Michigan Technology related politics
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 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
LANSING - The Michigan House is "still talking" about legislation that would exempt data centers from sales, use and personal property taxes, but a spokesperson for House Republicans said the chamber is likely to leave the property tax exemption behind. With only one week of session left in the year, the House has to pass
LANSING - Michigan's legislators tend to be older and more predominately male and white than the state's general population, a study by the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Pew Charitable Trusts said. And legislators are far better educated than the general public, with at least 75 percent having a bachelor's degree or higher
BATTLE CREEK - The Battle Creek Air National Guard base will see 70 new jobs with the assignment of a cyber operations squadron to the base. Battle Creek will house one of the four new squadrons intended to defend the nation against computer-based attacks. The base has housed a cyber range hub, part of the
LANSING - The Michigan House continues to work with its members to get the votes needed to pass legislation that would provide sales, use and property tax exemptions for data centers in the state, something inspired by Switch, a Nevada-based center looking to move into West Michigan. The House Tax Policy Committee on Wednesday reported
LANSING - The Michigan House narrowly approved a bill to eliminate straight-ticket voting Wednesday and also cleared legislation establishing "secure" no-reason absentee voting with Democrats mostly in staunch opposition to both during a long and contentious session. Seven hours passed with the House mostly at a standstill before it finally took up SB 13 to
LANSING - Industry and environmental groups remained split on new air emissions rules based on their comments Monday at a public hearing on the changes. The rules, developed as a result of Governor Rick Snyder's rules advisory committee process to comb through the state's regulations, would reduce the number of chemicals required to be regulated
LANSING - While changes to legislation providing tax exemptions for date centers - like Nevada-based Switch, that would like to come to the state if the tax changes are passed - weren't expected by the committee chair, Michigan House Speaker Kevin Cotter said after a lengthy caucus on the subject, the bills could see some
