Dems break with Whitmer, pass small funding increase for Michigan schools
by Ron French, Riley Beggin (Bridge) LANSING – Michigan House Democrats broke with their governor on Thursday and voted to approve a 1.4 percent to 3 percent increase in per-pupil funding for state schools and a small boost in special education money. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer expressed disappointment in the bill that passed the House and Senate […]
Michigan Legislature, Gov. Whitmer head for showdown on roads, redistricting
by Riley Beggin (Bridge) LANSING — Michigan’s Republican-dominated House and Senate kicked off the final stage of the state budget process on Thursday, including votes on multiple funding decisions likely to irk Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and other Democratic state officeholders. The committee-level votes included cuts to Democrat Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s office and the […]
What to expect when you’re expecting a Michigan government shutdown
by Riley Beggin (Bridge) Buy your hunting license and visit your favorite state park soon — there’s no guarantee you’ll have that option come Oct. 1. That’s the first day of the new fiscal year. If the Michigan state budget isn’t agreed to by the end of September, nearly two-thirds of the state’s 49,000 employees will […]
Critics rip Michigan vaping ban, citing harm to smokers and vape shops
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s proposed ban on flavored vaping products came under fire Thursday ‒ with a state lawmaker vowing to fight it, saying he worried about adults who use the products to quit smoking and about small businesses that rely on vaping sales. Rep. Beau LaFave, a Republican from Iron Mountain, said he has […]
Michigan schools would get 2.4 percent hike in GOP budget plan
by Ron French (Bridge) In a proposed budget that appears to be a compromise between the Republican-controlled House and Senate ‒ but spurns the education priorities of Michigan’s Democratic governor ‒ a conference committee recommended a 2.4 percent increase in public school funding Thursday. That’s between the 2.7 percent hike initially approved by the Senate […]
Whitmer, GOP must solve these 5 disagreements to pass Michigan budget
by Riley Beggin (Bridge) LANSING – Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer did an about-face Monday, agreeing to negotiate the state budget without a plan to raise $2.5 billion for road repairs. So is everyone in agreement now? Not at all. Dropping her roads-money-or-bust vow, the Democratic governor agreed to finish a budget with the GOP-Legislature to […]
Whitmer agrees to delay road funding talks to finish Michigan budget
By Riley Beggin (Bridge) Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has agreed to put aside negotiations on how to raise $2.5 billion annually in revenue for the state’s roads and infrastructure. This is the first time Whitmer, a Democrat, has publicly changed her position on the centerpiece of her budget — she has previously said she would veto any […]
Michigan budget negotiations break down (again) over short-term road funding
by Riley Beggin (Bridge) Negotiations over the state budget broke down once again this week and both Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and GOP leaders blamed each other for holding up an agreement before an Oct. 1 deadline to pass a state budget. At the center of the disagreement is, as ever, road funding. Whitmer is […]
As Michigan schools ban cellphones, reports surface of ‘talking,’ ‘eye contact’
by Ted Roelofs (Bridge) ADA TOWNSHIP—Standing outside Forest Hills Central High School in late August, senior Jack Walls admitted he has an issue with his phone. “I’m addicted,” he said. “I know it. It’s real bad. I have a real bias for texting people.” This was Day 1 of a districtwide ban on student cellphone […]
What you need to know about Michigan’s flavored e-cigarette ban
by Riley Beggin, Joel Kurth (Bridge) Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made national news on Wednesday by announcing an order to make Michigan the first state to ban flavored e-cigarettes. Here’s what you need to know. Why the ban? The Democratic governor said she was moving to protect Michigan children by ordering the state Department of Health and Human Services to issue emergency […]
