Gongwer News Service Michigan

03/24/2026

GRAND RAPIDS – A proposal from House Speaker Matt Hall to cut property taxes by nearly $5 billion is impossible to analyze without more detail, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Monday.

The proposal from Hall, R-Richland Township, would create property tax cuts equating to almost $5 billion, eliminating the state education tax, personal property tax, the real estate transfer tax and the pop-up tax when a home is sold. Hall proposes replacing most of that by applying the sales tax to services, though he has yet to detail the exact services that would be covered to recoup most of the revenue.

Hall also has said his plan will require utilities to cut their rates.

Whitmer previously has said she is open to discussions on property tax relief when it comes to Hall’s proposal. Monday, she sounded less optimistic when asked about the speaker’s proposal.

https://bit.ly/4c2R7AV

03/20/2026

The Air Force is under pressure to get fighter jets to Michigan by the end of 2028, Major General Paul Rogers a House panel on Thursday, but the state needs to help.

Rogers presented the executive budget recommendation for the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs before the House Appropriations Military and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Thursday, but he also spent time giving an update on the Selfridge Air National Guard base.

In the next five years, there is $800 million in federal funds scheduled to come into Selfridge, Rogers said. That money will be used to build new hangars for the fighter jets, new hangars for the refuelers and different aircraft, a simulation center for training and an operation center.

“We’re having ongoing discussions with our federal legislators to get (the funding) into the right year,” he said.

https://pro.stateaffairs.com/mi/politics/selfridge-air-base-construction-timeline

02/24/2026

The state’s bottle deposit law should be retired, a business group said on Monday, calling on the governor to float the idea of repealing the state’s decades-old law and to move toward other methods of recycling during her final State of the State address.

On Monday, the Midwest Independent Retailers Association put out a release urging Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to move the state away from the bottle deposit law, which it said is outdated and expensive.

“We commend Governor Whitmer for her broader efforts to improve Michigan’s recycling rate and invest in a modern recycling infrastructure,” MIRA CEO Bill Wild said in a statement. “The governor’s final State of the State address is a great opportunity to start the transition away from this outdated law and move more quickly toward a modern curbside recycling system, something MIRA will fight for in 2026.”

https://pro.stateaffairs.com/mi/environment/retire-bottle-deposit-law

02/15/2026

In a year without much legislation, social media dominated Michigan politics, with the real action often taking place on X, BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. For a most unusual year, Gongwer News Service has a most unusual selection as Newsmaker 2025: the chronically online politician.

https://bit.ly/463MPWS

01/29/2026

Individuals who end up with medical debt aren’t in debt by choice and should be offered some protection from aggressive debt collection efforts and being saddled with high interest rates on their debt, senators were told on Wednesday.

The Senate Finance, Insurance and Consumer Protection Committee took up a pair of bills for testimony that would prevent large health care providers or medical debt collectors from charging a patient interest or a late fee on medical debt for at least 90 days after the due date of the final medical debt invoice.

Several other provisions were contained within SB 701 and SB 702, which had bipartisan sponsorship as well as support from multiple organizations who offered testimony.

Senate committee reviews bills to shield individuals from aggressive medical debt collection and high interest rates.

01/07/2026

BREAKING: AG Dana Nessel released a formal opinion declaring the unilateral disapproval mechanism used by the House Appropriations Committee to cut $645 million in work projects in December is unconstitutional.

Following a request from Sen. Sarah Anthony, D-Lansing, to review the move through the Management and Budget Act, Nessel said in her formal opinion that the mechanism violates the Separation of Powers and Bicameralism and Presentment requirements in the Michigan Constitution.

She said the law “impermissibly” allows a legislative committee to control the executive’s implementation of already enacted laws.

Attorney General Dana Nessel released a formal opinion declaring the unilateral disapproval mechanism used by the House Appropriations Committee to cut $645 million in work projects in December is unconstitutional. Following a request from Sen. Sarah Anthony, D-Lansing, to review the move through th...

12/31/2025

It was a newsy year.

📊 2,743 stories published
📍 Listeners and readers from Michigan to Seoul
🏆 Multiple awards for our newsroom and MichMash team

From budgets and boards to unexpected moments (yes, even baby deer), we showed up everywhere the story was — and you showed up with us.

Thanks for reading, listening, sharing, and supporting our work. We’re proud of what this team accomplished and even more excited for what’s next.

12/22/2025

The Department of Natural Resources recently upheld a nearly $800 charge for Director Scott Bowen's calendar, saying that, other than the director himself, only one employee within the department can access it.

The charge stems from a Freedom of Information Act request filed in November by Gongwer News Service, in which Bowen's calendar of work-related appointments and meetings was requested for a period of just over a year. The request is the latest in a series of alternate avenues of covering Bowen and his work at the DNR that Gongwer has taken since Bowen repeatedly declined interview requests and is only amenable to answering written questions via a spokesperson.

The Department of Natural Resources recently upheld a nearly $800 charge for Director Scott Bowen’s calendar, saying that, other than the director himself, only one employee within the department can access it.

11/10/2025

The status of November food assistance benefits remained uncertain Friday afternoon as conflicting messages came from the federal government regarding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program contingency dollars.

Late Thursday evening, a Rhode Island federal judge ordered the Trump administration to pay November's SNAP benefits in their entirety, an unexpected move after states had spent the week preparing to issue benefits first at a 50% reduction, then at a 35% reduction upon receiving adjusted federal figures.

Michigan's Department of Health and Human Services had set a Saturday, Nov. 8, date for beneficiaries who were scheduled to see EBT cards reloaded in the first week of the month to have SNAP payments made. DHHS released a statement Thursday night saying those recipients could expect to see their benefits come through within 48 hours of DHHS receiving payment of full funds from the federal government.

https://www.gongwer.com/news/index.cfm?article_id=642190102

11/04/2025

Does anyone really want to serve in the House for 12 years? Reps still looking at Senate despite Prop 1:

Twelve current House members have already announced 2026 campaigns for the Senate, which may not seem like much, but next year's election serves as the first bellwether of the how the changes made to term limits under Proposal 1 of 2022 will affect Michigan politics.

Proposal 1 of 2022 amended term limits so that members of the House and Senate could serve for a combined total of 12 years in both chambers. Previously, members were limited to three two-year terms in the House and two four-year terms in the Senate.

The stated intent of the proposal was that legislators who were in office longer would build better relationships with their constituents, have more accountability and develop expertise.

https://www.gongwer.com/news/index.cfm?article_id=642150101

10/23/2025

The Department of Transportation held a public comment meeting on Wednesday for new rules proposed on rest stops and road facilities, raising concerns about the parking restrictions and permit requirements for political use. https://bit.ly/47COrb1