Insider Intelligence

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, 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 […]

This week, several of the budget bills for the upcoming 2016-2017 Fiscal Year were reported from the Appropriations Committees.  All appropriations budgets have been reported from their subcommittees and are either waiting consideration from the full Appropriations Committees or have been reported to the House or Senate floor for consideration.  One major issues that arose […]

This week the Senate passed an amended version of a House bill requiring a student to be proficient in reading before moving from the third to the fourth grade.  The Senate added language requiring reporting on how many students were held back due to not being proficient readers and how many students weren’t proficient but […]

This week, a bipartisan coalition of House members introduced a package of legislation creating the Legislative Open Records Act (LORA).  The legislation would subject the offices of the governor, lieutenant governor, and the legislature to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).  “The package was introduced to coincide with Sunshine Week, which promotes public access to […]

This week, the House passed a two-bill package providing a $48.7 million appropriation for the Detroit Public Schools (DPS), using funds from the tobacco settlement money.  Without the supplemental, Judge Steven Rhodes, DPS’ transition manager, testified that the district wouldn’t have funding to pay teachers after April 8, 2016.  The appropriation was tie-barred to legislation […]

This week, the three newly elected House members were officially sworn into office and given committee assignments.  Representative David LaGrand (D-Grand Rapids) will serve on the Transportation Committee and the Military and Veterans Affairs Committee.  Representative Gary Howell (R-North Branch) will serve on the Criminal Justice Committee, the Workforce and Talent Development Committee, and the […]

This week, two Flint area legislators, Representative Phil Phelps (D-Flushing) and Representative Sheldon Neeley (D-Flint), announced a four-bill package addressing concerns stemming from the Flint water crisis.  Representative Phelps’ bills would institute an emergency response plan to set clear guidelines to mobilize in the event of a water crisis.  The bills also requires the Department […]