Michigan Legislature

The Michigan Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday on whether legislative leaders have any discretion in deciding whether bills passed by the House and Senate must go to the governor.

Independent owners said in Clare on Monday they're paying more than what they make on the medicine they distribute.

A bill to make state records easier to find is working its way through the Michigan House of Representatives.State agencies frequently release reports to the Legislature. But state Representative Joseph Aragona (R-Clinton Twp) said they’re sometimes hard to find since each agency has its own system for handling them and posting them online.

The Michigan Senate passed the rest of its proposals for the next state budget Thursday. That includes a $25 billion spending plan to fund K-12 schools, colleges, and universities. The plan would raise per-student funding by around $250 per student. It would also continue free school meals, put $300 million toward mental health and school safety grants, and $235 million toward helping children read.

A years-long staffing shortage has turned 16-hour mandatory shifts into a daily reality for corrections officers in Michigan's prison system, impacting the safety and wellbeing of nearly everyone inside prison walls.

Michigan has tried raises, bonuses, and prison safety initiatives, but nothing has moved the needle on corrections officers vacancies. No state has found a lasting solution.

Things are especially dire in the Upper Peninsula, where a quarter of prisoners are housed but nearly three-fourths of staff assaults happen and as many as 1 in 3 positions are open.

The Michigan Legislature ended its spring recess and returned to the state Capitol to begin a lawmaking sprint before the summer and fall campaign season takes off.

State lawmakers and the governor's office are not subject to the Freedom of Information Act and certain open meetings regulations.

The May 5 special election between Republican Jason Tunney and Democrat Chedrick Greene will determine if Senate Democrats will be able to hold a one-seat majority in Lansing.