Local 4 spoke with 2 Metro Detroit women who have different views on abortion battle
In an exclusive sit-down interview with Local 4 before striking down that law, Governor Gretchen Whitmer says she believes the moment is on the side of reproductive rights, as evidenced by whatโs happening around the country.
Leaked SCOTUS opinion: A look at the future of abortion in Michigan if Roe is overturned
The right to abortions has been widely debated among Americans and lawmakers alike in recent years -- a debate that has nearly reached a boiling point today, given that the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide this summer whether to overturn a landmark 1973 abortion ruling.
Deep dive: What future of abortion in Michigan looks like if Roe is overturned
The right to abortions has been widely debated among Americans and lawmakers alike in recent years -- a debate that has nearly reached a boiling point today, given a new Texas law that could potentially impact national abortion regulations.
Bill to stop drunk driving reintroduced 2 years after crash that killed Northville family
WASHINGTON โ On Tuesday, members of Congress reintroduced legislation to reduce drunk driving deaths across the country. The legislation, Honoring Abbas Family Legacy to Terminate (HALT) Drunk Driving Act, will require the commercialization and standards for advanced drunk driving prevention technology systems in all new cars. Two years ago, Dingell honored their lives on the house floor and pledged action to reduce drunk driving crashes. The HALT Drunk Driving Act will make our roads safer, and will help us bring an end to the trauma of drunk driving deaths and injuries in this country.โMADD National President Alex Otte has spoken out in support if the bill. Read more on the HALT Drunk Driving Act
Mexico to require appeals on social media account blocking
(AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)MEXICO CITY โ The party of President Andrรฉs Manuel Lรณpez Obrador presented for public comment a proposed set of regulations on Twitter, Facebook and other social media companies, a move that drew criticism Tuesday. Lรณpez Obrador was close to Trump and was outraged by the blocking of his accounts. Like Trump, Lรณpez Obrador thinks traditional media outlets are biased against him, and like Trump, the Mexican president has used the term โfake news,โ or Spanish variants of it. Lรณpez Obrador said in January that his administration is reaching out to other government to form a common front on the issue. โI can tell you that at the first G20 meeting we have, I am going to make a proposal on this issue,โ Lรณpez Obrador said.
New laws look to overhaul Michiganโs parole, probation system
Gretchen Whitmer has signed new legislation into law that will overhaul the stateโs parole and probation system. โThe package of legislation included three very important reforms to supervision, to probation and to parole,โ Haney said. Those laws aim to reshape the stateโs probation and parole system and help thousands of people. What these reforms do is that they seek to make probation and parole more just and more effective,โ Haney said. The new set of laws will reduce adult felony probation sentences in Michigan from five years to three years and prevent endless extensions on misdemeanor and felony probation terms.
What is the 25th Amendment and how does it work?
The 25th Amendment has never been used to remove a president -- but itโs there for a reason. The 25th Amendment, proposed by Congress and ratified by the states in the aftermath of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, provides the procedures for replacing the president or vice president in the event of death, removal, resignation, or incapacitation. In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President. Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session.
Michigan governor signs bills to limit incarcerations
LANSING, Mich. โ Legislation that allows for alternatives to jail and aims to limit recidivism in Michigan were among the dozens of new laws Gov. Among the measures were 20 based on the recommendations of the Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration formed in 2019. The task force heard testimony from hundreds of people and reviewed 10 years of statewide arrest and court data after the stateโs incarcerated population nearly tripled over four decades. โDespite the challenges 2020 presented, I am proud of the incredible work we have done as a state to reform our criminal justice system,โ said Whitmer. โAfter establishing the bipartisan Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration we were able to make real and meaningful change that will impact the lives of thousands of Michiganders.
Whitmer signs bills aiming to shift away from jail as punishment for traffic offenses in Michigan
Gretchen Whitmer has signed a 20-bill package that aims to shift away from using jail and arrests as punishment for traffic offenses unless someone is a danger to the public. The bipartisan package of criminal justice reform bills resulted from recommendations by the Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration, according to the state. โIโm extraordinarily proud of our collective work over the last two years to understand and improve the criminal justice system,โ Lt. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signs a 20-bill package aiming to reshape penalties for traffic offenses on Jan. 4, 2020. The bill package aims to shift people away from jail unless they are a danger to the public.
Michiganโs top court rejects appeal by Trump campaign
LANSING, Mich. โ President Donald Trump's campaign was handed a unanimous defeat Friday at the Michigan Supreme Court, which declined to hear an appeal about how absentee ballots were handled in Detroit as well as other issues. The court steered it aside with a three-sentence order, the latest in a string of unsuccessful cases challenging how the Nov. 3 election was handled. Joe Bidenโs 154,000-vote victory in Michigan was certified by the Board of State Canvassers on Nov. 23. The president's campaign claimed the Republican Party wasn't allowed to get an appropriate number of observers inside a Detroit convention center where absentee ballots were counted. A judge and the Michigan appeals court ruled against Trump.
Feb. 2021 Michigan bar exam to be taken online due to pandemic
LANSING, Mich. โ The Michigan Bar Examination scheduled for February of 2021 will be administered remotely and online due to the coronavirus pandemic and related restrictions. The Michigan Supreme Court announced Dec. 4 that the next Michigan Bar Exam will be administered virtually on Feb. 23 and 24 of 2021 by the Board of Law Examiners (BLE). The BLE administered its first-ever remote, online bar exam in July 2020 due to the pandemic. This exam will allow the test takerโs score to be transferred between nearly 40 different jurisdictions throughout the U.S. Click here to read the order issued by the Michigan Supreme Court on Dec. 4, or read it in the document below.
Michigan governor, state Legislature far apart on COVID-19 response
Gretchen Whitmer blasted the Legislature for spending more time dealing with members who contract COVID and shutting down sessions than anything else. โI asked them to consider the mask mandate as the best tool that we have, the best weapon against our common enemy. And yet, the Republicans were unwilling to even codify what we know, to be the best tool,โ added Whitmer. Our COVID-19 Data section tracks many of the key data points health officials are watching closely every single day. Track key COVID-19 data points in Michigan:
Supreme Court declines to hear Equal Pay Act case
WASHINGTON The Supreme Court is leaving in place a decision that employers can't use past salary history to justify a pay disparity between male and female employees. The court on Thursday declined to take up a case from the California-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Judges there said the federal Equal Pay Act, which generally requires men and women to be paid equally for the same work, doesn't allow past salary history to be used as justification for a pay disparity. California law has since changed so that employers can't use a person's salary history in determining their starting salary. The case had been to the Supreme Court once before.
Michigan legislature passes bill requiring implicit bias, de-escalation police training amid national unrest
LANSING, Mich. Michigan legislators passed a new bill Thursday that establishes mandatory training for incoming law enforcement officers on implicit bias, de-escalation techniques and mental health screening. Officials say some Michigan police departments already require some form of de-escalation, cultural competency or implicit bias training, but it is not currently required as part of law enforcement officers Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards training. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer showed support for Bill 945 in a Facebook post Wednesday. She also urged law enforcement to prioritize policies requiring officers to intervene if they see a colleague doing something wrong. The passage of Senate Bill 945 is a necessary step in the right direction.
Beaumont, staffing agencies sued for allegedly neglecting to investigate sexual harassment by hospital executive
The sexual harassment lawsuit claims that Beaumont -- along with Crossfire Managed Services, LLC and Med-National Staffing Solutions, Inc. -- neglected to investigate reports of sexual harassment by the hospitalโs Director of Environmental Services Gerald Lynch. Dickey began work on April 5, 2019, and notified her Crossfire/Med-National recruiter about the directorโs sexual harassment on the same day. Beaumont and the staffing agencies allegedly told Dickey that she could not return to work under these conditions after notifying her recruiter of Lynchโs behavior. According to the lawsuit the staffing agencies allegedly โattempted to coerce (Dickey) to withdraw her sexual harassment complaintโ and refused to allow her to return to work until she did. We take all allegations regarding sexual harassment seriously and are committed to providing a safe, non-discriminatory workplace for all staff.
Michigan Supreme Court announces bar exam will be taken online as remote essay test
LANSING, Mich. The Michigan Supreme Court announced Monday that the Board of Law Examiners will administer a one-day bar exam on July 28, 2020, in the form of a remote, online essay-format exam instead of the traditional two-day in-person examination. The public can be confident that those who pass this exam will have requisite knowledge of state law to become a member of the Michigan bar. An essay-only exam will test applicants knowledge of Michigan law, and a passing score will be sufficient to conclude an applicant should be admitted to the Bar. Administering the bar exam in July keeps applicants on the traditional track toward becoming an attorney. The 15-question essay exam covers both state and federal law that would be addressed in the 200 question Multistate Bar Exam, which cannot be administered online this year.
Michigan lawmakers introduce bills to protect drivers and holders of state IDs from expired driving penalties
โI am proud to work with Senator Moss and Secretary of State Benson to provide much-needed relief for drivers whose licenses have expired during the State of Emergency. While in-person and mail renewals remain on hold, residents can still renew their licenses, state ID cards and vehicle registrations online at Michigan.gov/SOS. For the current state of emergency, Michigan drivers and holders of state IDs are safe from any expired driving penalties. Whitmer issued Executive Order 2020-47 on April 13, which temporarily extends the expiration of driverโs licenses, state ID cards and vehicle registrations โ that occur during the state of emergency โ until June 30, 2020. Whitmer extends expiration of driverโs licenses, state ID cards
Growing marijuana in Michigan: Hereโs what to know about the law
DETROIT โ As of Dec. 6, 2018 it is legal to grow your own marijuana in the state of Michigan. Legal adults in Michigan are allowed to grow up to 12 marijuana plants inside their residence. If the caregiver is also a patient and has five patients, he or she can grow up to 72 marijuana plants. Michigan adopted its statutory definition of marijuana in the Public Health Code, utilizing the then current federal spelling, marihuana. An act of the Michigan Legislature would be required in order to change the spelling of marijuana in the Michigan statutes, such as the Public Health Code or the newer marijuana laws.