Policy Issues

A dispute over a state-funded study of Michigan's Native American boarding schools escalated Thursday as lawmakers heard sharply conflicting accounts about why a 300-plus-page report has not been made public.

Parents who were horrified after learning their children’s karate instructor was a registered sex offender helped spearhead bills that would prohibit sex offenders from working at or owning businesses whose services target children.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Aric Nesbitt (R-Lawton) became the latest candidate to propose eliminating the state income tax as part of an economic agenda that also calls for making Michigan a Right-to-Work state and creating a special state office charged with weeding out "waste, fraud and abuse" across state government.

Most Americans agree, 80 percent, that news is important, but the extent of the agreement ends there, according to a Pew Research survey. It isn't a one-off and help is needed from the Legislature to fix the problem.

Without Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) giving him days off for pre-operation appointments, Sen. Joseph Bellino Jr. (R-Monroe) said he could never have been an organ donor to his brother-in-law, to whom he gave a kidney in summer 2024.

A trade association cautioned about the impact on app developers as states consider laws requiring app stores to verify users’ ages before downloading certain apps. 

“How many of you guys think this plan has merit?” said 2026 gubernatorial candidate Mike Duggan.

It's old news that America today is deeply divided along a lot of different fault lines.

Attorney General Dana Nessel launched a new reporting form to collect information from residents regarding immigration action in Michigan.

The objectives of ensuring candidates and elected officials' privacy while also making their areas of residence more transparent to voters might seem to be somewhat in tension. A Rachelle Smit (R-Shelbyville) bill looks to move toward both.

Telemarketers peddling for-profit products to those on the federal do-not-call list with a fake phone number, a pre-recorded caller and no established consumer-business relationship face as much as a $75,000 civil fine under five bills that passed the Senate unanimously on Thursday.

If elected governor, U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Township) said he would support expanding the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to records in the governor's office and publicly disclose all of his personal finances in the same manner he's required to do so in Congress.

Frustrations over how the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) classifies “rural” dominated Tuesday's House Appropriations hearing, as Rep. Phil Green (R-Millington) and Rep. Cam Cavitt (R-Cheboygan) challenged the department on the criteria used to determine whether Michigan counties for sweeping new federal Rural Health Transformation dollars.

So far in the 103rd Legislature, Rep. Steve Carra (R-Three Rivers) – one of the chamber's conservative members – has voted with the most progressive member – Rep. Dylan Wegela (D-Garden City) – nearly 50% of the time.

A glass jar of raw milk sat on the testimony table alongside Oreo cookies Thursday morning as Rep. Matt Maddock (R-Milford) kicked off a Government Operations Committee hearing on legislation that would allow a direct farm-to-consumer producer or designated agent to sell raw milk.

The Republican-led House is prepared to do “big things” in 2026 despite it being an election year, said House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) during Wednesday’s first press conference of the year.

The Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) blasted Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Mike Rogers for his perceived position on healthcare Tuesday, framing it as supportive of the insurance premium hikes that thousands of Americans are encountering early this year.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris Swanson said law enforcement “is better than" what he saw in video footage from Minnesota, where a federal immigration agent shot a protester to death.

Democratic gubernatorial frontrunner Jocelyn Benson Thursday proposed a $5,000 caregiver tax credit as part of a health care reform agenda that she sees as a top campaign priority in 2026. The sitting Secretary of State noted that Michigan is dealing with a growing aged population that some have called a “senior tsunami.”

Michigan power companies would be required under law to restore power to 95% of their customers after a major storm or face escalating fines, management oversight changes or rejected cost recovery proposals under a proposal released Wednesday from Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Leonard.