LANSING - Governor Jennifer Granholm is apparently beginning the process of a massive overhaul of state government to "transform" it so government is more flexible and responsive to new economic realities, sources have said. She may make the restructuring announcement part of her State of the State address on February 3. While details are sketchy,
LANSING - Significant cuts are in the offing for the Michigan 2009-10 budget, Governor Jennifer Granholm said Tuesday, and nothing is off the table in terms of resolving the fiscal plan including cuts to K-12 school aid and consolidating departments. No cuts to school funding should be needed for the remainder of the 2008-09 fiscal
LANSING - Though Michigan Occupational Health and Safety Administration officials argue there is still some time before ergonomics rules would become effective and still a chance they will not happen, business groups argued Friday that a vote to move ahead with the rules Wednesday by the two commissions that launched their creation would guarantee the
LANSING - Government employees and retirees across the state would have to pay 25 percent of the cost of their health care coverage under a ballot proposal former Rep. Lorence Wenke is working on. As a member of the Legislature last term, Wenke introduced several bills that would have put into place the 25 percent
LANSING - The Michigan Petroleum Association/Michigan Association of Convenience Stores is calling on the Legislature not to pass a series of bills backed by road building and various business groups that they say would mean Michigan drivers would pay the highest fuel taxes in the country. Should HB 4575 , HB 4577 , HB 6749
DETROIT - The 2008 Election and the Future of Labor and Employment Law: What will President Obama and the new Congress do is the focus of a Butzel Long complimentary program on Dec. 18. The Obama victory and a filibuster-proof, or effectively filibuster-proof, Senate could mean the most change in federal labor and employment law
LANSING - Administration and legislative officials have been meeting continuously on proposed executive order budget cuts and as soon as the different sides reach an agreement, Governor Jennifer Granholm will issue a letter informing the Legislature that the cuts are being issued, but the Senate leader said Thursday that his chamber will take up the
LANSING - Legislation providing early voting in Michigan, which languished in committee since testimony was taken earlier this year, may see some action this week in the House. HB 4090 , which requires clerks to be open for voting a week before each election, is expected to be reported out of the House Ethics and
LANSING - Governor Jennifer Granholm will be in Philadelphia next week for a National Governors Association meeting where President-elect Barack Obama will talk with the state leaders about the challenges they face in the current economic environment. Vice President-elect Joe Biden will also be at the meeting Tuesday. Obama officials said the topic will be
LIVONIA - Michigan's now 16-year experiment with term limits is a major reason for divisive politics in the state and endangers its future, former Governor William Milliken said at a dinner in his honor. But he raised hopes that the election of Barack Obama as America's next president is a signal that the public is