Michigan News

State lawmakers want to tackle animal safety.  Legislation aimed at preventing animals from dying in vehicles has passed a state Senate committee.

Medical experts from around the state say people with HIV need to be treated like patients, not criminals.  They support legislation that would reduce the criminalization of the disease.

Lawmakers in Lansing want to make Michigan roads safer.  Bills to require a 3-foot gap when passing bicyclists are moving through the Legislature.  And some lawmakers want to tackle distracted driving next.

Governor Rick Snyder has approved a six-month ban on ships dropping anchor in the Straits of Mackinac.  It’s a response to a mishap in April that caused a mineral oil spill and damage to Enbridge Line 5.

Bills in response to the Larry Nassar sexual assault scandal crossed a major hurdle yesterday.  After weeks of testimony, most of the bills were passed out of committee.  Nassar is the former Michigan State University sports doctor who sexually assaulted his patients for years.  

Miranda warnings to suspects who are arrested and questioned are not complete unless officers include the detail that attorneys can be in the room before and during interrogations.  That decision came yesterday from the state Court of Appeals.

State lawmakers want schools and law enforcement to partner up when it comes to school safety.  State Senate committees passed several bills Tuesday aimed at encouraging that relationship.

The state Department of Civil Rights is now accepting complaints from people who say they’ve faced discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.  It’s also getting ready to defend its right to do so.

Lawmakers plan to move a series of bills in response to Larry Nassar today.  Nassar is the former Michigan State University sports doctor who sexually assaulted his patients for years.  The legislation won’t look the same coming out of committee as it did going in – and some bills might not get a vote.  

A question to boost Michigan’s minimum wage to $12 an hour could be headed to the November ballot. 

This week, lawmakers in Lansing plan to move legislation aimed at improving the state’s sexual assault laws. This comes after weeks of discussion on more than 30 bills.  The bills would do things like require sexual assault and dating violence be taught during sex education in high school and increase penalties for people that are required to report suspected child abuse, but don’t.

Environmental groups want Governor Rick Snyder to say “no” to legislation on his desk.  They’re concerned about bills that would change some oversight requirements for state mines.

Marijuana-infused beer, wine, and spirits would be outlawed under a bill adopted by the State Senate.  The Senate vote took place with an eye toward the November ballot.

Governor Rick Snyder and state lawmakers have an extra $315 million to work with as they finalize the new budget.  

More than 300 victims of sexual assault are one step closer to a multi-million-dollar settlement with Michigan State University.  The lawsuit is over the school’s handling of former MSU sports doctor Larry Nassar, who sexually assaulted his patients for decades.

Victims of certain crimes in Michigan could become harder to track down – and advocates say that’s for their own safety.  Legislation that passed the state Senate would let victims keep their addresses confidential.

The Michigan Supreme Court has called a halt to a petition campaign to repeal wage protections for workers on government-funded construction projects. 

Members of a state board in charge of the safety of pipelines say they’re not alarmed by a recent coolant spill into the Straits of Mackinac.  A coolant spill in the Straits of Mackinac did not harm the Great Lakes.  That’s according to the Coast Guard and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

A new campaign says it’s going to make the government pay attention to the struggles of poor people.  The Michigan Poor People’s Campaign launched on Monday at the state Capitol.

Construction worker unions have asked the Michigan Supreme Court to put the brakes on sending a petition-initiated question to the Legislature.  The unions say the petition campaign broke the rules.  

Construction workers unions plan to file an emergency motion Monday with the Michigan Supreme Court.  They want to block a question that would end protections for union-level wages from going to the Legislature.

The four Republicans and three Democrats running for governor appeared together for the first time yesterday.  Arguments about ethics and racism broke out at the forum.

The four Republicans running for governor last night all met for the first time on a debate stage.  The candidates sparred on Flint, marijuana, and President Trump.

A state board is starting to move faster to finalize business licenses to grow, transport, test, and sell medical marijuana.  The marijuana board added three meetings to its schedule between now and the end of the year.

A study commissioned by an independent research group says term limits in Michigan have not met many of the expectations set when voters adopted them 25 years ago.