In what appeared to be a compromise to get votes, a politically appointed commission with broad powers over Michigan schools was downgraded to an “peer review panel.” Bill now goes to Senate.

The Republican bill requires signatures to be collected from across much of the state and adds more rules for signature collectors. The bill is also supported by business groups but opposed by Democrats, Right to Life and the ACLU.

Grassroots Republican leaders say legislation will help preserve Michigan’s booming economy and make it harder for Democrats to act on some of their more radical impulses.

Each year, Michigan helps 122,000 families keep the heat on when bills rise too high. This year, the state is enforcing controversial asset tests meant to crack down on fraud.

The bill would require signatures from a wide variety of congressional districts and add other restrictions to the signature gathering process necessary for citizens to bring an initiative to the ballot or their legislators.

Since the chaotic lame duck session began in late November, hundreds of bills have been introduced and voted on, some that would have major effects on Michigan.

The Republican signed legislation to create a Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority to oversee a proposed tunnel surrounding the controversial pipeline.

Republicans say legislation provides uniformity for businesses; Democrats say it would make it harder to respond to threats such as PFAS.

A bill to allow the Legislature to intervene in lawsuits has been scaled back to limit the instances in which lawmakers could do so.

As Michigan lawmakers race to create a deal to protect Line 5, a new report flags 15 areas across the Great Lakes where habitats are vulnerable to oil spills.

The House and Senate quickly approved a bill Tuesday to help Gov. Snyder lock-in a plan to swap out twin pipelines beneath the Straits of Mackinac and protect them in a bedrock tunnel. Critics decry a rush before a Democrat becomes governor.

Party activists want Gretchen Whitmer and other incoming Dems to lash out as Republicans seek to rein in their power. But party insiders urge patience as they try to limit damage and quietly seek vetoes from Gov. Snyder.