Gongwer

PFAS Drinking Water Draft Standards Announced

LANSING - The Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy announced Friday that it will be moving forward in formally setting a threshold on certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in Michigan drinking water, becoming the first in the nation to do so and aiming for finalizing the policy as soon as April 2020. These draft

By |2019-10-13T17:36:32-04:00October 13th, 2019|Politics, Politics/Government|

Legislation Would Outlaw State Ability To Ban E-Cigarette Vapors

LANSING - Legislation that would go beyond blocking the emergency rules released this week banning flavored e-cigarette vapors to prohibiting the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services from ever implementing rules banning the manufacture, sale or use of the products was introduced in the House, with the sponsor saying the ban would lead to

By |2019-09-22T15:05:23-04:00September 22nd, 2019|Politics, Politics/Government|

Michigan Budget Negotiations Remain At Impasse

LANSING - Republican legislative leaders are moving ahead with plans to finalize the details of all remaining budgets Thursday and then vote the following week to send all budget bills to Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer with the question of whether she will sign them, veto them or sign them with line-item vetoes very much unknown. Tuesday

By |2019-09-17T19:33:05-04:00September 17th, 2019|Featured, Politics, Politics/Government|

Audit: Cyber Civilian Corps Failing Background Checks, Lack Experience

LANSING - Not all volunteers with the Michigan Cyber Civilian Corps are meeting program requirements, including passing criminal background checks, signing a nondisclosure agreement for confidential security work and failing components of a test which validated their abilities to work with the group. These findings come from an audit released Friday by the Office of the Auditor

By |2019-09-14T13:11:08-04:00September 14th, 2019|Cyber Defense, Featured, Politics/Government|

Launch Michigan Outlines First Set Of Priorities

LANSING - A stakeholder group pushing for providing all Michigan students with the best education possible announced its first set of priorities Friday, with a funding formula weighted toward equity and various programs needing more funding as well as improving literacy rates being among the top targeted areas. Launch Michigan officials in a release said

By |2019-08-31T09:47:20-04:00August 31st, 2019|Featured, Politics, Politics/Government|

Stabenow, Peters Push To Extend Great Lakes Initiative 5 More Years

LANSING - On Thursday, U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow and U.S. Sen. Gary Peters announced legislation that would extend sunset of the Great Lake Restoration Initiative by five years and increase funding for the project. The move, they said, would build on existing success and improve conditions of the lakes. Under the proposed legislation the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

By |2019-08-25T20:53:24-04:00August 25th, 2019|Clean Update|

Study: Michigan’s Urban Roads Far Worse Than Rural Ones

LANSING - Michigan's two- to four-lane roadways in rural areas were generally in good condition as of 2016, according to a study released that week that showed a stark differential between those roads and ones in urban areas of the state. The Reason Foundation study found about 0.85 percent of roads classified as rural other principal arterials

By |2019-08-25T20:53:24-04:00August 25th, 2019|Politics, Politics/Government|

PSC: Providers Should Have Adequate Electricity Supplies For Future

LANSING - Michigan electric customers during the years 2022 and 2023 should enjoy an adequate supply of power, according to the Public Service Commission. Commission officials said Thursday that all electric providers in the state successfully demonstrated to the PSC they had adequate supplies to customer needs in the 2022-23 planning year. The commission annually

By |2019-08-08T19:28:55-04:00August 8th, 2019|Clean Update, Politics, Politics/Government|

Health Marketplace Insurance Rates Drop Substantially For 2020

LANSING - Persons seeking health insurance via the federal marketplace could see a major decrease in what they pay starting next year. The Department of Insurance and Financial Services announced the proposed 2020 rate change requests Wednesday. Of the 11 issuers in the individual market, seven reported a rate decrease ranging anywhere from 0.1 to

By |2020-01-12T16:13:57-05:00July 18th, 2019|Politics, Politics/Government|

Michigan Health And Human Services Department Pegs IT Deficit At $45 Million

LANSING- A structural shortfall in what the Department of Health and Human Services spends on information technology compared to what it has available will result in $45 million in overspending by the close of the current fiscal year, the department has advised top lawmakers. During the spring, DHHS had acknowledged the shortfall and began taking

By |2019-07-10T19:18:34-04:00July 10th, 2019|Politics, Politics/Government|