LANSING - In 10 years, the total inflation rate in Michigan has been 18.5 percent, but total state spending on its main budgetary areas has increased by just 1.4 percent, according to figures released by the Senate Fiscal Agency. The SFA, in a document released late last week, showed that if the Legislature adopts Governor
DETROIT - On April 14, President Obama signed a bill to repeal controversial expanded information reporting on Form 1099 for certain business payments and rental property expense payments. The Senate passed H.R. 4 on April 5, the House had approved the bill on March 3, 2011. To offset cost of repeal, H.R. 4 increases the
LANSING - The tentative agreement on taxes for the 2011-12 fiscal year budget between Governor Rick Snyder and top legislative leaders came under withering criticism from Democrats, advocates for the poor and the AARP as an insult to the state's seniors and working class, but business groups praised it for dramatically improving the state's business
LANSING - As the House committee overseeing the decennial reapportionment process began its deliberations, it was told the story of Michigan's population changes during the preceding decade was more complex and nuanced than it might appear. While the state lost population during the preceding decade, the only state in the union to do so, it
LANSING - If the Department of Natural Resources no longer can afford to maintain the 23 state forest campgrounds it plans to close, then the DNR should offer to sell them to local governments for $1, several legislators from northern Michigan said Monday. The group is developing legislation that would transfer the management responsibilities of
LANSING - An email that opponents of the proposed Detroit River International Crossing say shows the state knew that bridge toll revenues could not pay for the bridge does not specifically deal with the bridge project Governor Rick Snyder is proposing and as such is not relevant to the actual project, Lt. Governor Brian Calley
LANSING - The single most significant proposal Governor Rick Snyder has made that has not yet been put to the Legislature in bill form, to build a new Detroit River international crossing, is being crafted with care, Lt. Governor Brian Calley said Thursday, with the aim of ensuring the state does not lose out on
LANSING - Governor Rick Snyder's proposal to overhaul taxes through a new corporate income tax and the elimination of several exemptions, like the ones for pension income, will undergo changes in the House, although the exact nature of those alterations remains undetermined, Rep. Jud Gilbert said Wednesday. Gilbert (R-Algonac), chair of the House Tax Policy
LANSING - The 10 most structurally deficient bridges in Michigan may be located in urban areas, but some rural counties have the highest number of bridges in bad shape, according to a new report issued by Transportation for America. In "The Fix We're In For: The State of Michigan's Bridges" only four out of Michigan's
LANSNG - To applause from state retail industry leaders, Governor Rick Snyder signed a bill Tuesday ending Michigan's decades-old item pricing law. Eliminating the law that has been in place since the 1970s is "a great day of celebration," Snyder said, which should help consumers save money and help the state expand its economy. And