News & Resources

Whitmer Signs Record Breaking Education Budget with No Line Item Vetoes

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a $24.3 billion budget Thursday for preK-12 schools, universities and community colleges, without making a single line-item veto.

July 18, 2023

Whitmer Creates New Department for Early, Higher Learning

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order Wednesday creating a new Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential – or MiLEAP – to focus on preschool and postsecondary education.

July 18, 2023

Municipalities Hit Spending Struggles with Federal COVID Relief Dollars

Federal funds intended to stabilize the budgets of local communities have proven a daunting task to take down for multiple reasons, a recent policy survey by the University of Michigan found.

July 11, 2023

DHHS Director’s COVID Orders Ruled Unconstitutional

Article courtesy MIRS News for SBAM’s Lansing Watchdog e-newsletter A state law that allowed the state health director to issue pandemic-related orders is “extremely broad” and an “unconstitutional delegation of […]

July 11, 2023

Whitmer Populates Population Council With Popular People

Article courtesy MIRS News for SBAM’s Lansing Watchdog e-newsletter Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed several Michigan insiders, former politicians, and business leaders to the council that would advise her on how to grow […]

July 5, 2023

Nearly $100M Now Available for Small Business & Tech Startups

The Small Business Support Hubs program had $75 million allocated to invest in small businesses and the Michigan Innovate Capital Fund program had $23 million allocated for nonprofits that help high-tech startups.

July 5, 2023

Greased 1,600-Page Budget Goes from Reveal to Final Passage In 7 Hours

More than $87 billion in state spending for this fiscal year and next – making up 1,600 pages of bill text – was revealed in a joint House-Senate appropriations subcommittee a little after 3 p.m. …

Image of Michigan's Capitol building in Lansing.

June 27, 2023

Return of the ‘Death Star’ Debate in House

A day after the Senate Labor Committee took up a similar package of bills, the House Labor Committee circled back around for a second day of debate on shooting down legislation dubbed the “Death Star” …

Gavel in front of a sign that says "Supreme Court"

June 27, 2023

Supreme Court to Hear Adopt and Amend Arguments

The Michigan Supreme Court agreed Wednesday morning to hear arguments on whether the legislature can adopt a citizens' initiative and then amend it in the same session.

June 21, 2023

Restaurants, Hospitality ‘Clawing’ Back from COVID-19 Losses

The hospitality industry in Michigan bore the brunt of losses from the COVID-19 shutdowns, but today restaurants are “clawing” their way back.

June 21, 2023

Proposal 2 Implementation Bills Clear Both Chambers

Local clerks would need to monitor their drop boxes with video cameras by 2026, under an amendment to the Proposal 2 implementation bills that passed the House and Senate Wednesday.

June 6, 2023

Whitmer Announces Population Council, Appoints Co-Chairs

(MACKINAC ISLAND) – Reporters and supporters of Whitmer's Growing Michigan Together Council crowded onto the Grand Hotel porch Thursday morning to hear Gov. Gretchen Whitmer officially announce the council, which will be co-chaired by former …

June 6, 2023

Trailer Parks Emerging as an Answer to Low-Income Housing Crisis

Mobile home parks don't always come with the greatest reputations, but in 2023 – with low-to middle-income housing for workers sparse in many areas of the state – today's manufactured housing communities are emerging as …

May 23, 2023

6 Differences In House, Senate, Gov’s K-12 Budget

The size of per pupil foundation allowances is among the larger differences in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 School Aid (K-12) budgets offered by the executive, House and Senate, but it's by far not the …

May 23, 2023

CREC: Lower Income Tax Rate + Higher Retirement, EITC Exemptions = Lower Revenues

Lawmakers will have roughly $989 million fewer dollars to spend in the state’s General Fund and $105 million more in the state’s school aid fund in 2023, according to new estimates agreed to Friday morning …

Image showing a background of money and the words State Budget

May 16, 2023

Budgets Clearing Both Chambers; GOP Voting ‘No’ En Bloc

Article courtesy MIRS News for SBAM’s Lansing Watchdog e-newsletter The Senate and House were setting up Wednesday their respective spending priorities in preparation for target negotiations with each other and […]