LANSING - A fund that could help smaller telecommunication providers in Michigan bring their intrastate access rates more in line with federal standards would stymie innovation in the industry, a lobbyist for Verizon Communications told the House Energy and Technology Committee on Tuesday. Dave Vehslage, Verizon's lobbyist, testified on HB 4257 , which would ban
LANSING - A $3 million federal grant to train workers for new energy technology jobs will flow through the No Worker Left Behind program, designed to help displaced workers, but the first chunk will go to those already working. The grant, expected to be approved by the Administrative Board next week, is dedicated to the
LANSING - Residents can sign up for unemployment benefits and food assistance grants through a single portal on the state's website and officials are working to move more services there, Gov. Jennifer Granholm announced Wednesday. The Helping Hand Web Site compiles all of the human services programs available through the state and some local non-profit
LANSING - A supplemental bill that included no general fund money when the Senate passed it ballooned to $327 million written from the state's main checkbook as the House approved the bill Wednesday. The bill (SB 334 ) cleared the House on a mostly party-line vote as minority Republicans objected to Democrats discharging the bill
LANSING - Michigan appears to have priced itself out of the market for out-of-state prisoners, at least for one of its possible prison lessees. California Corrections Secretary Matthew Cate told Michigan Corrections Director Patricia Caruso in a letter late Monday that the Golden State could not afford to send prisoners to the Standish Maximum Correctional
LANSING - Gov. Jennifer Granholm should make public the proposals she has made in private negotiations to raise revenue, Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop (R-Rochester) said Wednesday. Bishop declined to identify the proposals Granholm had made in meetings she has held with legislative leaders as they seek an agreement on a fiscal year budget. He
LANSING - Prosecutors would have to maintain any electronic recordings used in a trial as long as there are appeals left under a rule being considered by the Michigan Supreme Court. Under the proposal, submitted by the State Bar of Michigan Representative Assembly, any electronic recordings made by a governmental agency not available during a
LANSING - With municipalities like Macomb County "scrapping for every dime we can get," Finance Director Dave Diegel told the Michigan House Tax Policy Committee is makes sense to look at what economic development incentives aren't working. Diegel's comments came after the Michigan Association of Counties testified Wednesday about the impact tax policy changes in
LANSING - Increasing Michigan's workforce productivity and keeping workers safe is a growing challenge for employees and their employers. Due to the declining economy, safety experts are concerned Michigan employers are pressured to reduce staffing levels while maintaining productivity. "Michigan employers are facing increased threats of extinction while at the same time being pressured to
LANSING - Even though her organization would fight "tooth and nail" to keep the earned income tax credit around, Michigan League for Human Services CEO and President Sharon Parks said Friday lawmakers should have some process for periodically reviewing all of the tax credits that are available. Parks, speaking on Michigan Public Television's "Off the