Implementing government transparency reforms required under Proposal 1 passed by voters last year is time-sensitive. The proposal's eventual passage came after a 2015 Center for Public Integrity state ranking of government transparency and accountability gave Michigan an “F” grade, ranking it worst in the nation.
In a new report evaluating state redistricting efforts, Michigan scored a “B” based on feedback from state and local organizations, advocates and community organizers.
“Over the course of this law’s existence, residents in Michigan have been denied justice, and that is a moral problem,” state Sen. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor) said. “They deserve access to the courts, they deserve access to justice, but it’s also cost our people millions, and probably billions, of dollars.”
The Senate Education Committee at its Tuesday meeting discussed bills that would change the standards schools use to evaluate the performance of teachers and school administrators.
Annual data from Michigan State Police shows a stark decrease in the number of domestic violence victims from 101,171 reported in 2010, to 69,765 in 2022. However, fatalities rose during the same period from 89 deaths in 2010 to 101 in 2022, despite the decline.
State Sens. Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing) and Mary Cavanagh (D-Redford Twp.) on Tuesday introduced a set of bills intended to reform Michigan’s auto insurance system and improve access to care for drivers who were severely injured in car accidents.
Students, lawmakers and environmental activists from across the state gathered Tuesday on the Capitol steps, calling for climate action, environmental justice and clean energy policy.
Youth criminal justice stakeholders told lawmakers this week that some families of juveniles in Michigan owe upwards of $100,000 in non-restitution related fees to the court. They added that the time and money dedicated to collection of those fees outweighs any benefit to the state and Black families often bear the highest debts.
The bills would repeal a ban on local project labor agreements and a law preempting local government’s ability to set labor standards including higher-than-state-minimum wage and other benefits — nicknamed the “Death Star” bill in reference to “Star Wars.”
The “Restaurant Workers Bill of Rights” would raise wages and improve work conditions for restaurant staff.
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