Michigan Government News Archives

The State Treasury Department has released the findings from its preliminary review of Benton Harbor's finances.

Time is running out for state lawmakers to soften the latest round of funding cuts to Michigan schools.

Bedbugs are back in Michigan and one state official says their return is the 'biggest can of worms' he's ever seen.

Michigan's snowbirds are being asked to take one more thing along with them when they're packing to head south for the winter: Tips on how to fill out the residency information on 2010 census forms.

On this week's Talking Michigan Politics Podcast, Grand Rapids Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder vow not to say anymore about former Gov.

The Associated Press 1 comment Authorities offering $10,000 reward for man suspected of killing four relatives.

A t most colleges, marijuana is very much an extracurricular matter. But at Med Grow Cannabis College, marijuana is the curriculum: the history, the horticulture and the legal how-to's of Michigan's new medical marijuana program.

WASHINGTON - A special deal for Michigan and three other states has been eliminated from the latest version of the Senate's health overhaul bill, meaning Michigan would have to pay more for a proposed expansion of Medicaid.

LANSING , Mich., A Michigan lawmaker is requesting a hearing for a bill that would give the state an official tartan, or Scottish-inspired plaid pattern.

The Buckeyes beat Michigan for the sixth straight time today, winning 21-10 at Michigan Stadium.

Michigan athletic director Bill Martin will not be in his position for next football season.

Close NOVEMBER 23, 2009 Michigan's Broken 'Promise' By KATE LINEBAUGH Michigan Gov.

DETROIT - A homebuilder who chairs the state housing authority has been the target of lawsuits seeking more than $100 million in judgments.

The University of Michigan today announced an advisory committee to assist president Mary Sue Coleman in her search for a new athletic director.

There is no yellow brick road for the State of Michigan to follow that will lead its citizens to the land of economic prosperity.

Wind Chill: 30 F Font Size: Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm has ordered that U.S. flags be flown at half-staff to honor a soldier from St.

"For more than a decade, the Michigan Youth Challenge Academy has helped young adults turn their lives around, and today these graduates are working in our communities, attending our universities or serving in our military," Granholm said.

You know Arizona's economy is in bad shape when it ranks worse than Michigan's. Even after years of mind-numbing hits to its construction industry, it's a jolt to realize Arizona has lost a larger percentage of jobs in this recession than Michigan, even as that state's auto-based economy continued to melt down.

A veteran state lawmaker and Democratic gubernatorial candidate on Tuesday proposed swapping Michigan's flat income tax rate for a graduated one, eliminating a business tax surcharge and some business tax breaks, and lowering the sales tax rate while extending it to services.

Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm has signed legislation that exempts babysitting from day care regulations after the state ordered a Barry County woman to stop watching her friend's children before school.

It seems unlikely Michigan will fire Rich Rodriguez after two awful seasons with an NCAA investigation looming, a search for a new athletic director under way and luxury boxes to fill at the Big House.

A proposal unveiled today by state Rep. Alma Wheeler Smith to revamp Michigan's tax structure to raise $6.5 billion more would: - Extend the sales tax to services and reduce the overall tax rate from 6 percent to 5.5 percent.

Over the next few months, Michiganders probably will get pretty sick of hearing about auto insurance.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm switched her focus from finding new money for K-12 schools to trying to restore the Promise Scholarship for 96,000 Michigan college students.

Michigan health officials say influenza has killed 54 people in the state since April 1 and 44 since Sept.

The health-care reform bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives includes a provision that Michigan can't afford, an editorial in The Detroit News says.

According to an article posted on ClickonDetroit.com, 83 film projects have come to the state since the tax incentives went into effect in April of 2008, which means Metro Detroiters and Michiganders in general are starting to get used to the idea of running into a celebrity here and there.

Southfield --This summer, after the streets of Detroit wrapped up moonlighting as New Orleans for the murder mystery flick 'Little Murder,' surreptitious nighttime deliveries were made at a nondescript Southfield office building just off Northwestern Highway.

Sade Morris scored a a career-high 26 points and became the 21st player in school history to eclipse 1,000 points, lifting No.

The U.S. government resettled Mazen Alsaqa in Massachusetts in February. Within a month, the Iraqi refugee moved to Michigan.It wasn't that Alsaqa disliked Worcester, Mass.

Spotlight on an upcoming Rally to support the Michigan Promise Scholarship "Hey, Legislators , keep your Michigan Promise" Rally is scheduled this coming Monday at noon, on November 23.

Hide Video The Health Department of Northwest Michigan has confirmed a northern Michigan man has died from complications of H1N1.

The ninth ranked Buckeyes have the Rose Bowl in their views but today their eyes are only set on one thing, the on-going rivalry between them and the Michigan Wolverines.

Michigan health officials say influenza has killed 42 people in the state since April 1 and 31 since Sept.

ANN ARBOR - University of Michigan president Mary Sue Coleman didn't answer questions following a Board of Regents meeting in which an internal audit of the school's football program practice time was on the agenda.

The Clinton Police Department has announced that a man arrested and booked on suspicion of drunk driving, believed to be an escaped convicted murderer from Michigan, is not a murderer after all.

Posted 2 hours, 41 minutes ago at 3:11 pm. Recently I had the honor of attending an event that should bring great pride to all Michiganders: the keel-laying ceremony for the USS Gerald R. Ford, an aircraft carrier that will proudly carry the name of the former president and Michigan native around the world.

The law firm of a Michigan attorney has agreed to pay a $131,000 fine for campaign finance violations involving donations to former Sen.

University of Michigan economists are looking at what Michigan's troubled economy might do in 2010.

They didn't agree on how to fix Michigan's ongoing budget troubles, but a panel of leaders from business groups and organizations representing teachers, cities and the poor agreed they can't wait until next fall to fix the problem.

Huge crowds are expected when Sarah Palin kicks off her national book tour in Michigan.

Intrepid Ohio State University researchers have learned students don't just party in a campus lake during rituals before the annual Michigan game.

Hundreds of people are lining up at a Michigan bookstore for a chance to meet Sarah Palin as she kicks off her national book tour.

In less than 72 hours, the Ohio State Buckeyes will take on the Michigan Wolverines at The Big House in Ann Arbor.The Bucks have won five straight in the series and Ohio State has already wrapped up a BCS Rose Bowl birth.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm will pump up support for Michigan Promise scholarships with stops at Grand Valley State, Western Michigan and Central Michigan universities Thursday.

The poor economy won't stop Michigan residents from traveling over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Michigan state Department of Human Services caseworker Sandy Satchel, foreground, works at the Family Independence Agency in Detroit.

Hide Video Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm says that the state's unemployment rate dipped slightly in October to 15.1 percent.

Huge crowds are expected when Sarah Palin kicks off her national book tour in Michigan.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm is hitting the road -- college campuses in particular -- this week to put the squeeze on lawmakers to reinstate the Promise Scholarship.

It's Ohio State-Michigan week as the Buckeyes get ready to take on the Wolverines in the annual game at The Big House in Ann Arbor.

Opponents of Michigan's ban against racial preferences in public university admissions and government hiring told a federal appeals court that the law strips minorities of their constitutional rights.

Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm wants to consolidate more state government departments.

The tailspin may be over, but no one's suggesting that bedrock industries of the Michigan economy like cars and real estate are headed for boom times again.

Governors in Michigan and California are warning residents that some services may have to go as they wrestle with enormous budget shortfalls.

A federal appeals court is set to consider a lawsuit challenging Michigan's ban against racial preferences in public university admissions and government hiring.

Washington - The University of Michigan released embarassing details of an internal audit Monday that said the beleaguered football program had failed to file monthly forms tracking how much players practice - an issue currently under NCAA investigation.

The Michigan Public Service Commission says Michigan residents could be in store for a cost-efficient winter.

An analysis by The Detroit Free Press has found that most of the federal stimulus funding that's reached Michigan has created few private-sector jobs.

Many of the unemployed workers streaming into Michigan's unemployment are behind the curve in educational attainment and job training.

KALAMAZOO, Mich. One of the biggest names in the Republican party made a stop in West Michigan Thursday to rally the troops.

MANSFIELD -- One in eight Americans does not have access to enough food. Feeding America recently reported that one in four Ohio children under age 5 are living on the brink of hunger.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Mike Flanagan today will be among the leaders who appear at a state House hearing to refute the disinformation campaign that threatens to deny Michigan schools more than a half-billion dollars in federal stimulus funds.

Lt. Gov. John Cherry and Michigan Economic Development Corp. officials are heading to the Mideast, hoping to lure businesses with Michigan's abundant water.

Tags: Earned Income Tax Credit , Gov. Jennifer Granholm , Michigan Promise Scholarship , Michigan State Legislature , state budget , State Rep.

A squabble over access to the Pigeon River Country State Forest for horseback riders has spilled into the Michigan Legislature.

Authorities say a west Michigan man was hospitalized with burns and other injuries after he tried to dispose of old fireworks by burning them in his backyard.

MASON - Gov. Jennifer Granholm says school officials and parents must persuade lawmakers more needs to be done to shore up education funding in Michigan.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at 4:45 p.m. Read more: Local , Veterans , Hire , Michigan , Governor , Granholm The following is a message from Gov.

Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm will visit universities over the next two weeks to campaign for the revival of the Michigan Promise scholarship.

Reliance on a shrinking automotive industry, the loss of 1 million jobs, outmoded taxes and lack of government reforms will make Michigan one of the nation's 10 poorest states for the foreseeable future, according to a study released Wednesday.

GOP gubernatorial candidate Rick Snyder said that Michigan needs to lay out its budget for two years at a time and ask citizens what programs they support.

The family of a Michigan toddler who drowned is suing an Ohio water park that calls itself the nation's largest.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm's plan to merge the departments of Natural Resources and Environmental Quality was voted down in the Senate this morning.

Michigan will have to change state law to have any shot at a slice of more than $4 billion set aside by the Obama administration for states that shake up their public school systems, the state's schools chief said today.

The Michigan Senate has voted to exempt baby-sitting from day care regulations after the state ordered a woman to stop watching her friend's children before school.

Two Canadians have agreed to stay in jail after a valuable load of marijuana and ecstasy was shipped to Michigan's Thumb region aboard a Cessna airplane.

In Arizona, the budget has grown so gloomy that lawmakers are considering mortgaging Capitol buildings.

Michigan's men's basketball coach John Beilein says the son of five-time NBA All-Star Tim Hardaway has signed a letter of intent to play for the Wolverines.

Get ready, America. Like her or not, Sarah Palin is coming to a city near you. Last year's Republican vice presidential nominee is starting a book tour next week to promote her memoir, "Going Rogue: An American Life." Is it a thinly-veiled bid to test the waters for a possible 2012 Republican presidential bid, or simply an effort to make money and ...

Lt. Gov. John Cherry is heading to the Mideast to lure businesses with Michigan's abundant water.

The deficit was projected at $305.9 million. The district's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and Annual Single Audit reveal the accumulated general fund deficit was down to $219 million as of June 30.

The Big Ten said Monday that the annual contest, held this year in Ann Arbor, will kick off at noon EST on Saturday, Nov.

One-third of Michigan roads were in poor condition in 2008, a percentage that could climb dramatically in coming years if lawmakers don't pump more money into transportation, road advocates said Monday.

A 21-year-old Michigan poker professional who chose cards over college has won the World Series of Poker main event in Las Vegas, winning $8.55 million and becoming the youngest player to win the tournament in its 40-year history.

The federal government has agreed to pay $218,500 to settle a lawsuit over the fatal drug overdose of a young Michigan veteran who served as a U.S. Marine in Iraq.Randen Harvey died in 2006 at his father's home.

School advocates and Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm are keeping the pressure on Michigan lawmakers to raise more money for education.

Michigan's delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives voted along party lines late Saturday night on the bill to overhaul the nation's health care system.

Michigan health officials urge people withasthma to get the seasonal and swine flu shots as soon as possible.

Michigan voters could decide whether to reduce automobile, home and business insurance premiums by 20 percent if a proposal qualifies for the 2010 statewide ballot.

A western Maryland logger who plays no-limit Texas Hold 'em for fun is matching wits with a 21-year-old from Michigan who has logged more hands online than most people his age.

Rich Rodriguez says the Michigan Wolverines are not daunted by their challenge. Rodriguez says Monday his players know a bowl game is in sight.

Vice President Joe Biden heads to Michigan today to talk up the Obama administration's efforts to boost the economy.

Michigan lawmakers are weighing in on the House passage of the health care bill.

Michigan car buyers tend to purchase what their neighbors make, but that doesn't matter as much to the rest of the country, according to an analysis of data from the "cash for clunkers" incentive program.

Now that Michigan's 2009-2010 budget has been put to bed, it's time for residents to rise up and talk to their legislators about future finances.

As Michigan copes with high unemployment, shrinking revenues, insolvent cities, shuttered factories, foreclosed homes and sniping politicians, one thing is clear: Something needs to change.

The Michigan Department of Corrections is working to revamp a contested policy that bars HIV-positive prisoners from working in prison food service jobs, The Michigan Messenger reports.

For West Michiganders eager to look ahead two years after sweating through 2009, the annual economic forecast by George Erickcek, an economist for the Kalamazoo-based W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, and Birgit Klohs, Right Place Inc.

The Democratic party's national leadership is reportedly worried about losing Michigan's governor's office to Republicans next year.

Michigan Supreme Court justices have adopted formal rules for stepping aside from cases if they have a conflict of interest.

Transportation officials failed to inspect some bridges, looked at deteriorating bridges less often than required by state law and did not check for erosion under bridges over rivers, Michigan's auditor said Friday.

A Michigan man charged with killing an abortion protester and a business owner told police he had guns loaded in his truck when he took two nieces and a friend to school just before the shooting spree.

The Michigan Department of Community Health has immediately suspended the license to practice as a physical therapist of Abdul Khaliq Zafar, P.T., based on his conviction in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan.

The Michigan House voted Thursday to tap federal stimulus money set aside for next year to soften a cut in school funding now, but it's unlikely the move is going to win the support of the state Senate.

Following Kalamazoo, Michigan's overwhelming passage of an anti-discrimination law on Tuesday, state lawmaker Pam Byrnes has renewed an effort she announced in June , introducing legislation to repeal the state's 2004 amendment declaring marriage between a man and a woman.

With a key vote Wednesday, the U.S. Senate passed without dissent legislation to extend jobless benefits by 14 weeks or more to out-of-work people -- including at least 100,000 Michiganders -- who have exhausted their unemployment or would by year's end.

Wind Chill: 32 F Font Size: About 55 laid-off state troopers who expected to be recalled now that the state budget is in place will stay off the job a little longer.

Budget problems forced Michigan to lay off 100 state troopers, including 11 in our area.

Aquinas College officials sent a letter to students Wednesday about the loss of the Michigan Promise Scholarship Grant.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm warned Tuesday of a possible 20 percent cut in state spending next year, a draconian step after billions in cuts since 2003 already have dented police and fire services, pushed schools toward insolvency and reduced oversight of prison inmates.

Ohio voters have approved the opening of casinos in Toledo and three other cities, leaving officials and gambling interests in neighboring Indiana and Michigan worried that millions of dollars in gambling revenues - and taxes - are at risk.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm on Wednesday named Andy Levin as the state's chief workforce officer, a position from which he will help oversee efforts to streamline state government service and employment levels.

After the state failed to issue MSU Extension and the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, or MAES, their monthly payment, officials fear funding for these programs could be eliminated altogether.

Michigan Corrections Director Patricia Caruso has taken a lot of criticism, especially from prosecutors, about higher parole rates and other efforts to reduce Michigan's bloated prison system.

The unbalanced state budget. Cuts to school funds. Statewide unemployment of 15 percent.

Michigan agencies are being told they could see up to a 20 percent cut in the next budget year on top of the 10 percent cut they took this year.

The merit-based Michigan Promise scholarship is no more. In Washtenaw County, more than 8,000 students lost Promise cash for college.

NEWS RELEASE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR OF MICHIGAN ************************* Flags to be flown half-staff Wednesday, November 4, for Army Specialist Brandon K. Steffey of Sault Ste.

A federal report suggests six of every 10 jobs saved or created by the federal stimulus package in Michigan is tied to education.

Ann Arbor -- Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez, whose Wolverines are 5-4 , said he has received plenty of support.

Health officials are urging Michigan businesses to be ready to be flexible about employee absences.

A northwest Indiana development official says he hopes a 10-mile stretch of recreation trail along Lake Michigan can be built within five years to complete a series of trails connecting Illinois to Michigan.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm talks about school funding cuts as state treasurer Robert Kleine, right, stands by during a press conference last week.

Michiganders who want to know what the heck policymakers are talking about when they call for 'structural reform' of Michigan's antiquated tax system need look no further than a package of bills recently introduced by Rep.

There have been moments this season when Michigan quarterback Tate Forcier has resembled a Heisman candidate and other times when he has looked like a struggling true freshman.