Insider Intelligence

A bill appropriating over $4 billion in federal funding was passed by the Senate this week. The majority of the available funds were part of federal American Rescue Plan dollars, sent to states to use with some discretion, in response to the ongoing pandemic and the impact on students. Funding within the plan includes: $3.3 […]

Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined members of the House Democratic and Republican caucuses this week to unveil a plan to enact childcare reforms, with the goal of establishing a more accessible, higher quality childcare system. The plan will prioritize high-quality care to ensure children are safe while also providing flexibility to support providers that depend on […]

The Senate passed legislation introduced by Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Senator Jim Stamas (R-Midland) changing the implementation date for the budget deadline. Two years ago, as part of the budget process, a July 1 deadline was enacted requiring the legislature to pass and present the budget to the governor by July 1, beginning in 2020. […]

This week, the Senate passed the first three bills in their 39-bill package making reforms to elections in Michigan. Prior to passage, there was a heated debate over the changes, with Democratic members speaking in strong opposition to the legislation. The bills require anyone applying for an absentee ballot with the secretary of state or […]

The House and Senate are tentatively scheduled to hold their typical Tuesday – Thursday session schedule. On Wednesday, June 23, the MEDC is holding a virtual Small Business Summit. Speakers will include Governor Gretchen Whitmer and a member of the Biden Administration. For more information, please click here.

Fitch Ratings has improved the State of Michigan’s general obligation bonds AA credit rating from a “stable outlook” to a “positive outlook.” In the announcement, Fitch noted the state’s success in achieving balanced budgets and the expectation that Michigan’s improved fiscal and budgetary resilience will be sustained. Additionally, Fitch believes the state is well-positioned to […]

Below are some of the articles that the MLC lobby team has been reading this past week. We hope you find them as interesting and useful as we do. Science Says You Should Mute Those Work Emails on Vacation – The pandemic has changed how we work, and our connectiveness to the office. However, recent […]

Utilizing one-time Federal Funding, Senator Wayne Schmidt introduced legislation that would provide funds to repair every severe bridge in the state. Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order creating the Task Force on Juvenile Justice Reform, chaired by Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist. The House passed a package of legislation reforming ethics and transparency laws for […]