DETROIT - A Detroit U.S. district judge has issued a preliminary injunction against a newly enacted state law that bans companies from collecting employee donations for union campaign funds, but permits a firm to continue to collect donations for corporate campaign funds. Judge Linda Parker said the law, PA 269 of 2015, violates the First
DETROIT - Two new surveys on the presidential race show presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton with a commanding lead over presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump in Michigan. One survey, conducted by Ballotpedia with the firm Evolving Strategies, showed Clinton at 47 percent, Trump at 30 percent and Libertarian Gary Johnson at 14 percent. The survey
LANSING - Thanks to the use of videoconferencing technology to virtually transport prisoners into 780 courtrooms across the state, the Department of Corrections has saved $14.7 million since implementation in 2010, according to the Michigan Supreme Court. The Supreme Court announced savings are expected to grow from $4.3 million in fiscal year 2015, up to
LANSING - In 2015, just 5 percent of Michigan residents reported not having health insurance, research from the Center for Healthcare Research and Transformation found. The findings, in a survey conducted from October to December 2015, showed a dramatic decline from the high of 14 percent of the population without coverage in 2012. The findings
LANSING - With a final decision expected next week, Attorney General Bill Schuette joined the array of Michigan public officials opposing plans to allow Waukesha, Wisconsin, to use water from Lake Michigan. Schuette co-signed a letter Wednesday with U.S. Rep. Candice Miller (R-Harrison Township), who had earlier co-signed a similar letter with U.S. Rep. Debbie
LANSING - The standards for pipelines would not change substantially, but those facilities would see inspectors more often, Michigan Public Service Commission member Norm Saari told Gongwer News Service. The Protecting Our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act is headed to President Barack Obama, who is expected to sign it. Supporters have said the
LANSING - Consumers Energy will fully comply with the Public Service Commission's order on Thursday that it pay a fine of more than $518,000 in relation to its billing practices of providing customers will estimates for some 16 months. "We recognize that our performance on this issue does not reflect our standards of customer service,
LANSING - The Public Service Commission on Thursday assessed a fine of $518,800 on Consumers Energy Company for violating rules related to its estimated billing practices. The PSC, on January 19, opened an investigation into the utility's estimated billing practices after hearing complaints from customers for "years," it said in a statement on the matter
LANSING - Two bills making major changes to Michigan’s utility and electric energy system, but still maintaining some provisions from the 2008 energy legislation especially with small generators of alternative energy, were reported to the full Senate this afternoon by the Senate Energy and Technology Committee. The bills are the latest substitutes to SB 437
LANSING - A lawsuit filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court in Detroit contends the law enacted late last year repealing the option for voters to choose a political party's slate of candidates with a single vote on their ballot violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution, the U.S. Voting Rights Act and
