LANSING - Michigan local governments would be able to make energy efficiency improvements to their buildings without incurring debt under legislation under consideration in the Michigan House Local Government Committee. The bills (HB 4990, HB 4991, HB 4992, HB 4993 and HB 4994) would allow counties, cities, villages and townships to enter lease-purchase agreements for the energy upgrades. Because the
LANSING - Nationally, cyber charter schools substantially underperformed traditional public schools, but those in Michigan were about on par with their peers, a report issued Wednesday by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University said. Overall, the report found students in cyber charter schools were 180 days behind their peers in traditional public schools
LANSING - The Michigan Public Service Commission ordered its staff Tuesday to begin examining what public utilities are required to pay certain power generators under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978. Consumers Energy and DTE Energy both have contracts with qualified facilities under the act, the first of which expire at the end
LANSING - "Heartburn" among majority Michigan Senate Republicans about relying on increasing vehicle registration fees to raise most of the new proposed revenues for roads was the major reason why the Senate dropped its plans Tuesday for a vote on House-passed legislation designed to eventually generate $1.2 billion in new road spending, Senate Majority Leader Arlan
LANSING - Rising health care costs, due to medical errors, unnecessary treatments and an antiquated payment structure, is dragging down consumer spending in other areas, an ultimately hurting the economy, a report released by the Economic Alliance of Michigan said. Eventually, some way has to be found to control health care costs, said Bret Jackson,
LANSING - New rules proposed by the Department of Environmental Quality would deregulate too many additional chemicals, the Michigan Environmental Council said on releasing its comments on the proposal. The DEQ announced Monday that it had opened the public comment period on the rules (ORR 2014-153 and 2014-154). The changes cover public notice and hearing provisions as well
LANSING - The petition submitted by the group seeking to repeal Michigan's prevailing wage fell far below the minimum number of signatures from registered voters needed to bring the proposal before the Legislature, the group defending prevailing wage said Monday. Not only did Michigan Prevails file a challenge with the Department of State to the
LANSING - Organizations are starting to review the roads plan the House passed late Wednesday night, and the first reviews of the proposal are not positive. One reaction was hostile, though the reaction came from an organization circulating petitions to increase the state's Corporate Income Tax to help pay for a roads plan. But other
LANSING - Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof was very mild in his reaction to the road funding proposal passed by the House Wednesday night, largely saying he is grateful the House sent something over. But Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich had more serious concerns. "I think it's a pretty major step backwards. I think it doesn't address the issues
LANSING - The Michigan Agency for Energy released its energy appraisal for the upcoming winter on Wednesday, expecting residents to save big on their heating bills "thanks to lower fuel prices and predicted warmer-than-normal temperatures," the agency said. Michigan's energy market is also expected to have adequate reserves and lower prices, the agency said in a
