A survey of superintendents confirms a teacher shortage forcing schools to turn to less-qualified long-term substitutes.

U.S. District Court Judge Robert Jonker says Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel put St. Vincent Catholic Charities “in the position of either giving up its belief or giving up its contract with the state.”

Tucked inside the $59.9 billion budget, Michigan legislators have proposed big cuts to the Department of Education unless it creates A-F school grades, shifts money for redistricting and requires the construction of a controversial psychiatric facility in Caro.

Mental health advocates want Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to veto a plan they say threatens care for 300,000 Medicaid patients. Supporters say the plan safely integrates mental and physical health care for low-income patients.

DTE Electric Co., the state’s largest power provider, said it hopes other utilities will pursue similar goals to slow the earth’s warming from greenhouse gases. The plan drew praise and some skepticism

Yes, Michigan has bad roads, but their quality varies widely throughout the state, according to 2018 rankings of road conditions, which may inform lawmakers’ debate about whether to raise taxes for upgrades.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has several options to challenge the GOP-led Legislature’s budget, ranging from vetoes of line items or department budgets to an aggressive administrative trick pioneered by John Engler. All would avoid a shutdown, but each carries risks.

Oosting brings years of experience covering politics and explaining the inner workings of the legislature, governor’s office and state government agencies.

Republicans strip $10 million allotted to roll out work rules and avoid chaos that has plagued other states. They say it’s a compromise. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says “these budgets are a mess.”

The package would make hundreds of thousands more Michiganders eligible to set aside criminal records. Some Democrats question why they don’t automatically set aside lesser pot convictions, rather than requiring people to petition a court.

A one-time road funding increase and cuts to the Secretary of State’s office are among the Republican budget decisions that Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has strongly opposed, and may veto.

Michigan’s largest county is perpetually short of officers to guard jail inmates that critics contend shouldn’t be incarcerated in the first place. ‘It’s a screwed up system,’ a sheriff’s official admits.