gretchen whitmer

High school basketball finals are happening this week in Michigan.

That’s despite the fact that the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control has recommended that Michigan, among other states, restrict indoor youth sports.

Three more men will face trial over the alleged plot to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

Paul Bellar, Joseph Morrison, and Pete Musico face charges of providing support to a terrorist act, being part of a gang, and of having a firearm while committing a felony.

“I would contend that all of these people are not necessarily crazy, but perhaps erratic,” said Judge Michael Klaeren, of the 12th District Court in Jackson County. “Which makes them the most dangerous of criminals, because you can’t predict them.”

Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday resubmitted 17 appointments to state boards and commissions that were rejected earlier by the state Senate.

This is the last week before the Legislature is expected to take its spring break.

The Legislature’s Democratic leaders said that recess should not begin without a vote on appropriating another round of federal COVID-19 response funds.

House Minority Leader Donna Lasinski (D-Scio Township) said that money could help schools pay for COVID safety measures as they’re being asked to offer at least 20 hours a week of in-person learning.

"This money is what public schools need now, that they should have received by today for a safe return to in-person learning," she said. "Not tomorrow, or a week from now. Today."

A man who joined a group of secretive Michigan militia men testified Friday about how they talked about kidnapping Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

The man, identified only as "Dan," became a confidential informant for the FBI not long after he joined the Wolverine Watchmen.

Dan is a U.S. Army veteran. He says he learned about the Watchmen from Facebook. Dan says he joined the militia group because he was interested in military style training.

An FBI agent is scheduled to return to the witness stand Thursday for a pre-trial hearing for three men accused of being part of an alleged plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor.

The pre-trial hearing for defendants Pete Musico, Joseph Morrison and Paul Bellar began Wednesday.  They are facing numerous charges, including providing material support for terrorist acts. 

Governor Gretchen Whitmer said Tuesday that more COVID-19 restrictions can be relaxed.

Restaurants will be allowed to accept twice as many indoor diners, retail shops may allow more customers, and more people will be allowed to attend private indoor gatherings starting Friday.

Whitmer said restaurants will also be allowed to stay open an hour later – until 11 p.m.

Updated Tuesday, March 2 at 5:03 p.m.:

Republicans in the state Legislature say they will hold hearings on severance payments to former Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Robert Gordon and a top deputy.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer said Tuesday that she cannot go into specifics on a personnel matter, including payments that will total more than $155,000 to Gordon.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer made an online pitch Friday to Upper Peninsula civic leaders to support her 2021 agenda, including clean energy and workforce training plans. And she asked them to hold to account politicians who fail to condemn hate and violence in public life.

The governor met with business and education leaders online instead of her usual in-person U.P. swing following the State of the State address and budget rollout.

Republican state lawmakers are raising questions about the Democratic governor’s policies concerning COVID-19 and Michigan’s long-term care and nursing homes.

Since the outbreak began a year ago, about a third of Michigan's 15,453 coronavirus-related deaths were people in long-term care facilities and nursing homes.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s administration wants to give an extra $70 million to cities in Michigan hurting from a decline in income tax revenues.

A total of 24 cities in the state collect local income taxes. They face the potential of a significant revenue decline in the coming year because of pandemic-related job losses.

Cities face additional shortfalls because more people have been working from home. Some cities collect much of their income tax revenue from non-residents who come into the city for work. 

Governor Gretchen Whitmer unveiled her $67.1 billion proposed budget Thursday and began the job of selling her plan to the Legislature’s Republican leaders.

The relationship between the Democratic governor and GOP leaders has hovered between frosty and hostile, with fights over the state’s COVID-19 response often at the center.

The governor said settling disagreements on return-to-school plans, helping businesses, and vaccine distribution is critical as the response moves from crisis management to recovery.

A trial for five men accused of planning to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer has been postponed for seven months to give defense lawyers more time to receive and analyze evidence, a federal judge said Wednesday.

The March 23 trial has been moved to October 12 in federal court in Grand Rapids.

Republican leaders in the state Legislature say they want better oversight on federal COVID-19 relief dollars.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has introduced a plan calling for the allocation of $5.6 billion dollars in federal and state money. She says Michigan is lagging behind in terms of getting the cash to people who need it.

“Other states are deploying these resources to support their children, to support businesses that are struggling, to roll out their vaccine distribution. Michigan is sitting on them, and it's because we're waiting for the Legislature to appropriate these dollars.”

The state of Michigan is accepting applications for a new tuition-free assistance program.  

“Michigan Reconnect” will help residents earn an associate's degree or post-secondary certificate at their local community college or a private training school.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says the program will help the state meet a growing demand for high skilled-college educated workers.

First, they lost in court. Now, four pro-Trump attorneys who tried to overturn Michigan’s 2020 presidential election results could lose their ability to practice law.

Michigan’s top three elected state officials are calling for the disbarment of controversial attorney Sidney Powell and three Michigan lawyers who tried to win in court what President Donald Trump lost at the election booth.  

The lawsuit, King v Whitmer, brought by the pro-Trump attorneys, cited false claims of voter fraud.  Similar lawsuits were filed in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Wisconsin and Arizona.  

On Monday, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson filed complaints with the Attorney Grievance Commission of the State of Michigan and the State Bar of Texas.

“What’s the point of even going to school anymore if I can’t play my sport that I love?” 17 year old  Nataliegh Badgero asked state lawmakers Thursday. She loves basketball. But she can't play for her school right now. 

Michigan legislators held a pair of committee hearings to give high school student athletes and their parents a chance to make their plea to let students play winter and spring sports despite the covid pandemic.

Federal prosecutors have reached a plea agreement with one of the men charged in the alleged plot to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Under the agreement, Ty Garbin of Hartland Township, agrees to plead guilty to the charge of conspiring to kidnap the Governor. The charge carries a sentence of up to life in prison, but under the agreement, prosecutors have agreed to recommend a lesser sentence.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer is set to give her third State of the State address Wednesday, January 27 at 7 p.m. According to the state, Whitmer will reflect on "actions she has taken as governor to support Michiganders, eradicating COVID-19 and strengthening the state’s economy, and fixing the road ahead." 

Governor Gretchen Whitmer and state health officials say they are very concerned about a new variant of COVID-19 that’s been found in Michigan. And that could affect the course of the state’s response and the pace of re-opening more schools, sports, and businesses.

One man has decided to plead “guilty” for his role in the alleged plot to kidnap the governor.

A total of 14 men have been charged for the alleged plot – eight in state court, six in federal.

Ty Garbin, a 25-year old from Livingston County, is charged in federal court. Prosecutors alleged he hosted the other men at his property in northern Michigan, and went along with surveillance of the governor’s vacation home.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer is strongly encouraging all K-12 schools in Michigan to reopen for some in-person instruction by March 1. The move comes as the state is set to offer the coronavirus vaccine to teachers starting next week.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer vetoed a bill this week that would've allowed people to ask to have a drunk driving conviction expunged from their record.

SB1254 would have allowed a person convicted of a DUI to ask a judge to set aside the conviction. The legislation would not allow additional DUI offenses or convictions related to death or serious injuries to be expunged.

The DUI expungement bill passed both chambers of the Michigan Legislature with broad bipartisan support.  The bill was also supported by top officials including Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and state Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget McCormack.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer used her veto pen Wednesday to reject a series of Republican bills aimed at curbing her power during the pandemic.

The governor issued 13 vetoes, covering a wide range of bills.

Three bills vetoed by the governor are directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer vetoed part of the COVID relief bill which would have allowed more kinds of hazardous materials to cross the Ambassador Bridge.

Language from a 2012 draft report by the Department of Transportation was lifted and inserted into the supplemental COVID relief package. It would require the Michigan Department of Transportation to recommend the federal government permit two additional classes of hazardous materials to cross the international bridge.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer says she’s looking forward to a better relationship with the White House once President-elect Joe Biden takes office.

Whitmer is a frequent Trump critic and Trump famously criticized her as “that woman from Michigan.” She is a co-chair of Biden’s inauguration planning committee.

Whitmer says she expects help from the Biden administration on some critical initiatives in its first federal budget proposal.