Insider Intelligence

This week, the House passed both omnibus budgets appropriating funds for the upcoming 2016-2017 Fiscal Year.  The omnibus budget providing funding to K-12 schools, community colleges, and universities totals $16.17 billion.  The House’s increase to funding for universities is below the level Governor Rick Snyder recommended.  The Governor proposed increasing funding to get all universities […]

This week, the House passed a twenty-bill package seeking to make reforms to Michigan’s juvenile justice system.  The bills raise the age of a juvenile from 17 to 18 and require cases involving an individual under the age of 18 to be transferred to the Family Division of the Circuit Court.  However, the legislation does […]

This week, the Senate Education Committee reported a bill repealing Common Core State Standards in Michigan.  Under the legislation, the state’s current standards would be replaced with the Massachusetts pre-Common Core standards.  According to the Chair of the Senate Education Committee, Senator Phil Pavlov (R-Saint Clair), Massachusetts is often praised as the best state for […]

The House and Senate are scheduled to hold session Tuesday – Thursday. On Tuesday, May 3, sixty counties, school districts, and municipalities will be holding elections.  To view your personal voting information, please visit http://www.michigan.gov/vote. President Barack Obama will visit Flint on Wednesday, May 4. The newly created, Unemployment Reform Subcommittee of the Committee on […]

Coughing and a struggle is all Grand Traverse Central 9-1-1 dispatchers could hear when a barely conscious Dan Hoffman of Peninsula Township called from his mobile phone. Hoffman was alone when the fire started, and as the blaze at his home grew more intense, he was only minutes away from the smoke inhalation claiming his […]

Representative Tom Barrett was first elected to serve the 71st District in the Michigan House of Representatives in November 2014.  After graduating public high school, Rep. Barrett joined the U.S. Army and has continued his service for over 15 years. He is currently serving in the Michigan Army National Guard as a helicopter pilot trained […]

This week, Attorney General Bill Schuette, announced the first individuals to be charged as a result of actions in the Flint water contamination crisis.  Felony and misdemeanor charges have been filed against two employees of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the City of Flint Laboratory and Water Quality Supervisor.  The charges filed against […]

This week, Representative Tim Kelly (R-Saginaw Twp.) introduced a House Resolution that would amend the Michigan constitution to eliminate the State Board of Education.  Additionally, the resolution would alter the process by which the Superintendent of Public Instruction is selected and hired.  Currently the Board is responsible for hiring the Superintendent, but under the resolution […]