LANSING - As agriculture continues to expand in Michigan, the state needs to expand its infrastructure capabilities to help move the products to markets, the head of the Michigan Agri-Business Association said at forum, and that means improving rail and water transportation along with the roads. Jim Byrum, president of the association, said those improvements
LANSING - Public universities would have to hold tuition increases to no more than 3 percent to receive part of a proposed funding increase under the higher education budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year approved Tuesday by a House subcommittee. Governor Rick Snyder's budget recommendation called for limiting tuition increases to 4 percent. Additionally, tuition
DETROIT - A solemn Governor Rick Snyder confirmed on Thursday what Detroit and state residents expected by saying he would declare a financial emergency in Michigan's largest city and name an emergency financial manager, but he also hoped that with the action a process of restoring and rebuilding Detroit would begin. Flanked by Detroit Mayor
LANSING - A new study shows 311 local governments in Michigan have a combined unfunded liability of $12.7 billion, a specialist from Michigan State University told the House Financial Liability Reform Committee on Thursday. Eric Scorsone, an MSU Extension specialist, said in a new report that Detroit carries 39 percent of the unfunded liabilities, with
LANSING ? Michigan Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville told reporters Tuesday he still hopes his chamber will vote on a proposal to enact a state-federal exchange on the Affordable Care Act this month. Members of Mr. Richardville's (R-Monroe) caucus are still discussing various ramifications of the proposal that would have joint management of a health
LANSING - The Michigan Senate did not meet the March 7 deadline to pass legislation calling for a statewide vote in the May election that would increase or change the distribution of the sales tax to put more money toward funding the state's roads, but there is still the potential for a special election or
LANSING - Whether the state will be able to use Natural Resources Trust Fund grants to pay for dredging projects appears to hedge on the Legislature's latitude in defining development. Legislation discussed Thursday in the Senate Outdoor Recreation Committee (SB 229 ) would define dredging as a development activity and allow the trust fund board
LANSING- The Michigan Economic Development Corporation Thursday announced the application deadline is April 26 for the Downtown Development Planning Grant program. The program is aimed at helping Michigan non-entitlement communities develop plans to increase the viability to improve a property, create economic opportunities to revitalize and stimulate job creation and investment within the downtown. ?Improving
LANSING- Governor Rick Snyder said if employers and workers are agreeing to contract extensions prior to the right-to-work law taking effect March 28 without "significant economic benefit," it would concern him. Speaking with reporters after an event Wednesday, Snyder was asked about Republican legislators threatening to punish school districts and public universities in the appropriations
LANSING - Macomb Chief Circuit Judge David Viviano will become Michigan's 108th Supreme Court Justice after he was named Wednesday by Governor Rick Snyder to succeed disgraced former Justice Diane Hathaway. Viviano, 41, was praised by Snyder for being a "rule of law" judge - "which is critically important" - and for playing a major