Michigan Republicans who control the state Legislature have bickered for a year with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, over emergency orders.
Jonathan Oosting
Jonathan is a deputy editor for Bridge Michigan. He helps plan and execute in-depth reporting and campaign coverage. As a longtime political reporter, Jonathan was named 2021 Journalist of the Year by the Michigan Press Association. He and a colleague shared that honor again in 2023, when they were also named Journalists of the Year by the Society of Professional Journalists – Detroit Chapter. Jonathan covered the state Capitol for The Detroit News and MLive before joining Bridge in September of 2019. He's from Grand Rapids, lives in Lansing and loves spending time Up North.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Questions, answers about Michigan’s changing COVID restrictions
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s announcement on Thursday clears the way for full capacity at baseball games and some concerts and a total reopening of Michigan on July 1. Here’s what you need to know.
Posted inMichigan Government
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer: All COVID restrictions to end in Michigan on July 1
One week after new CDC guidance, the governor says she will end restrictions on outdoor events on June 1 and end remaining rules in time for Independence Day holiday.
Posted inMichigan Government
GOP targets no-ID ballots to cut fraud. Only 0.2% voted that way in Michigan.
New records show 11,417 Michiganders voted without ID in November. Contrary to popular belief, they weren’t all in Democratic counties — and in almost all communities, no-ID ballots represented less than 1 percent of votes.
Posted inMichigan Government
Judge dismisses Antrim County lawsuit that fueled Trump voter conspiracies
One week after Trump had praised the “blockbuster” case, a Michigan judge on Tuesday rejected a lawsuit over Antrim County election results, ruling a request for an independent audit was “moot.”
Posted inMichigan Government
FBI: Neo-Nazi leader sought ‘white ethno-state’ in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
A Bad Axe man rose in the ranks at The Base and claimed he was buying property to hasten a race war, according to the FBI.
Posted inMichigan Government
Records: Shadow nonprofit paid for Whitmer’s Florida flight amid controversy
Within the past two weeks, a nonprofit set up for Gretchen Whitmer’s inauguration footed the bill for the $27,000 flight to Florida amid the pandemic. The disclosure is unlikely to quell the issue.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan mask rule change: Many questions. Some answers. What to know.
For now anyway, many stores are still going to require masks, as are courts. But changes could be coming quickly after Michigan changed rules ending mask requirements for the fully vaccinated.
Posted inMichigan Government
Mask mandate over for vaccinated in Michigan. Confusion for everyone else?
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is ending a mandate that likely would have been in place through summer. But policing who has a vaccine and who doesn’t will likely prove impossible.
Posted inMichigan Government
$1.5B for Michigan child care in limbo as GOP plays hardball with Whitmer
Republicans are using budget stalemate to hold up child care money and try to kill mask mandates, any plans for a vaccine passport and efforts to stop Line 5. They won’t likely have much luck.