LANSING - An amended version of SB 351 would allow Michigan to use a portion of the sales tax collected on gasoline and diesel fuel to obtain matching federal highway funds and devote money to state and local roads. In its original form, the bill would have siphoned off the portion of the 6 percent
LANSING - A little-known provision in the emergency 911 law would have a financial, structural and possible legal impact on every college campus, business, hospital, school district, governmental unit, nonprofit organization and any other entity in the state with a hard-wired telephone system if its implementation isn't delayed beyond the December 31 deadline. Testimony given
LANSING - Michigan could wipe out $5.6 billion of its unfunded liability for the future health care costs of retired state workers if the Legislature approves a bill package making sweeping changes. As first reported by Gongwer News Service last week, the Snyder administration is seeking to move all employees under the 401k retirement plan
LANSING - Legislation that would freeze the wages and benefit levels of public employees after their collective bargaining agreement expires without a new deal in place was signed into law Tuesday by Governor Rick Snyder. The bill (HB 4152 ) had not yet been filed with the Department of State, so a public act number
MACKINAC ISLAND - The governor's traditional Detroit office will be converted to part of an urban issues office, Governor Rick Snyder said Friday, while the mayors of the state's two largest cities said the state needs to make it easier for cities to work with their neighbors on services and programs. The comments came from
LANSING - Governor Rick Snyder has asked the Michigan Supreme Court for a wide-ranging advisory opinion on the constitutionality of taxing pensions from public sector jobs that will take place under the tax legislation he signed into law. Snyder's request, filed Tuesday, should short-circuit an expected attempt by public employees to file litigation against the
LANSING - A bill discussed Wednesday at the Michigan House Transportation Committee would change the current distribution of sales tax revenue to give more money to infrastructure in Michigan. HB 4521 would direct that 4 percent of the sales tax allocated on gasoline that now goes to the general fund would be split between the
LANSING ? Michigan's 15 public universities will not be cut 15 percent each, but by varying percentages, Gongwer News Service has learned. The cuts range from 14.5 percent for some universities to as high as 15.4 percent for others, sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Gongwer. Governor Rick Snyder had proposed a 15 percent
LANSING - The Michigan Senate Energy and Technology Committee is expecting quick movement on legislation that would further deregulate the state's telephone industry. The bill (HB 4314 ) is expected to see a few changes based on discussions between the various parties, but the main thrust of considering wireless and voice over Internet protocol as
LANSING - The Michigan general public opposes most of Governor Rick Snyder's major tax and spending proposals, a new poll shows, and some, especially cutting spending on schools, are opposed by Republicans. The results also show a large majority oppose the recently enacted emergency manager act and proposals to take away collective bargaining rights. In