LANSING - Businesses will get a multimillion-dollar break under the state's new Michigan Business Tax, though not as much as earlier versions in the first 10 years that it would apply as the Senate took action on HB 5104 Friday. In addition to phasing in over a 10-year period the full benefit of the break
LANSING ? Gov. Jennifer Granholm took to the airwaves Thursday night to urge the state's residents to pressure legislators to put aside partisan politics and come up with a budget solution that keeps Michigan government from shutting down Oct. 1, when the new fiscal year begins. By law, Michigan can not write a check without
DETROIT - General Motors Corp. and the United Auto Workers early Wednesday morning announced a tentative agreement on a new national contract for about 74,000 U.S. auto workers that includes a historic restructuring of GM's obligations for UAW retiree health care and sets up a mechanism for GM to buyout many of its current workers
LANSING - A second full day of closed-door meetings between Gov. Jennifer Granholm and legislative leaders has led to a rare spark of optimism that the crisis over the 2007-08 budget and a looming government shutdown could be averted. Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop (R-Rochester) felt confident enough over the discussions that late Tuesday he
LANSING ? Michigan government workers have been told in a letter distributed by their department directors that if there is no agreement to resolve the state's 2007-08 budget crisis on Thursday, the state will begin preparations on Friday for a shutdown of services. "In the event a partial shutdown is necessary, details will be released
DETROIT ? Wayne State University President Irvin Reid has resigned after nearly a decade leading the urban university. His resignation will be effective at a date to be named in 2008. No reason was given for his resignation. ?I have enjoyed a wonderful career so far, and am extremely proud of my time at in
SAN FRANCISCO - If you hacked your iPhone to run other applications or use it on other networks, the iPhone Dev Team wants you to wait before installing Apple's forthcoming software update. The group credited with opening up the iPhone to both application development and networks other than AT&T's says it will have a fix
WASHINGTON DC - A soon-to-expire ban on Internet access taxes must be made permanent by Congress, two cabinet-level Bush administration officials urged Wednesday. In a joint statement, U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez and Treasury Department Secretary Henry Paulson said the "vast potential economic and social benefits of electronic commerce" depend on immortalizing an
LANSING ? Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop (R-Rochester) said the first task of the Michigan legislature is to enact a continuation budget to make sure the state government doesn't shut down on Oct. 1, but that budget can not be connected to a bill proposed by Democrats to increase the state income tax. Bishop?s statement
LANSING - Negotiations between Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Senate leaders are underway in what has been described as difficult, but potentially promising discussions to find a resolution to Michigan's fiscal crisis. That was just one development as Michigan is now less that one week from the potential of having no budget and being forced into