AUBURN HILLS - Jim Shepherd, an Enterprise Resource Planning expert, has joined Plex Systems as vice president of strategy. In this role, Shepherd is responsible for defining strategic direction to continue the growth of Plex with manufacturers across multiple industries and markets. Frequently quoted in leading publications including Bloomberg Businessweek, The New York Times and
LANSING - Those supporting expansion of online charter schools launched an online campaign Friday to urge legislators, particularly Republicans who appear to be wavering on the issue, to vote for the bill allowing more of the schools. The National Coalition for Public School Options Michigan Chapter launched the series of single-page websites that include letters
GRAND RAPIDS - Van Andel Institute announced a statewide initiative to empower supporters in communities, schools and other organizations to increase cancer awareness and raise funds for cancer research with the launch of Purple Community. The program builds on grass roots efforts undertaken by more than 40 schools, professional teams and community organizations in West
LANSING - Communities currently hosting wind farms asked the Michigan House Tax Policy Committee to support legislation that would provide them more certainty of the revenue they will see from the facilities, but many said they would be happy with direction to the Tax Commission to change its depreciation tables back. The committee took testimony
DETROIT - It is "fundamentally wrong" that the state pays substantially more to house prisoners than it does to educate college students, executives with Business Leaders for Michigan said Wednesday, and said the state is more to blame for higher tuition costs because of the cuts it has made to higher education funding. It is
WASHINGTON DC - Whether the bailout of General Motors and Chrysler Corporation was proper was back in the headlights of Michigan politics as Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney charged the bailout was an example of "crony capitalism," but top Democrats, including former Governor Jennifer Granholm, said Romney was stabbing the state in the back. All
LANSING - Governor Rick Snyder proposed a major overhaul of the capital outlay process and recommended a 3-percent increase to public universities operations. Snyder said the 18 projects in the pipeline, split between universities and community colleges, are recommended to still go ahead, at a cost of $613 million. He said his proposed new system
LANSING - A bill aimed at stopping elected officials from casting votes over the phone or an Internet video service is headed to the House floor after being reported from the House Oversight, Reform and Ethics Committee on Tuesday. HB 5335 , sponsored by Rep. Richard LeBlanc (D-Westland), aims to clarify the Open Meetings Act
LANSING - Recent changes to the state's tax system will reduce the overall tax burden compared to other states, but will still leave the state slightly more heavily reliant on property taxes and will shift the income tax burden toward individuals, the Citizens Research Council said in a report released Monday. The report, 2009 Tax
LANSING - To replace aging computer systems across state government, Governor Rick Snyder recommended the Department of Technology, Management and Budget receive $50 million to begin the process. The fiscal year 2012-13 budget recommendation totals $1.1 billion ($384 million in general fund). That represents an 8 percent increase from the current year's appropriation overall and