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
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
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
LANSING - Another stab at restructuring state government, this time under a realization that Michigan's economy will never be what it has been as an auto-dominant culture, is underway with the expectation it will lead to a series of gubernatorial actions late this year and early next to shrink the number of departments and realign
LANSING - Michigan's political leaders embraced on Tuesday the new agreement setting uniform national standards on fuel economy and reducing vehicle emissions. The announcement by President Barack Obama in Washington was attended by Governor Jennifer Granholm, key congressional members and leaders of the auto industry and UAW. The agreement calls for achieving California's 35.5 miles
LANSING - In an order issued Tuesday, the Michigan Public Service Commission has required Consumers Energy to use money from its 2007 sale of the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant to off-set residential rate hikes. The rate increases take effect Thursday. The PSC said without using $36 million from the decommissioning fund from Palisades, residential consumers
LANSING - In advance of the Revenue Estimating Conference set for later this week, where the news is expected to be bleak, an interview released on Tuesday with an economist from the Mackinac Center for Public Policy painted a picture just as grim that included unemployment projections as high as 20 percent by the end
LANSING - Legislation that would guarantee health care access to all Michigan residents by preventing insurers from cherry-picking consumers and rejecting those with pre-existing health conditions was announced Monday by House Democrats. Senate Republicans, who have held task force meetings on the issue of health care, are scheduled to announce their own initiative on Thursday.