The Lapeer freshman representative and tea party favorite puts faith, family and limited government at the front of his agenda. So why are fellow Republicans running for cover?
Critics question the state’s aggressive defense of a lawsuit by young inmates who say prison officials failed to protect them from sexual assaults. An earlier suit by women inmates cost the state $100 million, far more than taxpayers would have paid had the state settled the case earlier.
The full deposition testimony of seven teenage inmates is notable for its graphic consistency, producing a damning portrait of institutional indifference within Michigan’s prisons.
Complex problems rarely have simple solutions, say the legislators whose last-minute work in December’s lame-duck session produced the byzantine statewide vote to fix Michigan’s roads.
As Michigan drivers swerve around, and fall into, cracks in the state’s transportation infrastructure, the only solution on the table is almost as much of a headache.
A wide range of groups are urging a yes vote on the plan to fix Michigan’s roads, and a few are opposing or staying neutral. How are they lining up? It depends on who stands to get paid.
Bill Drake won an award from his peers -- the people who work behind the scenes to keep the Michigan Legislature running. He’s not used to being in the center of the frame.
The bipartisan deal aligns with overwhelming public support for road investment across the state, even if it means higher taxes. The deal captures $1.2 billion a year for Michigan’s crumbling transportation infrastructure, but requires voters to approve a 1-cent sales tax increase in May.
Bipartisan bills to ensure DNA testing is available for some convicted felons and to compensate those who are wrongly convicted remain stalled in Lansing.
Government and medical studies reveal motorcyclists are more likely to die or be seriously injured if they are not wearing helmets in a crash, raising questions about the 2012 repeal of Michigan’s helmet law. A Republican Legislature sees no reason to take up the issue.
Republicans are promising another effort to change the way Michigan electoral votes are apportioned in presidential races, giving Republican candidates an advantage even when most state votes go to a Democrat.
Gov. Snyder, business groups and state experts agree that more than $1 billion is needed to fix Michigan’s crumbling roads. If an agreement is not brokered in lame duck, the prospects of a deal diminish significantly in January.
Michigan currently uses a confusing, color-coded system for grading the performance of its public schools. Some lawmakers want the state to convert to an A-F grading system that they say is easier for parents and educators to understand.