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State Dems decry GOP budget as assault on health care amid federal shutdown

LANSING — For Michigan’s Democrats in the U.S. House, the federal government shutdown comes down to one issue — health care affordability. In a joint press conference held Wednesday morning, hours after Congress missed the deadline to pass a federal budget, all six of the state’s Democratic representatives expressed concerns about rising health care costs, specifically the exclusion of an extension to the Affordable Care Act tax credits in Republican budget proposals. “We hear Republicans over and over all saying that they want to restore the ACA [Affordable Care Act] tax ...

Michigan civil rights groups push back on ICE partnerships, urge local police to step away

LANSING — The ACLU of Michigan and the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center have issued new legal guidance to local law enforcement agencies around the state on how to engage with federal immigration authorities — and urging them not to do any of that enforcement themselves. The guidance, updated from 2017, suggests local agencies adopt policies that protect the relationship between local law enforcement and their communities, which they say is often harmed by increased cooperation with immigration agencies or changing their policies to collect more information about immigration status ...

Michigan House GOP facing pressure over ‘ghost employees’, but leadership says it’s a real problem

LANSING — Much has been said about the Michigan House Republican claims about “waste, fraud and abuse” in government and the allegedly bloated budgets the state has produced since the pandemic days of 2020, but for Speaker Matt Hall, the “ghost jobs” issue is a real problem. The House GOP is hoping the state will adopt some form of its $78.5 billion proposal that contains massive cuts to agencies and programs across the board. At present, those talks remain at a standstill. One of the major mantras in the House GOP’s budget talks is the caucus’ belief that the state’s ...

Michigan’s union-backed teachers, workers rally for equitable budget ahead of government shutdown

LANSING — A cadre of unions representing a wide swath of workers across Michigan on Wednesday demanded that the Legislature, at long last, agree to a budget deal before the current fiscal year ends next week. Michigan is careening toward a government shutdown because the House and Senate have yet to come to terms on how to fund the state in the coming fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. All manner of services, parks, inspections and other vital government functions will cease if the state shuts down due to the budget impasse. Schools are without state funding resources as they enter ...

Feds argue Enbridge shutdown hurts foreign policy

The Trump administration is stepping into the legal fight over whether Enbridge can continue to operate an aging pipeline beneath a Great Lakes channel, arguing that Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer interfered with U.S. foreign policy when she revoked the line's easement almost five years ...

Benson, Duggan duke it out for Teamsters nods in gubernatorial race

LANSING — Two campaigns for Michigan governor this week pulled nods from union groups, chief among them being the powerful Teamsters union that divided its support between a leading Democrat and the sole independent candidate in the race. The battle played out as Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson – seeking the Democratic nomination in the August primary – and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, a former Democrat running for the same office as an independent – both released notices that they gained support from the Teamsters. But Duggan’s campaign had to scale back its initial ...