LANSING - Lawmakers in both the Michigan House and Senate met behind closed doors Tuesday, the first day back after a two-week summer break, to discuss setting budget targets for the 2009-10 fiscal year that begins October 1. No agreement was reached at the meeting, which are expected to continue this week and into the
LANSING - If state officials turn to taxes to help resolve its ongoing budget problems, a slight majority of residents polled would favor either enacting a graduated income tax or cutting the sales tax rate and extending the tax to services. But the survey also showed most would oppose simply raising the state's income tax
LANSING - Gov. Jennifer Granholm left on her eighth international trade mission, traveling to Germany and Belgium, on Monday. It will mark the third time Granholm has gone to Germany, but the first time to Belgium. "We are working hard to become the renewable energy capital of the world and we are targeting high-tech companies
LANSING - Michigan's total debt load has more than tripled in the past 20 years and the state now stands 20th in terms of total per capita debt, above the national average, a paper from the Senate Fiscal Agency said. In 1990 the state stood at 36th among all the states in terms of per
LANSING - A House committee could bring up the 'Hire Michigan First package this week, although a compromise on the legislation is still being sought. The legislation, which passed the Senate a month ago, would create preferences for state contracts and economic development incentives for companies that hire Michigan workers. Rep. Robert Jones (D-Kalamazoo), chair
MACKINAC ISLAND - Obstacles that sunk a first plan to facilitate modernization and expansion of Detroit's Cobo Hall through a regional authority are close to being resolved, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing and Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano said Friday. The two said there is agreement that the authority would get control through a long-term lease
MACKINAC ISLAND - The Renaissance Center that is home to General Motors would be completely covered with a tax-exempt rich renaissance zone designation under a plan aired Friday to keep the automaker in downtown Detroit. The total tax exemption status would counter an offer from Warren for a 30-year property tax abatement if GM, which
MACKINAC ISLAND - Voters could be asked in a November statewide election to approve parts of a wholesale tax-restructuring plan that would include doing away with the Michigan Business Tax surcharge, House Speaker Andy Dillon (D-Redford Township) said Friday. The issue arose at a session with legislative leaders who pledged to resolve transportation funding issues
LANSING - Most Michigan residents would back the state switching to a graduated income tax, an opinion poll released Tuesday showed. The poll, conducted by the Lansing firm of EPIC/MRA for the Detroit News and WXYZ-TV, found that the largest number of those polled did not think Michigan's economy would turn around in three to
LANSING - Legislation aimed at getting a regional authority for Detroit's Cobo Center back on track, in hopes of keeping the North American International Auto Show in the city, was reported from the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee Tuesday, even as a proposal to allow the city to lease the center to a regional authority