Legislative

House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) said he was “feeling charitable” when he helped move a bill, HB 4044, to designate the wood duck as Michigan's official state duck, taking a jab at bill sponsor Rep. Alabas Farhat (D-Dearborn) in the process.

Family caregivers are quietly propping up the nation’s health care system to the tune of nearly $1 trillion a year, and Michigan lawmakers are looking to take another crack at easing the burden.

Michiganders whose workplace doesn't offer retirement benefits could enroll in a state-run individual retirement account (IRA) program, under legislation the Senate Labor Committee moved March 19. 

A new statewide poll shows a clear majority of voters still believe the country is on the wrong track, while partisan splits continue to harden across nearly every major issue, from the direction of the state to job approval ratings for top political figures.

Senate Democrats adopted a resolution urging President Donald Trump and Congress to reverse federal energy policies they say are driving up fuel and utility costs, prompting sharp criticism from Republicans who dismissed the move as partisan messaging that will not lower prices.

House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) doubled down on having received a sunshine award from a publicly invisible entity for having successfully pushed for transparency in the legislative earmark process last year.

The House Oversight Committee could soon take up an investigation into the Interlochen Center for the Arts after Rep. Penelope Tsernoglou (D-East Lansing) formally requested a probe into the school's past ties to convicted child sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.

On Friday night, former House Speaker and Republican gubernatorial candidate, Tom Leonard, posted photos on Facebook of himself smiling alongside Detroit sports legends for "313 Day," including Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and Hall of Famer Barry Sanders.

More than half of the salaried employees working in the Michigan Senate earn more than the senators themselves, according to a review of the updated employee salaries received by MIRS via House rules. 

Rep. Alabas Farhat (D-Dearborn) has emerged as one of the most outspoken voices in Michigan’s Legislature criticizing the United States’ involvement in the escalating conflict with Iran, raising concerns in recent days through a press conference, social media posts and television appearance.

After the Detroit News reported that Senate Majority Floor Leader Sam Singh (D-East Lansing) might not run for reelection, House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) gave the story additional legs by postulating that the Democratic senator could be fixing to join the lucrative ranks of multi-client lobbyists in this town.

The House on Tuesday passed legislation to set aside $152 million for new runways at Selfridge Air National Guard Base to accommodate the 21 new F-15EX Eagle II coming to the Macomb County base to replace the retiring A-10 Warthogs, although a source connected with the Governor's office told MIRS Tuesday House members “jumped the gun.”

Roughly 50 people gathered outside the Capitol Monday evening protesting the U.S. military action in Iran. The protest follows the United States' Saturday airstrikes in Iran that have drawn sharp criticism from those who argue President Donald Trump's administration shouldn't have started what could become a prolonged conflict without congressional approval.

Rep. Karen Whitsett (D-Detroit) announced in a press release that she will not seek reelection and will not run for public office "ever again," describing the decision as a "spiritual" one rooted in her Christian faith.

Trust in government and institutions is low, but with work it can be restored.

Democrats from several factions banded together to call for the stoppage of a Romulus warehouse being converted into an immigrant detention center. They also expressed fear that Michigan could be the next target of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

If the states successfully call for a national constitutional convention, Michigan would send five commissioners and five alternates who are at least 25 years old, registered voters and someone who has been a U.S. citizen and Michigan resident for at least five years under legislation considered in a House committee Thursday.

Michigan's last four governors called for folks to dial back the vitriol in today's politics, with each taking a unique twist on the subject of civility during a special lunchtime panel put on by the Ford Presidential Foundation and Michiganders for Civic Resilience.

The race to become Senate Democrats' next leader consists of some unknowns. While Sen. Darrin Camilleri (D-Trenton) is the senator most publicly and actively running for the job, another talked-about contender, Senate Majority Floor Leader Sam Singh (D-East Lansing), might not be running for reelection this year.

The push-and-pull between youth and their elders has played out over time immemorial. Every generation says theirs is different.