LANSING ? As earlier reported, Gov. Rick Snyder Tuesday signed an executive order splitting the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Quality into two separate departments. Executive Order 2011-1, the governor?s first executive order, creates a Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Department of Natural Resources (DNR) as separately functioning departments so each is
LANSING - It will be back to the future for Jan Winters, who will return as state employer in charge of labor relations with state employees for Gov. Rick Snyder after once holding the post for former Governor John Engler, Gongwer News Service has learned. Winters replaces Sharon Bommarito, who was an appointee of former
LANSING - Major General Greg Vadnais, a former division commander who led troops in Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia and in the Hurricane Katrina rescue effort, will assume the post of adjutant general and take command of the Michigan National Guard, Gov. Rick Snyder announced Tuesday. In that role, Vadnais (pronounced VAD-nay) will also serve as director
LANSING - Governor Rick Snyder's first full day on the job Monday included meetings with Budget Director John Nixon and Michael Finney, head of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Gov. Snyder reiterated in comments on WJR-AM and WWJ-AM that he planned to propose a two-year budget with the goal of having it signed into law
LANSING - Governor-elect Rick Snyder will keep Kirk Steudle as his Department of Transportation director and will promote Lt. Col. Kriste Etue to the top post on the Department of State Police. Steudle has been head of Transportation since 2006 and has been under fire from Republicans in recent years for his support of the
LANSING ? Gov. Jennifer Granholm said Friday that her administration has laid the foundation for the "Next Michigan" she described in her second inaugural address of 2007, where the state would have a diversified economy and better-educated workforce. Leaving office in 15 days after a wrenching eight years of economic upheaval, Granholm, continuing a series
LANSING ? Gov. Jennifer Granholm, in part two of her year-end interview, said she declined to critize the Michigan Business Tax ? unlike House Speaker Andy Dillon (D-Redford Twp.) and Sen. Majority Leader Mike Bishop (R-Rochester) - reserving her criticism instead for the MBT surcharge. "I think that the idea of making it more profit-sensitive,
LANSING - Conflict over industrial personal property tax exemptions and confusion over who should get such breaks has spurred thousands of court and administrative appeals and moved the elimination of the personal property tax to the top of the agenda for many business and political leaders in Michigan. Taxing authorities have said only property used
LANSING ? Michigan Senate Republicans are wrapping up the process of committee assignments, and among the committee chairs are Sen.-elect Rick Jones of Judiciary, Sen.-elect Mike Kowall of Economic Development and Sen. Mike Nofs of Energy and Technology. Senate Majority Leader-elect Randy Richardville (R-Monroe) said Tuesday of committee assignments: "I would say that we have
LANSING - Governor-elect Rick Snyder spent $11 million on his successful campaign for governor while defeated Democratic candidate Virg Bernero spent $2.1 million. Those numbers reflect spending for the entire campaign. For the general election phase, Snyder outspent Bernero $3.4 million to $2 million. But those figures don't include heavy outside spending by the Republican