Insider Intelligence

Tuesday, June 6, was the filing deadline for the open  109th House District in the Upper Peninsula.  The district includes the counties of Alger, Luce, Schoolcraft, and a portion of Marquette County.  The seat was left vacant following the passing of Representative John Kivela.  The seat has a 56% Democratic base, while the Republicans have […]

This week, Speaker Tom Leonard (R-DeWitt Twp.) announced changes to committee memberships, to fill the vacancies created by the passing of Representative John Kivela last month.  Representative William Sowerby (D-Clinton County) will now serve as Minority Vice Chair on the Natural Resources Committee, a spot previously held by Representative Kivela.  In addition, the following members […]

This week, Lt. Governor Brian Calley made two big announcements during the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Mackinac Policy Conference.  On Tuesday, he announced his support for a constitutional amendment that would enact a part-time legislature.  Additionally, he went a step further in announcing that he is not only lending support, but would lead the petition drive […]

On Tuesday, the House Judiciary Committee reported a four-bill package that would allow residents to carry a concealed pistol without a permit or without the currently mandated training.  The legislation has been hotly contested, mostly along party lines, since its introduction.  During committee testimony, it was fiercely debated by advocates and opponents to the change […]

On Monday, members of the House and Senate Democratic caucuses announced a new plan to resist cuts to health care, which have passed the U.S. House of Representatives.  Their plan would shield hundreds of thousands of Michigan families who may see their costs increase and coverage reduced under the federal proposal. The plan, the ‘Michigan […]

This week, the House passed legislation introduced by Representative Joe Graves (R-Linden) providing subpoena powers to the House and Senate oversight committees.  It would allow the committees to subpoena records and files of local governments, as the bill sponsor believes it’s the state’s responsibility to oversee them.  The bills specify that the subpoena authority is […]

This week, Governor Rick Snyder called for a special election to fill the 109th House District, which was left vacant following the passing of former Representative John Kivela.  The seat is in the Upper Peninsula and includes the counties Alger, Luce, Schoolcraft, and a portion of Marquette County. The special primary election will be held […]

This week, the House passed a resolution aimed at defining electronic property rights.  It would amend the Michigan Constitution to make clear that the government must generally obtain a search warrant to access a person’s electronic data or communications, protecting electronic property from unreasonable search and seizure.  “As technology continues to rapidly evolve, citizens have […]