LANSING - New home construction will see a robust increase in 2016, according to a forecast from the Michigan Association of Home Builders. The association estimates that 16,831 permits for new construction will be issued in 2016, up from 13,467 estimated for 2015. Association CEO Bob Filka said the increase stems from job growth and
LANSING - The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services had data that showed there were elevated lead levels in Flint's water, but delayed in releasing that data to others for review, Virginia Tech professor Marc Edwards said in an article posted to his website documenting the city's water crisis. Department officials agreed and said
LANSING - The Michigan Department of Management and Budget is not properly restricting access to information technology equipment and is not ensuring that equipment is being properly stored, Auditor General Doug Ringler said in a report released Friday. The performance audit of physical security and environmental controls over information technology resources for the period October
LANSING - Auditors have found that most of the state's UNIX servers, operated by the Department of Technology, Management and Budget, had not been properly secured, an audit released Thursday said. The performance audit of statewide UNIX security controls, for the period October 1, 2012, through August 31, 2015, found that of 63 servers tested,
LANSING - In one of the most blatant political moves in years, the Michigan Republican legislative majorities powered to passage Wednesday a bill that would end the ability of voters to choose a party's entire slate of candidates with a single selection. With final passage in the House about 10:30 p.m., SB 13 will soon
LANSING - The size of tax credits General Motors can claim annually and in total through the remaining life of a large, Michigan Economic Growth Authority credit the state provided it in 2009 would be capped, but GM declined to reveal by how much and state officials said it is up to GM to disclose
LANSING - Five of the six bills creating an electronic filing system for courts and assigning fees were sent to Governor Rick Snyder on Tuesday. SB 531, SB 532 and SB 533 cleared the House 100-6, 97-8 and 98-8, respectively. The Senate then concurred in House changes sending the bills to Snyder. HB 5028, HB
LANSING - After the Michigan House spent more than nine hours gathering the votes to approve sales and use exemptions for collocated data centers in the state, including Nevada-based Switch, which encouraged the Legislature to implement the exemptions so they can open an east coast hub in the Grand Rapids area, the Senate immediately concurred
LANSING - The Michigan Pipeline Safety Advisory Board put most of the final touches Monday on its plan to hire contractors for risk and alternatives analyses on the Line 5 pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac. The board is hoping to issue requests for a proposal in February, said Environmental Quality Director Dan Wyant, who
LANSING - The Michigan Public Service Commission and DTE Electric Company reached an agreement to allow the utility to hike its electric rates by $238.2 million annually - resulting in an increase of $8.22 monthly for residential customers using 500 kilowatt-hours of electricity a month. The new rates are effective Dec. 17. The increase is
