigan state House and Senate on Thursday, March 18. She spoke of an Asian American dance teacher who was Zoom bombed and mocked with fake Asian accents. Nationally, the Stop AAPI Hate report showed that women report hate crimes 2.3 times more than men. “Asian American women across the country were horrified and woke up the next morning feeling scared, sad and worried,” Chang said. Michigan residents can report hate crimes by email at hatecrimes@michigan.gov or by phone at 313-456-0200.

View of the Detroit River on Oct. 10, 2020 at 6:30 p.m.DETROIT – Michigan lawmakers have re-introduced legislation intended to protect waterways and public health by enhancing accountability of private dock owners. Last year, the Defenders exposed the unpermitted riverfront business going on at Revere Dock, which ultimately resulted in a dock collapse, spilling contaminated soil into the Detroit River. READ: Seawall damage puts Detroit River at risk, city issues tickets that are not being paidAdAbout a month after the Revere Dock collapse, another dock collapsed in St. Clair County. The legislation was introduced by Sen. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit), Sen. Rosemary Bayer (D-Beverly Hills) and Sen. Erika Geiss (D-Taylor). Last year, the Defenders exposed the unpermitted riverfront business going on at Revere Dock, which ultimately resulted in a dock collapse, spilling contaminated soil into the Detroit River.

DETROIT – The Local 4 Defenders discovered another Riverfront business operating with a long list of violations on their seawall. Last year, the Defenders exposed the unpermitted Riverfront business going on at Revere Dock, which ultimately resulted in a dock collapse, spilling contaminated soil into the Detroit River. UPDATE: New Michigan legislation would reinforce accountability of private dock ownersThe city of Detroit issued 1,054 tickets. Sen. Stephanie Chang, who represents the district by the Riverfront, said she is worried we are going to see high water problems along the Detroit River. “Especially thinking about the fact that so many of us get our drinking water from the Detroit River.

The restriction has been in place since the mid-1990s on the international crossing, which is operated by the billionaire Moroun family’s Detroit International Bridge Company. Currently, hazmat trucks must cross using either the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron or the Detroit-Windsor Truck Ferry. State Sen. Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit, said she voted against the bill because of the hazmat provision, which is opposed by local residents and elected leaders in Detroit and Windsor. The Gordie Howe International Bridge, which is under construction and is expected to open in 2024, has been designed to handle hazmat truck traffic. Related stories:Moroun claims Michigan is costing him toll revenueWhitmer signs COVID-19 relief billWindsor officials oppose hazmat trucks on bridgeAmbassador Bridge tower camera captures falcon selfiePolice make huge meth bust at Detroit bridge crossing

With the health and safety of my residents.#gettingthingsdone — Stephanie Chang (@stephanielily) December 29, 2020A Republican plan to sneak language into the state’s COVID-19 bill to allow trucks to transport hazardous and toxic materials across the Ambassador Bridge has backfired after Gov. With the ban in place, hazardous materials are trucked across the international border via the Detroit-Windsor Truck Ferry and Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron. Those routes are more dangerous, they say, because hazardous materials are forced to take more circuitous routes that cover a larger area, which increases the risk of an accident. The trucks also pass through more densely populated neighborhoods in the state, they argue.Whatever the case, the veto doesn’t end the battle. DIBC plans to meet with MDOT soon in hopes of gaining permission to once again use the bridge to transport hazardous materials.

Michigan Gov. (Michigan Office of the Governor via AP)LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed five Senate bills and two House bills into law Tuesday. “Every Michigander deserves access to clean water, especially during a global pandemic,” Whitmer said. House Bill 5481This bill amends Article 26A of the Occupational Code to align with recently enacted federal regulations concerning Appraisal Management Companies.

Gretchen Whitmer signed a series a bills late Tuesday, including extensions to March 2021 on banning water shutoffs and allowing local governments to hold virtual meetings. Senate Bill 241 is a moratorium on water shutoffs through March 31, 2021 to assist Michiganders during the COVID-19 pandemic. It would also require public water suppliers to strive to determine which households lack water service and make best efforts to restore it. The legislation allowing virtual meetings for local governments followed a similar trajectory, as the governor ordered the suspension of in-person public meetings in March. Senate Bill 748, if signed into law, would mark nearly $4 billion in pandemic-related spending approved by the state.

I voted NO on SB748 b/c although there is much-needed pandemic assistance in this bill, I could not in good conscience support it. There is dangerous boilerplate language that allows hazardous material on the Ambassador Bridge. “Special interest language that has absolutely nothing to do with COVID-19 relief should be taken out immediately.”The relief package is now headed to Gov. It’s unclear whether she plans to sign the bill with the language intact. Her office did not respond to’ questions for comment.Hazardous materials are permitted to cross the international border via the Detroit-Windsor Truck Ferry and more modern bridges.

LANSING, MI - The Michigan legislature approved a bill Thursday that would ensure about 800,000 statewide residents behind on their water bills won’t see their water shut off. Senate Bill 241, sponsored by Sen. Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit, is a moratorium on water shutoffs through March 31, 2021 to assist Michiganders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Related: Detroit water shutoff ban extended to 2022, may become permanentDetroit banned water shutoffs through 2022 earlier this month, expecting to spend $22 million in bill credits for water supplied to about 50,000 households. In October, Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley committed to continuing a moratorium on water shutoffs in the city and said commercial water users will be targeted first for potential shutoffs once the moratorium is lifted. A $25 million appropriation to the Department of Health and Human Services approved in July reimbursed water utility providers for bill forgiveness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A moratorium on water shutoffs in Michigan to assist people who can’t afford their water bills during the COVID-19 pandemic would be in effect until March 31 of next year under legislation passed through the state Senate Thursday. Related: Detroit water shutoff ban extended to 2022, may become permanentThe bill would codify an executive emergency order stopping water shutoffs initially issued by Gov. Related: Flint mayor vows to continue moratorium on water shutoffsIn October, Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley committed to continuing a moratorium on water shutoffs in the city and said commercial water users will be targeted first for potential shutoffs once the moratorium is lifted. To become law, Chang’s bill still needs to pass the Michigan House before the current legislative session is over and be signed by Gov. Related: Michigan House cancels session for remainder of week after staffer tests positive for coronavirus

Testimony in a five-hour legislative hearing Wednesday not only spread misinformation, but included racist rhetoric toward Asian Americans, according to a Michigan senator. One Michigan Republican brought forward by Giuliani as a witness sent ripples of outrage through social media after she made offensive remarks about Chinese people. “Aside from being racist, her argument makes no sense at all. “I was asked a lot of really inappropriate questions.”Chang said House Oversight Committee Chair Matt Hall, R-Marshall, could have “put the gavel down” when the racist comments were made. “There’s a lot of things that went wrong with yesterday’s hearing and this just one of a very long list,” Chang said.

DETROIT Elected officials from the federal, state and local level sent a letter Wednesday to Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, Police Chief James Craig and the Board of Police Commissioners (BOPC) calling for an independent investigation into use of force by Detroit police against protesters. The letter was signed by U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Michigan Sen. Stephanie Chang, Detroit City Council President Pro Temp Mary Sheffield (District 5) and City Councilor Raquel Castaeda-Lpez (District 6). In addition to a duty to intervene when other officers are using excessive force, officers cannot use chokeholds or fire a weapon from moving vehicles. A lawsuit was filed by Detroit Will Breathe and 14 individuals, seeking a temporary restraining order enjoining the city of Detroit and the Detroit Police Department from using certain tactics. They alleged that police responded to protests with excessive force and violated their first and fourth amendment rights.

DETROIT The owners of the 91-year-old suspension bridge across the Detroit River asked the Michigan Department of Transportation to allow trucks carrying flammable, chemical or corrosive materials to cross the bridge. An estimated 10,000 trucks cross the Ambassador Bridge every day and bridge owners are pushing for a change to allow trucks carrying Class 3 Flammable liquids and HAZMAT Class 8 Corrosive substances to be transported over the 4-lane bridge. We dont need to be adding potential hazardous material slips onto the bridge or into the river, Chang said. His ferry is allowed to transport trucks carrying hazardous materials and admits this change would affect his business. Meantime, the Wayne County Commission unanimously voted to urge Michigan officials to block the bridge from allowing the HAZMAT to be transported.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) The Michigan Senate unanimously approved a bill Thursday that would require police to be trained on implicit bias and de-escalation techniques to minimize the use of force more than a week after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis sparked nationwide protests. The legislation would also mandate, starting in 2022, that officers complete annual continuing education. Michigan is among six states without such a requirement, according to a 2017 report. We must change this, the bill sponsor, Democratic Sen. Jeff Irwin of Ann Arbor, said while choking up. The measure, which was passed just a week after its introduction in the Republican-led chamber, was sent to the House for further consideration.

On Thursday, December 5, the Windsor Star reported that potentially radioactive soil from a site leased by Detroit Bulk Storage had collapsed into the Detroit River over Thanksgiving weekend. Don Reinke from the USACE says it didnt know about the sites history of contamination and that it asked Detroit Bulk Storage to contact the EGLE themselves. Its unclear if this happened and Detroit Bulk Storage has been unresponsive to media requests. The Detroit Bulk Storage facility isnt even on the Superfund list, suggesting that there are many more places that might need protecting than is currently known. The Detroit River, especially on the Southwest side, is industrial, Onwenu says.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan lawmakers announced a bill package that would give all residents the chance to obtain state identification cards or driver’s licenses, even if they can’t prove legal presence, according to a news release. The bills are called The Drive SAFE (Safety, Access, Freedom, and the Economy) bills, and would apply to residents who meet the definition of having residence in Michigan. "I am proud that such a broad-based coalition has come together to support driver’s licenses for those who cannot prove their legal residence. It is time to update Michigan’s laws to enhance safety on the road, grow our agricultural economy, and protect human dignity,” Chang said. They also ensure that all members of our communities can continue making valuable contributions to our home and economy without fear.”

In addition to air pollution problems, roads in the area, including Miller Road, have been consistently damaged by high volume traffic from heavy trucks. In order to address these and other concerns, State Rep. Abdullah Hammoud (D-Dearborn) and other local leaders held an Environmental Justice Town Hall this past Thursday at Salina Intermediate School. We have a whole package of bills well be introducing this summer to help combat the problem, he added. Whitmers appointment of Strong to the newly created environmental office, which could open up new possibilities for combating pollution. Were looking at working with a response team that includes all the departments of the state, Strong said.