michigan legislature

Snyder officials to meet with Michigan residents

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:57:10 +0000

Officials from Republican Gov. Rick Snyder's administration are planning to travel across the state this week to take suggestions and answer questions from Michigan residents.

Representatives from the Office of Constituent Services will visit locations in Washtenaw, Livingston, Ingham, Shiawassee, Clinton and Ionia counties on May 23 and 24.

Snyder's office says topics that are open for discussion include the state budget and opportunities for getting involved in state government.

Michigan road funding talks still at standstill

The Associated Press — Sat, 11 May 2013 17:58:00 +0000

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - High-level talks over fixing Michigan's deteriorating roads are at a standstill.

Republican and Democratic leaders can't agree much on how to even proceed.

Feeling burned by passage of a right-to-work law, Democrats won't consider tax increases without public assurances that Gov. Rick Snyder will veto other legislation. Democrats want a repeal of a law guaranteeing better wages on government construction projects taken off the table, along with talk of dividing the state's electoral votes proportionally.

State lawmakers to discuss proposed fixes to Michigan's "broken" indigent defense system

Steve Carmody — Tue, 07 May 2013 05:00:00 +0000

The State Senate Judiciary Committee takes up bills today that would greatly change Michigan’s indigent defense system.

James Samuels is the president of the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan. He says the current system Michigan uses to provide attorneys for poor defendants is “broken”.

Samuels likes the proposed changes, including the way attorneys get contracts to represent indigent defendants.

Making antifreeze safer for children and animals

Kyle Norris — Sun, 05 May 2013 18:48:29 +0000

Antifreeze often looks like a sports-drink or Kool-Aid and it can have a sweet smell that attracts animals and kids. A bill in the Michigan legislature would require that a bittering agent be added to antifreeze so humans and animals don’t want to drink it.

Michigan lawmakers look for ways of closing the online sales tax loophole

Steve Carmody — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 21:01:16 +0000

Michigan lawmakers are looking at how to get online retailers to collect state sales taxes.

Currently, shoppers are supposed to report any sales taxes they owe on online purchases, and pay them with their income tax.

But most people don’t.

State Representative Eileen Kowall’s bill would put the responsibility on the online retailer. She’s quick to say this is not a tax increase, just making sure that the taxes that are owed are being paid.