michigan house of representative

Welfare drug testing bill moves forward in state House

Jake Neher — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:50:23 +0000

Lawmakers in Lansing have moved forward a bill to start drug testing welfare recipients. A state House panel today sent the legislation to the full chamber.

Under the bill, the state would have to have reasonable suspicion before requiring a test. Cash assistance benefits could be terminated for people who test positive.

Republican Representative Jeff Farrington introduced the legislation. He says the government should not pay for people’s drug habits.

Rep. Theresa Abed voices concerns of her constituents

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 23:09:41 +0000

The Michigan House of Representatives welcomed 28 new members after the recent November elections, 19 of which are Democrats. Representative Theresa Abed of Michigan's 71st District, which includes Grand Ledge, is one such Democratic Representative.

Based on her lengthy experience working in Michigan schools, Rep. Abed says that her jump into the political arena was a direct result of her concerns regarding how current legislation is impacting people in her community.

"My whole life I've been an advocate...I've worked in our schools for almost 30 years, and I've always been someone who's involved in the community...Through this process, I've seen that more and more of what's impacting people right now is the legislation that's being enacted," she told Michigan Radio's Jenn White.

Michigan House Republicans release their 2013-2014 plan

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 22:44:48 +0000

Earlier today, Michigan House Republicans announced their plan for the 2013-2014 legislative session.

They call their plan, "Brighter Days Ahead: 2013-14 House Republican Action Plan for Hard-Working Michigan Taxpayers.

Speaker of the House John Bolger (R-Marshall) said this in their press release this morning:

"We are once again presenting the people we serve with a detailed, common-sense approach to resolving challenges that Michigan's hard-working men and women are facing,"

House Republicans say they plan on tackling the following issues:

Gov. Snyder signed 19 bills today

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 18:19:56 +0000

Gov. Snyder signed several bills into law today that he says will strengthen communities and protect taxpayers.

Stateside: Should term limits be overturned?

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 21:34:05 +0000

In a recent Detroit Free Press article, Paul Egan analyzed the effect term limits have on lawmakers’ decisions.

According to Egan, lawmakers often focus more on their next career move than the pressing decisions of the moment.

Term limits were created 20 years ago in Michigan, and now they are under scrutiny.

Stateside’s Cyndy Canty spoke with Paul Egan and Jack Lessenberry about the state’s need to overturn the term limits.