Insider Intelligence

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 […]

Utilizing one-time Federal Funding, Senator Wayne Schmidt (R-Traverse City) introduced legislation that would provide funds to repair every severe bridge in the state. Of the nearly 12,000 bridges in Michigan, 7,038 are managed by local municipalities. Of that, over 400 are in critical need of repairs. This bill would fund repairs for all those bridges […]

This week, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order creating the Task Force on Juvenile Justice Reform, chaired by Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist. It will be tasked with analyzing the state’s juvenile justice system, while recommending proven practices and strategies for reform. The task force will exist as a partnership between county and state leaders, […]

This week the House passed a package of legislation reforming ethics and transparency laws for government officials. This is only the recent round of changes passed, as the House has previously passed an expansion to the Freedom of Information Act and changes to lame duck sessions. Reforms approved this week include gift restrictions, new penalties […]