Plan to scale back tipped wage increase is heading to Gov. Whitmer, but ‘chaos is coming’ without deal on paid sick leave by Friday, says GOP leader.
Simon D. Schuster
Simon D. Schuster is a Capitol Reporter for Bridge Michigan. Simon joined Bridge Michigan in 2024 after working as MLive's senior political reporter and later covering politics on their investigative team. He spent three years tracking the influence of political money in Michigan as executive director of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, a nonpartisan nonprofit. A Michigan native, Simon received a bachelor's and a master of public policy from Michigan State University, where he was a policy fellow at the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research. Outside of work you'll find him in Detroit, backpacking northern Michigan or visiting his fiancée in Scandinavia. He lives in Lansing.
Posted inMichigan Government
Top lawmaker wants to close Michigan ‘revolving door’ to lobbyist jobs
Every two years, a new crop of term-limited Michigan lawmakers quickly become lobbyists. A new plan would create a two-year cooling-off period.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan House, Senate at odds as minimum wage and sick leave laws loom
Michigan minimum wage and paid sick leave laws take effect Feb. 21 — unless the Legislature changes them first.
Posted inMichigan Government
Whitmer's $3B plan to fix Michigan roads calls for more corporate, marijuana taxes
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wants the Legislature to work with her on a plan to increase road fixes by $3 billion a year. Her plan seeks $1.7 billion in new corporate taxes and $470 million from a marijuana wholesale tax.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan House GOP threatens to block budgets over ‘sanctuary’ city funding
Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall says Republicans won’t take up any budget bills with earmarks for ‘sanctuary’ cities, townships or counties. Local governments would have to affirm they’ll work with ICE.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proposes new tax on vapes, nicotine pouches
Whitmer’s proposed tax on non-tobacco nicotine products like vapes and pouches would generate $57 million a year for smoking and cancer prevention and health care.
Posted inMichigan Government
Gretchen Whitmer pitches earmark transparency. See who added $600M in ‘pork’
After signing budgets that included billions of dollars in earmarks, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is proposing a new plan that would require Michigan lawmakers to disclose which pet projects they are sponsoring before votes.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan Senate Dems sue House Republicans over pension, health care bills
Democrats argue Republicans are violating the Michigan Constitution by conducting a ‘legal review’ rather than sending previously approved bills to the governor for signature.
Posted inMichigan Government
Report card: Gretchen Whitmer’s 48 promises during State of State speeches
Bridge Michigan’s analysis of six speeches shows the Democratic governor has had her most success implementing gun reforms and social policy, but struggled with infrastructure. The verdict is out on education.
Posted inMichigan Government
Fact check: Gretchen Whitmer has made big promises. Here’s how she’s done
Bridge Michigan has analyzed six years of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s State of the State speeches to see how she’s delivered. She’s had more success working with Democratic lawmakers and accomplished about half her goals.