Michigan Archives - The Michigan Star

Michigan Election Software CEO Charged with Theft of Poll-Worker Data, Storing It in China

October 7, 2022October 6, 2022 The Center Square

Eugene Yu, founder and president of East Lansing-based election software-technology company Konnech, Inc., was arrested Wednesday in Michigan and is facing California charges related to collecting election workers’ personal data and storing it on servers housed in the Peoples Republic of China.

Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón is seeking Yu’s extradition from Michigan on charges Konnech violated its contract with Los Angeles County, which prohibits access of election workers’ personal information from citizens and permanent residents outside the United States.

Felony Charges Dismissed Against Seven State Officials in Flint Water Crisis

October 6, 2022October 5, 2022 The Center Square

Felony charges against seven state officials linked to the 2014 Flint, Michigan, water crisis have been dismissed by Genesee County Circuit Judge Elizabeth Kelly.

The six-page decision follows a June state Supreme Court ruling it unconstitutional for a judge using a one-man jury to indict people without a preliminary examination.

Detroit Police Might Boost Pay to Fill 300 Spots

October 5, 2022October 4, 2022 The Center Square

Some Detroit police might receive $10,000 pay boosts. The wage increases aim to incentivize filling 300 department vacancies and stem the tide of leaving officers.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said the city and police unions reached a tentative collective bargaining agreement paid for by projected tax revenues.

Whitmer Administration to Hire ‘Sexual Orientation’ and ‘Expression’ Consultant for Foster Kids

October 4, 2022October 3, 2022 Michigan Star Staff

The administration of Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proposed a contract for a child foster care consultant on gender identity and sexual orientation, according to documents made public by the Washington Free Beacon.

The Children’s Services Agency, which “oversees all child welfare services for children,” is seeking a “Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) Consultant” as of Sept. 12, according to documents made public by the Washington Free Beacon. The consultant would be a part of the “Diversity Equity and Inclusion Unit” and would focus on determining the “needs and concerns of LGBTQ staff, families and children.”

Gubernatorial Hopeful Tudor Dixon Pledges to Protect Line 5 from Whitmer’s ‘Attacks’

October 3, 2022October 3, 2022 The Center Square

Although there are many telling differences between Michigan’s 2022 gubernatorial candidates, energy policy may be the most significant from an economic perspective for families.

Democrat incumbent Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has led the charge to close the Line 5 dual pipeline that has spanned the Straits of Mackinac since 1953, whereas Republican challenger Tudor Dixon has pledged to keep the hydrocarbons flowing through the five-mile stretch of pipeline positioned on the lakebed of Lake Michigan.

Michigan Legislature OKs $1 Billion Spending, Mostly Economic Development

October 2, 2022October 1, 2022 The Center Square

The Michigan Legislature approved a $1 billion spending plan primarily meant to attract critical state projects. The supplemental spending bill was passed Wednesday over objections from some Republican lawmakers that the spending package wouldn’t benefit taxpayers in the long run.

The state is spending a $7 billion taxpayer surplus.

84-Year-Old Michigan Woman Shot While Canvassing on Abortion Speaks Out

October 2, 2022October 1, 2022 Admin

Eighty-four-year-old Joan Jacobson never imagined she would be shot when she knocked on the door of a Michigan couple’s home, hoping to convince them not to vote for a local pro-abortion ballot proposal.

Sharon Harvey answered the door and quickly became “hostile, belligerent, and antagonistic” when she learned Jacobson’s mission, according to David Kallman, Jacobson’s attorney with the Great Lakes Justice Center.

Michigan Legislature OKs $1 Billion Spending, Mostly Economic Development

October 2, 2022 The Center Square

The state is spending a $7 billion taxpayer surplus.

Michigan Mother Sues School Board over COVID-19 Policy ‘Retaliation’

October 1, 2022September 30, 2022 The Center Square

After Sandra Hernden voiced her opinion to the Chippewa Valley School District school board, she says the district retaliated.

Now she’s suing the district with help from the Mackinac Center Legal Foundation, alleging the board violated her First Amendment rights. Her request in damages if successful, is a public apology and one dollar.

Michigan Won’t Tax Forgiven Public Student Loans

September 30, 2022September 29, 2022 The Center Square

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said on Wednesday that the forgiven student loans of about 1.4 million Michiganders won’t be treated as taxable income.

Typically, the Internal Revenue Service treats debt forgiven as taxable income, meaning that Michiganders could have been taxed student loan debt wiped by President Joe Biden’s plan for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

Fired Michigan Physician Assistant Claims Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Director Called Her Evil for Not Using Preferred Pronouns

September 29, 2022September 29, 2022 The Center Square

A physician assistant at a University of Michigan hospital in west Michigan claims she was told she was evil and was responsible for the suicide of transgender people by the health system’s director of diversity and was later fired because she refused to acknowledge the preferred pronouns of patients.

The First Liberty Institute, a nonprofit legal organization, spelled out Valerie Kloosterman’s grievances against the University of Michigan Health-West hospital system in a Sept. 27 letter that demands Kloosterman be rehired. First Liberty claims that Kloosterman’s religious rights were violated.

Michigan Parents of Different Faiths Organize to Protect Children from Radical Left Ideology in Government Schools

September 29, 2022September 28, 2022 Susan Berry, PhD

More than 800 parents, including Christians, Muslims, and Jews, organized in Dearborn, Michigan, to fight back against the radical left’s sexualization of their children in government schools.

The parents’ goal is “simple,” reported Patty McMurray at 100PERCENTFedUP.com, a conservative site run by moms McMurray and Leisa Audette.

Motion Filed to Defend Michigan’s 1931 Law Criminalizing Abortion

September 28, 2022September 27, 2022 The Center Square

Motions were filed Monday in the Michigan Court of Appeals to allow abortion opponents to intervene as appellants in the legal battle enforcing the state’s 1931 law outlawing abortion.

The Alliance for Defending Freedom, a Texas-based legal group representing Michigan Right to Life and the Michigan Catholic Conference, asked the court to allow it to defend the 1931 law in the ongoing Planned Parenthood of Michigan v. Attorney General of the State of Michigan.

83-Year-Old Right to Life of Michigan Volunteer Shot While Canvassing

September 27, 2022September 26, 2022 The Center Square

An octogenarian was shot in the shoulder while canvassing in Ionia County 50 days before the Nov. 8 election.

Right to Life Michigan reported an 83-year-old volunteer from Lake Odessa was shot on Tuesday last week while going door-to-door to talk about Proposal 3, a Nov. 8 ballot question asking voters if they want to enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution.

Commentary: Can’t Forget the Motor City

September 26, 2022September 25, 2022 Michigan Star Staff

“In the 1950s,” writes J. Eric Wise in “The French Exit: A Detroit Love Story,” Detroit was “outwardly living well, a very healthy city, technologically advanced, with economic diversity, prosperity, peace, and civil life supporting the arts and sciences.” That is no exaggeration, as this writer can testify.

As Wise explains, Detroit prospered enormously from World War II and attracted workers from far and wide. My father, a mechanical engineer, was among them. In 1952, he moved our family from Alliance, Ohio, to Detroit, Michigan. The Big Three automakers gave him all the work he could handle.

Group Files Voter Roll Complaint About SOS Benson

September 26, 2022September 25, 2022 The Center Square

A complaint filed to the Michigan Board of Elections claims Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson violated the federal Help America Vote Act by outsourcing the managing of voter rolls to the Electronic Registration Information Center.

The conservative Thomas More Society filed the complaint on behalf of nonprofit Pure Integrity Michigan Elections.

Michigan Sen. Gary Peters Opposes 15-Week Abortion Ban Bill

September 25, 2022September 24, 2022 Admin

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) federal abortion ban proposal after 15 weeks has the backing of the majority of Americans, according to a recent poll.

Graham’s abortion ban proposal would “bring U.S. abortion policy in line with other nations,” according to a press release from his website. The bill would restrict abortions after the 15-week gestation period, except in the cases of rape, incest or the life of the mother. According to the release, it “puts the United States in line with other modern societies – 47 out of 50 European nations limit elective abortion prior to 15 weeks gestation.”

Hispanic Interest Growing for Michigan’s Schools of Choice

September 24, 2022September 23, 2022 The Center Square

Hispanic parents nationally are increasingly investigating alternatives to traditional public schools, according to a survey released this week by Conoce tus Opciones Escolares.

COE reported 59% of Hispanic parents surveyed responded they were considering other education options for at least one child from each family, whereas 52% of all parents – Hispanic and otherwise – responded likewise.

Michigan House OKs Package to Limit Emergency Power Laws

September 23, 2022September 22, 2022 The Center Square

The Michigan House approved more than 20 bills aiming to limit the governor’s emergency powers.

The Center Square reported about the bill package in June, more than two years after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer triggered a 1945 law that she said authorized her to declare a state of emergency for as long as she thought necessary.

Coalition Supports ‘Buy Michigan’ Plan

September 22, 2022September 21, 2022 The Center Square

A bipartisan coalition is backing a bill known as the “Buy Michigan” plan.

House Bill 4902 and Senate Bill 117 aim to favor Michigan-based businesses in procuring state contracts.

Seven Midwest States Enter Hydrogen Coalition

September 21, 2022September 20, 2022 The Center Square

Seven Midwest states entered a coalition to pursue clean hydrogen development as an alternative to gas and diesel fuel.

The governors of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin signed onto the Midwest Hydrogen Coalition. The coalition will accelerate clean hydrogen development, from production and supply chain to distribution in agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and other industries.

Michigan’s Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy Department Issues Order Against Flint Chemical Company

September 21, 2022September 21, 2022 The Center Square

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy with backup authority from the attorney general’s office and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, issued an order Monday against Flint-based Lockhart Chemical Company.

The company must immediately cease use of its wastewater and storm water conveyance systems. Instead, Lockhart must pump the contaminated liquids and ship offsite for disposal.

Some Michigan Schools Keep Mum on COVID Relief Spending

September 20, 2022September 19, 2022 The Center Square

Theoretically, taxpayers should be able to see how Michigan schools are spending $5.7 billion of taxpayer money to recover from COVID-19-related learning loss.

But an investigation by The Center Square through more than 80 records requests to schools statewide shows how difficult it can be to obtain itemized COVID spending records. Many schools never responded to an initial Freedom of Information Act request.

Expert: Metro Detroit Public Transit Ridership Won’t Recover This Decade

September 18, 2022September 17, 2022 The Center Square

The ridership of the two largest Detroit Metro public transit systems has plummeted post-pandemic and one expert says it might not return this decade.

In 2020, the Detroit Department of Transportation and the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation provided free fares and reduced operations during some of COVID. The systems later revived fares and added more routes, but many people didn’t return.

Michigan Snags $105 Million to Update I-375 to Boulevard

September 17, 2022September 17, 2022 The Center Square

Michigan won a $105 million federal grant to replace the I-375 freeway in Detroit with an accessible boulevard. Work is expected to start in 2025.

Almost 60 years ago, government officials approved a plan that bulldozed through the mostly minority-populated neighborhoods Black Bottom and Paradise Valley in order to build I-375, displacing more than 130,000 people. The new project will replace it with a boulevard to reconnect the split communities.

Pending Federal Grant Approval May Determine Whether Michigan Nuclear Plant Reopens

September 16, 2022September 15, 2022 The Center Square

Taxpayers are being asked to fund the reopening of the Palisades nuclear plant in Southwest Michigan through a federal grant.

When it was still in operation, Palisades provided more than 800 megawatts of of carbon-free power and employed 600 people. The plant’s former owner closed the plant on May 20 after the plant’s fuel supply ran out and the power purchase agreement with Consumers Energy expired.

Michigan Supreme Court Likely Democrat-Dominated After Chief Justice Bridget McCormack Leaves Bench This Year

September 15, 2022September 14, 2022 The Center Square

The Michigan Supreme Court will likely be weighted toward Democrats after Chief Justice Bridget McCormack announced she’s leaving the bench later this year.

The vacancy will allow Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to appoint a judge to the bench whether or not she wins re-election in November.

Benson’s Argument in Zuck Bucks Lawsuit ‘Wrong,’ Says Attorney Representing Voters

September 14, 2022September 13, 2022 Admin

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is “wrong” in claiming that she bears no responsibility for Michigan election officials accepting millions in grants from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to underwrite the cost of the 2020 general election, an attorney representing voters in a lawsuit naming Benson says.

“Evidence confirms that Benson was aware of this private funding scheme and even encouraged election officials to participate,” Mark “Thor” Hearne, special counsel with the Thomas More Society, told Great Lakes Wire.

Michigan Taxpayers Footing $27 Million for Hemlock Semiconductor Expansion

September 13, 2022September 12, 2022 The Center Square

Michigan taxpayers are footing $27 million for a Hemlock Semiconductor Operations project that the company says will create 170 jobs at its Saginaw County headquarters.

The company says it is spending $375 million on a new project to meet the increasing global demand for hyper-pure polysilicon in the semiconductor and solar industries.

Flint Water Crisis Trial Could Cost Taxpayers $90 Million

September 12, 2022 The Center Square

The taxpayer cost of the 2014 Flint water crisis litigation might grow to as much as $90 million after the Michigan Supreme Court rejected Attorney General Dana Nessel’s appeal of a decision that she must use a “taint team” to separate legal documents.

The court said justices were “not persuaded that the question presented should be reviewed by this Court.”

Juror In Whitmer Kidnapping Trial Wanted Defendants to ‘Hang’, Was ‘Far-Left’, Defense Says

September 11, 2022September 10, 2022 Admin

A juror who helped convict two men last month of plotting to kidnap Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was allegedly “far-left leaning” and had said they would seek to “hang”, the defendants’ legal team alleged a witness said in a court filing this week.

A retrial jury found Adam Fox guilty Aug. 23 of conspiracy to kidnap and possession of a weapon of mass destruction, while Barry Croft Jr. was convicted of the same crimes in addition to unregistered destructive device possession. Fox and Croft’s lawyers asked Tuesday for a hearing on whether the juror committed misconduct, and a new trial because of the juror’s purported misconduct and an alleged appearance of judicial bias affecting the retrial proceedings.

Michigan Can Vote on Whether to Make Abortion a Constitutional Right, Court Rules

September 10, 2022September 9, 2022 Admin

The Michigan State Supreme Court Thursday ordered a proposed amendment enshrining abortion as state constitutional right to be certified for voters’ November ballots.

With a 5-2 majority, the court said a petition to place the proposed amendment on ballots had undisputedly received enough signatures, deciding that the amendment’s words were spaced properly for certification. In July, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan (PPAM) said over 753,000 signatures were collected by Reproductive Freedom for All campaign supporters, MLive reported.

Convicted Whitmer Kidnapping Conspirators Request Third Trial Following Alleged Rogue Juror

September 9, 2022September 8, 2022 Michigan Star Staff

Two men recently convicted of conspiring in 2020 to kidnap Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called for a third trial Tuesday following an allegation of a potential rogue juror in their retrial, according to the Detroit Free Press.

A retrial jury found Adam Fox guilty Aug. 23 of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and possession of a weapon of mass destruction, while Croft Barry Croft Jr. was convicted of the same crimes in addition to unregistered destructive device possession. U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker heard of an allegation during the retrial that one juror said at work prior to selection they “had already decided the case and intended to ensure a particular result at the conclusion of the trial,” a filing obtained by the Free Press said.

Michigan Court of Claims Declares Abortion Ban Unconstitutional

September 9, 2022September 8, 2022 The Center Square

Michigan Court of Claims Judge Elizabeth Gleicher ruled the state’s 1931 law that bans abortion, triggered by the U.S. Supreme Court overturning the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, is unconstitutional.

Gleicher said the law violates the Michigan Constitution’s Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses.

Tenured Professors Strike at University in Michigan After Contract Negotiations Fail

September 8, 2022September 7, 2022 Michigan Star Staff

More than 500 professors at Eastern Michigan University went on strike Wednesday after their contract concluded on Aug. 31, according to a statement by the professors’ union.

Nearly 91% of the tenured and tenured track faculty in the Eastern Michigan University Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (EMU-AAUP) voted to strike Tuesday following the start of classes on Aug. 29, according to a statement by the union. Students have been advised to continue to go to class as normal and wait to see if their professor shows up, as the strike commences.

‘25,000 Dead Registrants’: Why Legal Nonprofit Is Suing Soros-Backed Michigan Elections Chief

September 7, 2022September 7, 2022 Admin

Following a recent win in his legal battle to compel Michigan Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to purge 25,000 deceased voters from her state’s rolls, Public Interest Legal Foundation President J. Christian Adams explained his suit on the “Just the News, Not Noise” television show on Friday.

After the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan last week denied Benson’s bid to dismiss the legal nonprofit’s suit against her, Adams decried the George Soros-backed election official’s unwillingness to update her rolls despite PILF’s documentation of the dead voters.

Detroit Public Schools Set to Spend $1.2B of COVID-19 Relief

September 6, 2022 Michigan Star Staff

The Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) plans to spend $1.2 billion of federal COVID-19 relief to recover from learning loss and revamp its buildings.

The spending plans aim to repair learning loss detailed by test data the state and federal government released this week showing a drop in test scores, and for some students, decades of learning loss.

Feds Reimburse Michigan $50 Million for Emergency Road and Bridge Repairs

September 5, 2022September 4, 2022 The Center Square

The Federal Highway Administration has awarded Michigan $50 million to reimburse emergency road and bridge repairs after heavy rain and dam failures in 2020 caused widespread flooding in mid-Michigan.

The deluge caused more than 10,000 people to evacuate from 3,500 homes, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency. Whitmer welcomed the reimbursement.

Ten Dead, 15 Wounded in Canadian Mass Stabbing Spree, Suspects at Large

September 5, 2022 Michigan Star Staff

Canadian authorities on Sunday said 10 people have died and at least 15 more have been hospitalized following an apparent stabbing spree in Saskatchewan.

“There could be more injured,” said Saskatchewan Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commanding Officer Rhonda Blackmore.

Gov. Whitmer Frees Up Gas Supply in Michigan

September 4, 2022September 3, 2022 Admin

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has taken measures to mitigate the temporary shutdown of BP’s Whiting, Indiana, oil refinery due to a fire that is expected to impact Michigan.

According to a news release from the governor’s office, Whitmer is hoping to secure fuel supplies for motorists by suspending guidelines on motor vehicle hours-of-service rules.

Secretary of State Benson Says Police Investigating Voting Device Acquired in Michigan off eBay

September 3, 2022September 2, 2022 Admin

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson says the state government is working with police to investigate the alleged illegal sale of a Dominion Voting Systems device that helps disabled voters cast ballots.

National Poll: 66 Percent of Americans Against Whitmer-Supported Inflation Reduction Act Tax Hike

September 3, 2022 Admin

A national poll has concluded that most Americans oppose the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act.

Don’t count Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) as part of the opposition. Whitmer celebrated the bill after the U.S. Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act.

Michigan Library Defunded over LGBTQ Books Hits $245,000 on GoFundMe

September 2, 2022September 1, 2022 The Center Square

A GoFundMe fundraising site has garnered more than $245,000 in support of a Michigan library for about a year after voters rejected its millage, angry over LGBTQ books.

Patmos Library in Jamestown Township faced closure next year after voters rejected an Aug. 2 library millage renewal in protest of some graphic LGTBQ content in the library’s collection, The Center Square reported in early August.

U.S. Department of Labor Awards Michigan Jobless Agency $6.7 Million Equity Grant

September 1, 2022August 31, 2022 The Center Square

The U.S. Department of Labor awarded the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency a $6.7 million grant to improve access to workers in underserved communities.

The grant aims to reach workers who have historically had difficulties applying for benefits, such as rural and urban areas with limited internet access and those with language barriers.

Christian Group Sues Michigan Attorney General over Civil Rights Interpretation

August 31, 2022August 30, 2022 The Center Square

A Christian health care group says that Michigan’s recently reinterpreted civil rights law relating to sexual orientation and gender identity violates its constitutional right to religion.

Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys representing Christian Healthcare Centers, a Michigan faith-based medical nonprofit, sued Attorney General Dana Nessel, who’s responsible for enforcing Michigan’s civil rights law. In June, state courts reinterpreted state law to include sexual orientation and gender identity.

Michigan Gov. Whitmer Says Skilled Workers Are ‘Powering Our Economic Growth’

August 30, 2022August 29, 2022 Admin

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) will award over $2.8 million to the Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF) in hopes of honing skills of prospective employees.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) made the announcement Aug. 19, according to a press release from her office.

Michigan’s K-12 Education Enrollment Fell 25 Percent Between 2002 and 2020

August 30, 2022August 29, 2022 The Center Square

Michigan’s K-12 education spending, per pupil and adjusted for inflation, increased by 10% between 2002 and 2020 because the state lost 25% of enrolled students, according to a new report.

The nonprofit Reason Foundation’s 2022 K-12 Education Spending Spotlight includes real and nominal U.S. Census Bureau data for all 50 states dating from 2002 through fiscal year 2020, the most recent available.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Lauds Taxpayer-Backed Expansion of National Sewn Trades Nonprofit

August 29, 2022 Michigan Star Staff

A national nonprofit organization will be expanding operations at its Detroit location in order to meet the needs of one of its clients.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was joined by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) to announce that sewn trades-based Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center (ISAIC) will be expanding its facility, a press release from the governor’s office said this week.

Michigan AG Nessel Opposes Requested Consumers Energy Rate Increase

August 28, 2022August 27, 2022 The Center Square

Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office voiced her office’s opposition to the Michigan Public Service Commission’s granting Consumers Energy request for a rate increase.

Consumers Energy filed its application to the MPSC seeking a rate increase of about $266 million for its Michigan jurisdiction on April 28, 2022, to start in 2023. If the proposal is approved as filed, the overall rate impact would be an increase of 6.5% for all rate classes and a 6.8% increase in residential rates.

Michigan Voters to Decide on Longer Term Limits for Lawmakers

August 27, 2022August 26, 2022 The Center Square

Michigan voters in November will decide whether state legislators will have a shot at longer terms in office.

Proposal One, the Michigan Legislative Term Limits and Financial Disclosure Amendment, was approved by the Michigan legislature for inclusion on the Nov. 8 ballot. If voters approve, term limits for state legislators would expand to 12 combined years in both the Senate and House of Representatives.