Michigan Government

Frustrated with small, rural communities slapping down wind and solar projects, Democratic leaders are planning bills that would take control of projects they consider vital to meeting the state’s decarbonization goals.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an emergency declaration to provide state aid to Wayne and Monroe counties, where at least two tornadoes touched down.

The Michigan Constitution requires a super-majority to spend money on local projects, so lawmakers get creative to steer money to parks, roads, museums and hyper-local projects.

State auditors found the Department of Civil Rights took on average 3 times the recommended time to resolve complaints. Some complaints were never even reviewed, ending up instead in an abandoned junk email folder.

The legislation, applauded by voting rights activists, would ensure departing inmates know they get their voting rights back by requiring them to receive ID and voting registration information.

Supporters of reviving film incentives say the legislation is a better deal for Michigan than the program that was axed in 2015.  Detractors liken the proposal to a “Hollywood handout” that won’t move the state forward.

Thanks to federal and state relief funds, students in Michigan saw a boost in broadband access during the COVID-19 pandemic. But that boost is fading, particularly for rural students, as technological support goes away, according to a MSU study.

The Thursday report estimated the cost of a 10-day strike by 143,000 United Auto Workers members against Ford, GM and Stellantis as business and political leaders weigh in on what must happen.