Insider Intelligence

Given the rising threat of PFAS contamination in the state’s drinking water supply, Governor Gretchen Whitmer called on the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to establish statewide standards. Previously the state had waited on the Federal Government to set standards but given their recent inaction the governor decided to set a state standard in order […]

The House and Senate will return from their two-week in-district work period of Tuesday, April 9. Both chambers will hold their typical Tuesday – Thursday session schedule that week. There will not be an addition of Insider Intelligence next week. Look for our next newsletter on Friday, April 12.

From time to time you hear Michiganders remark, “why do we need to spend more money on schools and education, doesn’t the lotto pay for that?” Much like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness monster, this is one of Michigan’s biggest budget myths. The Michigan lotto was first authorized by a constitutional amendment in 1972 and […]

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.  Who Was Garamond, Anyway? The History Behind 5 Classic Typefaces – How were five of the most used typefaces developed? 8 Ways to Improve State DOTs, […]

What did MLC lobbyist Tony Des Chenes learn about strategic planning while cross-country skiing? In his latest post he explained the connection and why a map is key to both. Under changes passed in 2018, Michigan’s minimum wage is increasing this week by 20 cents per hour. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced the creation […]

Next Friday, Michigan’s minimum wage will increase from $9.25 to $9.45 per hour under the Workforce Opportunity Wage Act passed in 2018. The minimum wage will also increase for tipped workers from $3.52 to $3.59 per hour. Workers between the ages of 16 to 17 years old will have a minimum wage of 85% of […]

Given the rising threat of cyber-attacks, and to ensure the security of elections in Michigan, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced the creation of an Election Security Commission. It will bring together 18 local and national experts on cybersecurity and elections, with the goal of securing elections and protecting the integrity of every vote. Through […]

The House agreed that Michigan government should be more transparent, passing a proposal this week that would expand open records laws. Under the plan, the governor and lieutenant governor would be subject to the Freedom of Information Act. The legislature would be subject to similar standards under a newly created Legislative Open Records Act. The […]