Michigan’s Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II kicked off a media campaign to convince more Michiganders to obtain college degrees or professional certifications.

The “Going Pro” campaign is aimed at increasing the percentage of Michiganders with post-secondary credentials.

Gilchrist says Michigan will need to fill more than a half million skilled trades jobs between now and 2026.

Some Democratic state legislators from across Michigan are forming a coalition to push for an alternative version of changes to car insurance.

Calling themselves the “Real Deal” caucus, the legislators say current Republican bills jeopardize accident victims’ access to health care, and do little or nothing to address excessive rates, or eliminate the use of non-driving factors like credit scores to set rates.

Congressman Justin Amash is facing a likely primary for his seat. State Representative Jim Lower (R-Greenville) says he will challenge Amash for the Republican spot on the 2020 ticket.

This comes after Amash said on Twitter over the weekend that Trump has engaged in "impeachable conduct."

Joel Freeman is chair of the Kent County Republican Party. He says Amash and Trump have been elected on the same ticket before, but he’s not sure if that’s possible again in the future.

Three bills that would allow people such as librarians and teachers to administer treatments for opioid overdoses are being considered in Michigan's state Senate. They are Sen. Paul Wojno's Senate Bill 200, Sen. Curtis Vanderwall's Senate Bill 282, and Peter Lucido's Senate Bill 283.

The bills' sponsors expect votes to happen this week.

Ann Arbor’s 2020 budget will be on the table for a vote at the Monday meeting of the city council.

The proposed budget calls for $430 million in spending for the next fiscal year. That’s up about nine percent compared to the current budget.

Richard Phillips served more than 45 years for a 1971 murder he did not commit. Neal Redick served more than 15 years for criminal sexual assault against a minor—until the alleged victim recanted as an adult. Raymond McCann, a reserve police officer, was charged with perjury until surveillance footage proved him innocent and prosecutors dismissed the charges.

An international trade war could reduce how much money Michigan has to spend on roads, schools, and health care. That’s the word from economists who testified on Friday before a state budget panel that included the state treasurer, and state House and Senate budget directors.
               
The panel’s job is to determine how much revenue is available as the governor and the Legislature put together the state budget. The picture is stable at the moment as the economy hums and employment is high.