The package of four bills, two sponsored by Democrats and two sponsored by Republicans, provide increased access to support services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, add privacy protections and allow oral impact statements to be given virtually.
According to a survey from the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan law and policy group aimed at upholding democratic values, 1 in 3 election officials have faced threats, with more than half of those individuals being threatened in person.
Raise the Wage Michigan, a coalition advocating for increasing the state’s minimum wage, has filed a lawsuit with the Michigan Supreme Court following the Michigan Board of State Canvassers’ decision last month against certifying a ballot initiative to increase the minimum wage to $15 and phase out the tipped wage.
With the cost of water adjusted for inflation nearly doubling since 1980, lawmakers have introduced Senate Bills 549–554 in a bid to create a statewide water affordability program and prevent shutoffs.
As tribes establish their own water quality standards and permitting programs, some experts believe they could play a critical role in fighting pollution and ensuring that the resources they depend on for subsistence and cultural values are preserved.
Implementing government transparency reforms required under Proposal 1 passed by voters last year is time-sensitive. The proposal's eventual passage came after a 2015 Center for Public Integrity state ranking of government transparency and accountability gave Michigan an “F” grade, ranking it worst in the nation.
In a new report evaluating state redistricting efforts, Michigan scored a “B” based on feedback from state and local organizations, advocates and community organizers.
“Over the course of this law’s existence, residents in Michigan have been denied justice, and that is a moral problem,” state Sen. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor) said. “They deserve access to the courts, they deserve access to justice, but it’s also cost our people millions, and probably billions, of dollars.”
Insurers and state regulators are being pushed to improve mental health care coverage from the federal level. The move comes as overdose deaths rise and youth mental health problems grow more rampant, disproportionately affecting communities of color. Inflation and a shortage of mental health care providers, including psychiatrists and specialists who treat adolescents, further hinder access to care.
The Senate Education Committee at its Tuesday meeting discussed bills that would change the standards schools use to evaluate the performance of teachers and school administrators.
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