State News

Federal and state officials say they’ve broken up a plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. This afternoon, state Attorney General Dana Nessel said the elaborate scheme was allegedly coordinated by a right-wing militia group called the Wolverine Watchmen…” [NESSEL]. It’s not immediately clear how many people have been arrested. …

The Michigan Department of State is calling foul on a video distributed by the Michigan Republican Party. Text accompanying the video says it shows a ballot drop box in the City of Lansing, left unlocked. An accompanying statement from Michigan Republican Party Chair Laura Cox says she’s “outraged at the …

With three-and-a-half weeks to go in the United States Census, the final push is on to get as many residents counted as possible. At a news conference in Lansing yesterday, State Demographer Eric Guthrie reported that 71 percent of Michigan households have self-reported their status… [GUTHRIE B]. “That means the …

Former Vice President Joe Biden is again widening his lead over Donald Trump in the presidential race in Michigan. A poll taken over the weekend by the Glengariff Group for The Detroit News and WDIV-TV in Detroit showed the Democratic challenger with a nine-point lead statewide – 48 percent to …

Today is Michigan School Count Day. Attendance taken at schools today will weigh heavily in determining how much aid schools get from the state. This year, it won’t be as significant as it usually is. Typically, fall Count Day attendance is weighted 90 percent against a second count taken in …

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer is calling for the legislature to act quickly to continue extended unemployment benefits… “Hundreds of thousands of hardworking people who head up families and need to put food on the table will lose their unemployment benefits if the legislature doesn’t act in the next few days. …

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services continues to fill in the vacuum created by the dissolution of Whitmer’s COVID-19 safety executive orders. Yesterday, Director Robert Gordon directed school districts to post information about probable or confirmed school-associated COVID-19 diagnoses prominently on the district website within 24 hours.  Guidelines …

Michigan’s November election results likely won’t be finalized until the Friday of election week. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson spoke in Lansing yesterday… “Now, it may be sooner, but we want to manage those expectations and we want all watching our election to be patient as our clerks work methodically, …

U.S. Senator Gary Peters is in isolation because of COVID-19 concerns. The Michigan Democrat was seated close to Republican Senator Ron Johnson at a recent Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee meeting. Johnson has since tested positive for COVID-19. Peters says he’s since tested negative, is feeling fine, and …

Although the Michigan Supreme Court has struck down Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s emergency authority to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, don’t expect anything to change immediately.  Whitmer has 21 days from the release of the decision last Friday to request a re-hearing. Typically, court orders do not take effect until after appellate …