Category: Capitol News

By Mary Pollock STATE BUDGET Both chambers have now passed their versions of department budgets and the next step is conference committees composed of representatives from each chamber’s appropriation sub-committee. The May Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference will be held May 20, after which there will be a more exact picture of State revenue available to… Read more

By Mary Pollock You know it’s close to spring when potholes sprout in Michigan along with the snowdrops and crocus. Governor Whitmer signed an Executive Directive recently ordering a speed up in pothole repairs on State trunk-line highways, but that is not going to fix local roads. Report them to your local public works department.… Read more

By Mary Pollock Despite the adversities created by a snow event in Lansing and the pandemic, there was still a lot of news this month. PENSION TAX REPEAL Pension and retirement tax elimination has been in the news again because Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s State of the State address on January 26 included a prominent endorsement… Read more

By Mary Pollock The biggest news in the political world this past month was the approval of new district lines for Michigan’s 13 Congressional seats and 148 State legislative districts. The Legislature returns for one day on Wednesday, January 12, and then starts meeting regularly (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) on January 18. COLA CAP REMOVAL UPDATE… Read more

By Mary Pollock The House and Senate were scheduled to return for their fall session September 9 and must tackle the looming budget deadline of September 30. COVID Good News — The Pfizer COVID vaccine is now fully approved by the FDA. At this writing, the State of Michigan has administered over 9.6 million total doses… Read more

By Mary Pollock The volume and speed of relevant news is picking up in Lansing! But first… COVID Good News — COVID-19 vaccinations in Michigan may have helped prevent about 8,500 seniors from contracting the virus, 1,400 from dying, and 3,900 from being hospitalized from January through May 2021, according to a medical study published by… Read more

By Mary Pollock The House and Senate were scheduled to return for their fall session September 9 and must tackle the looming budget deadline of September 30. COVID Good News — The Pfizer COVID vaccine is now fully approved by the FDA. At this writing, the State of Michigan has administered over 9.6 million total doses… Read more

By Mary Pollock The House of Representatives and Senate have been on recess since late June except for a day or two in July. The House of Representatives is scheduled to return for the week of August 15 and the Senate for a day on August 25 before starting their tentative fall schedule on August… Read more

By Mary Pollock COVID-19 You could almost hear a statewide sigh of relief on June 1 when the capacity limits for outdoor events like baseball games and outdoor residential gatherings were lifted entirely. Indoor capacity limits increased from 25 percent to 50 percent, allowing larger indoor social gatherings such as weddings and funerals to resume… Read more

By Mary Pollock COVID The biggest news of the month is that Michigan has moved to a new metric for determining COVID-related restrictions. Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced on April 29 the “MI Vacc to Normal” plan that will use four vaccination-based milestones — using data for Michiganders 16 years or older who’ve received their first… Read more