Mark Brush

More from the Port Huron Times Herald:

Crews are investigating the scene just south of 22nd and Railroad streets in Port Huron where an Amtrak locomotive derailed this morning.

The trailing locomotive derailed shortly after departure about 6:20 a.m. from the station on 16th Street, said Marc Magliari, Amtrak spokesman.

There were 14 passengers on the train, but there were no injuries.

The locomotive is expected to be disconnected from the rest of the train soon so it can continue on to Chicago, Magliari said.

Holly Setter posted this picture of the derailed locomotive on Twitter:

At the site of an @amtrak trailing locomotive derailment in #PortHuron twitter.com/hsetter/status…

— Holly Setter (@hsetter) March 27, 2013

It might not feel like it outside, but warmer temperatures are around the corner.

MLive has A LOT (including live coverage from Bell's Brewery) on the release of one of Michigan's favorite brews:

At least 64 Oberon kegs are ready to be tapped at Bell’s and at least four ‘Oberon Kings and Queens’ were crowned at midnight keg-tapping parties across the state. The brewery opened early on Monday for the event. 

Oberon is a seasonal ale in most markets, but is sold year-round in Florida, Arizona and Puerto Rico. The summer beer is fermented with Bell's yeast, spicy hops and fruity aromas, giving it a light malty taste, most commonly complemented with an orange peel.

The opening day is held at the end of March every year, to coincide with the start of the baseball season and more sunshine.

The lower water levels in the Great Lakes are taking a bite out of the state's pocketbook.

Today, the Legislature sent a budget bill to Gov. Snyder that includes $20.9 million in funding for dredging harbors and marinas suffering from low water levels in Lakes Huron and Michigan.

Update 2:00 p.m.

Here's more on the $20.9 million approved for harbor dredging.

MLive's Tim Martin has a list of the 49 harbors and marinas to be dredged with the funds.

The bill had bi-partisan support, but State Senator Rebekah Warren (D-Ann Arbor) voted against a bill to fund dredging of public harbors and marinas with money from the state's Waterways Fund.

"The Waterways Fund pays for things like maintaining our public marinas so that the public can have access to clean restrooms and great park locations at public marinas around the state - and they depleted that to do dredging. And to me, I just think it’s the wrong priority,” said Warren.

Supporters said it's more important to provide access to the harbors and marinas now. They say they plan to put money back into the Waterways Fund later on.

State Senator Geoff Hansen (R-Hart) said passage of the legislation today (before legislators take a two week spring break) will allow dredging to start in time for the summer boating season.

“With this emergency situation, we needed the money now. We didn’t need to wait, because it won’t do any good once we get into July and August to try and do the dredging then. We needed to put the money up front, get the bids out, get the work done,” said Hansen.

Gov. Snyder is expected to sign the bill quickly to free up the money for dredging contracts.

11:01 a.m.

The state Senate has sent Governor Rick Snyder a budget bill that includes almost $21 million to dredge Great Lakes harbors suffering from record low water levels.

We'll have more soon.

*An earlier headline read "$21 million for Great Lakes harbor dredging." $20.9 million was approved. We changed the headline.

Wetlands can be a thorn in the side for some developers. They stand in the way of new construction and there are so many rules and regulations for building on or near them.

There's a reason for that. Michigan has lost most of its wetlands:

Recently, much wetland destruction has been caused by commercial, industrial, and residential expansion. The estimated 11 million acres of Michigan wetlands existing in pre settlement times has now been reduced to less than 3 million acres. Recent legislation has slowed the loss rate somewhat but threats to these habitats, particularly the smaller wetlands, continue in many areas.

Gov. Rick Snyder and Ducks Unlimited hope a new fundraising license plate will help protect and restore wetlands in Michigan.

More from Gov. Snyder's press release:

“Michigan’s wetlands play a crucial role in the life cycles of our plants and animals, reduce flooding and provide natural recreation,” Snyder said. “These Ducks Unlimited plates will support the preservation of our wetlands.”

Revenue raised by sales of the plates will go toward the Ducks Unlimited Fund in the Department of Treasury, and only will be used for maintenance of Michigan wetlands. Ducks Unlimited will pay $15,000 upfront to defray plate production costs.

Fundraising plates also exists for several other causes in the state.

The plates cost $35 in addition to registration fees, of which $25 goes toward the cause. Renewing the plate costs $10 extra.

Add Washtenaw County to the list of public schools, universities, and governments approving new union contracts ahead of the March 28 right-to-work deadline.

AnnArbor.com's Amy Biolchini has more on the contracts approved last night:

In an unprecedented chain of events, the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners approved 10-year-long contracts with five of its unions Wednesday night one week before Michigan's new right-to-work law takes effect.

In exchange for the extended time frame, the unions agreed to changes in employee contributions to retirement and health care benefits for workers hired in 2014.

Biolchini reports the new contracts include wage increases and reductions in 'legacy costs' for the county. 

The 10-year contracts keep in place the requirement that employees pay union dues or fees as a condition of their employment with the county.

Such terms would be illegal after Michigan's right-to-work law goes into effect next week.

The Legislature is thinking of punishing some state universities that negotiate contracts they see as circumventing the new law.

Part of the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) calls for an expansion of the Medicaid program, but some state legislators and governors are resisting the expansion.

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder is NOT one of those governors resisting.

When he announced his support for the expansion last month, he said it was about being "financially responsible."

Republicans in the Michigan Legislature, however, seem to disagree.

Yesterday, Republicans on a Michigan House Appropriations subcommittee voted to punish universities they believe are trying to avoid the state's new right-to-work law.

The state's new right-to-work law goes into effect on March 28. It outlaws contract agreements with unions that require dues or fees as a condition of employment.

But some public schools and universities are working out new contracts ahead of the deadline.

Wayne State University and the University of Michigan recently struck contracts with their unions causing some legislators to cry foul.

The subcommittee voted to strip public universities of 15 percent of their funding if recently passed contracts or contract extensions did not achieve at least a 10 percent savings.

At this point, it's just a subcommittee vote. To go into effect, the bill would have to pass both the state House and Senate and then be signed by Governor Rick Snyder.

MLive's Jonathan Oosting wrote about Gov. Snyder's thoughts on the bill:

"It's early in the legislative process," Snyder said Tuesday evening when asked about a proposed higher education budget bill that could cost his alma mater, the University of Michigan, millions in state funding next fiscal year.

"What I would say is, if people are coming in and bargaining in good faith and showing real benefits, I don't believe people should be penalized. Now, the real issue would be if somebody were doing that with no substance to simply extend the date, then I could see legislators having a concern. So it's just something to watch in the legislative process."

If it's passed, the universities stand to lose a lot of money:

The University of Michigan...could reportedly lose up to $41.1 million in state funding... [and Wayne State University] could lose up to $27.5 million of a possible $184 million in state funding next year under the proposed budget bill.

The National Low Income Housing Coalition asked the question, "where in America can a low-wage worker afford a two bedroom apartment?"

Their answer:

"Nowhere"

That's "nowhere" assuming the renter is spending no more than 30 percent of their income on housing costs.

Ask any financial advisor and they'll tell you that's the general rule of thumb. It's called the 'housing cost burden.'

Detroit's new emergency manager said he was embarrassed when Detroit News reporters showed him records of four tax liens placed on his house in Maryland.

Orr said he didn't know anything about the liens when shown records of them Friday morning by The Detroit News.

"I don't know what they are," Orr said, as his new boss, Gov. Rick Snyder, sat next to him in The News' offices. "That's surprising to me, to be honest."

Orr promised to take care of the matter right away. 

There was apparently an oversight related to a childcare provider unemployment insurance payment," Wurfel wrote in an e-mail. "Immediately upon learning of the potential issue just today, he took action at once to look into and resolve with the state of Maryland."

Now, Matt Helms of the Detroit Free Press reports the matter has been taken care of: 

A Maryland official confirmed today that two payments have been made on tax liens filed against Kevyn Orr, Detroit’s emergency financial manager after the state went after unpaid unemployment insurance on child care for his two children.

Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation spokeswoman Maureen O’Connor told the Free Press today that she could not discuss specifics of the liens filed against Orr, but said two payments were made on outstanding taxes he owed, so the liens “are in the process of being satisfied.” She declined further comment.

Gov. Snyder said things happen...

“I just view it as that’s not something he was aware of,” Snyder said. “Those things can happen where you had a nanny helping you in your house, you took care of part of the issues and your accountant missed something. And you just go get it taken care of and move ahead.”

When we asked our Facebook fans on Saturday whether they thought this news was a big deal or not... most said, "It's a big deal!"

But maybe Debra Burr put it best when she closed out the comment thread:

"Okay. Now what?"

With the Supreme Court set to take up two cases involving same sex marriage, the issue is on many minds.

On today's show, we head Up North where a Native American tribe is one of the first in the country to legalize same sex marriage.

And, a unique exhibition of prisoner art reflects life for those artists in-prison and once they re-enter society.

But first today, it seems there’s a fair degree of attention paid to the question of trust.

Today, things change for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

After Governor Rick Snyder signed the law this afternoon, the state's largest health insurer will no longer be a 'benevolent trust' owned by the people of Michigan.

Instead, it will transition into a customer-owned, nonprofit, mutual insurance company.

As such, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan will be able to operate without as much state oversight.

Gov. Rick Snyder and Detroit's new emergency manager Kevyn Orr made the talk show rounds this morning.

Gov. Snyder went toe to toe with Rev. Al Sharpton who challenged him that appointing an emergency manager in Detroit is undemocratic.

Sharpton said the appointment of Orr as emergency manager of Detroit "undermines people's right to vote, because the only one who voted for Kevyn was you."

Watch Snyder's response here:

Snyder said the mayor and city council will still have input in the process.

Orr mentioned the turnarounds of Baltimore and Pittsburgh as models for how the city of Detroit can get back on a solid financial footing.

Orr and Snyder also appeared on WWJ this morning and I'm looking for that audio. If I find it, I'll post a link to it here.

Lake levels are low, especially in Lakes Huron and Michigan, so harbors and ports want help clearing the way before boating season starts.

Gov. Snyder called it an emergency.

Members in the Legislature seem to agree as emergency money from the Natural Resources Trust Fund, a fund normally used for public land acquisition or improvement, is closer to reality.