Latest news with #MichiganSenate
CBS News
5 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Proposed Michigan bill targets school transfers after Pontiac abandonment case
The Michigan Senate introduced a bill aimed at better identifying students who are not attending school after three children were found abandoned in Pontiac earlier this year. Kelli Bryant is due back in court later this month after investigators say she allegedly abandoned her children between 2020 and 2021. The children were found in February 2025 after a landlord called authorities for unpaid rent. Bryant is charged with three counts of child abuse. She was also charged with welfare fraud related to getting money from the state as support payments, where she allegedly received roughly $30,000. Authorities say Bryant's children were enrolled in school, and then school officials were informed that they would be transferring. However, that did not happen. Under Senate Bill 492, schools where students are initially enrolled will be required to verify the transfer with the other school before releasing transcripts. "We don't want any other child to fall through this crack and be lost in the system," Michigan Sen. Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield) said, introducing the bill to the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday. "Under current law, it is possible, and it has happened, that a student could be disenrolled from a school before they have been enrolled in another school." Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald and Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard spoke in favor of SB 492. Bouchard recounts the deplorable conditions the three children were in when they were found. The sheriff's office says responding deputies found the home to be in vile shape, seeing mold, human waste and garbage. "This one rises to the top on so many levels. You have children basically abandoned for years in a situation that was untenable," Bouchard said. The bill will move to a vote in the Senate before it makes it to the House.
Yahoo
11-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Whitmer faces lawsuit seeking special election to fill vacant Michigan Senate seat
A lawsuit filed Aug. 10 asks the Michigan Court of Claims to force Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to call for a special election to fill a vacant state Senate seat after demands have mounted for her to hold a vote in the swing district previously held by a Democrat that encompasses the Tri-Cities of Bay City, Midland and Saginaw. The lawsuit — brought by voters who live in the area represented by the vacant 35th Michigan Senate district seat — argues that Whitmer must call for a special election under the Michigan Constitution and asks the court to order her to do so. U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet, D-Bay City, previously held the seat, but she won her bid to fill Michigan's 8th Congressional District in the Nov. 2024 election and was sworn in to her new office on Jan. 3, 2025. The roughly 267,000 residents of the 35th Michigan Senate District have gone without representation in the chamber since then. Republicans initially protested Whitmer's inaction on a special election with a gathering on the Capitol steps ahead of the governor's State of the State speech in February, urging her to schedule an election. Since then, some Democrats have joined their calls. The district covers parts of Bay, Midland and Saginaw counties. "Every legislative day that passes without a senator from District 35 silences an entire community in the lawmaking process," reads the complaint against Whitmer. "When a state legislative district is left without representation, its citizens are effectively disenfranchised in ongoing legislative debates, policy decisions, and votes." The Michigan Constitution states: "The governor shall issue writs of elections" to fill vacant seats in the Michigan Legislature. "Any such election shall be held in a manner prescribed by law," it continues. The lawsuit argues that language creates a "clear and mandatory requirement" for Whitmer to call for a special election. "The Governor's role is purely procedural — to issue the writ — and she has no authority to indefinitely delay or withhold it," the lawsuit states. Michigan election law says when a seat in the Michigan Senate or House is vacant, "the governor may call a special election... or direct that the vacancy be filled at the next general election." Elections for every Michigan Senate seat will take place in 2026. Whitmer has swiftly called for many special elections in the past to fill empty Michigan House and Senate seats, giving voters the opportunity to choose someone to fill the remainder of the term before the next regular election. But when it comes to a special election in the 35th District, Whitmer's refusal to call for one so far stands out for the length of time that has elapsed between a vacancy occurring and a special primary taking place. "No governor has taken this long to call a special election for a vacant seat since the Michigan Legislature went full-time in the mid 1960s," the Lansing-based Michigan Information & Research Service Inc. wrote in a June article. Whitmer press secretary Stacey LaRouche did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In 2022, McDonald Rivet won a competitive election to the Michigan Senate by nearly seven percentage points against sitting state Rep. Annette Glenn, R-Midland. The Democrat's victory helped her party win a narrow, one-vote majority in the state Senate. Michigan Politics: Matt Hall leads the Michigan House during a tumultuous period of divided government Democrats still control the Michigan Senate after McDonald Rivet vacated her seat in the chamber, but Republicans in the Nov. 2024 election flipped the Michigan House from Democratic control. That means any legislation that lands on Whitmer's desk must be bipartisan with GOP support in the House and Democratic support in the Senate. In theory, a Republican victory in a special election to the 35th District in the Michigan Senate could create a roadblock for Democrats to move bills across the finish line to the governor. Michigan Senate Democrats hold 19 seats in the chamber while Republicans represent 18 seats, giving Democrats the ability to pass legislation without any GOP support. If a Republican were to win a special election to the 35th District in the Michigan Senate, it would tie the chamber at 19 Democratic seats and 19 Republican seats. The Michigan Constitution gives Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, a Democrat, the ability to break a tied vote as president of the Senate. While that allows Democrats, in theory, to overcome GOP opposition to legislation supported by every Senate Democrat, any Republican senator could abstain from voting, denying Gilchrist the opportunity to vote. Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@ or 313-296-5743. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Gov. Whitmer faces lawsuit over inaction on special election
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Facing term limits, McCann to join Democratic race for Michigan's 4th Congressional District
State Sen. Sean McCann (D-Kalamazoo), March 14, 2023 | Laina G. Stebbins State Sen. Sean McCann (D-Kalamazoo) has joined the effort to flip Michigan's 4th Congressional District for Democrats, launching his campaign on Monday. McCann is serving his second term in the Michigan Senate. He faces term limits at the conclusion of this term, serving two previous terms in the Michigan House of Representatives. He also served on the Kalamazoo City Commission for 10 years. McCann joins Kalamazoo attorney Jessica Swartz, IT and Cybersecurity professional Richard Aaron and former Congressional staffer Diop Harris in seeking to claim Michigan 4 for Democrats. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'I've spent my life working for our community and putting politics aside to deliver tax relief for Michigan families, protect women's right to choose, and bring good-paying jobs back home,' McCann said in a statement. 'And I'll keep fighting to get your costs down, protect your Social Security and health care, and take on the special interests to actually get things done for working people – because it's time for Washington to work for the people of Southwest Michigan.' The 4th Congressional District encompasses all of Allegan and Van Buren counties as well as parts of Berrien, Calhoun, Kalamazoo and Ottawa counties. It is held by U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Zeeland), who is rumored to be gearing up to run for U.S. Senate, though Huizenga has stopped short of officially declaring his candidacy. Moving into 2026, Michigan's 4th Congressional District is a target for Democrats looking to reclaim control of the U.S. House. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report has rated the district 'likely Republican.'
The Independent
26-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Gay state senator zings Republicans over their new ‘Daddy Trump' nickname
Watch as a gay state senator takes a jab at Republicans over their new nickname of 'Daddy Trump' for the US president. Republican Jonathan Lindsey addressed fellow senate members in Michigan on Wednesday (25 June), where he said many Americans see Donald Trump as a 'father figure' and embraced the new moniker. In response, gay Democratic Michigan senator Jeremey Moss fired back: 'You don't want to know what daddy means in my community,' which was met with applause and laughter. The US president's new nickname was bestowed upon him during a Nato summit in The Hague, when the secretary general defended Mr's Trump's foul-mouthed outburst against Iran and Israel on Tuesday (24 June). Mr Rutte excused the rant, saying: 'Daddy has to sometimes use strong language.'
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Friends, family could perform weddings without getting ordained under Michigan bill
Michigan couples planning their weddings could have a family member or friend officiate a ceremony without needing any kind of religious authorization under legislation that recently passed the Michigan Senate. The proposal would also expand the list of elected officials who can perform marriages in the state. The bills in the package passed the Michigan Senate June 10, with support of every Democratic lawmaker in the chamber and three Republicans: state Sens. Jon Bumstead of North Muskegon and Michael Webber of Rochester Hills, along with Senate Minority Leader and GOP gubernatorial candidate Aric Nesbitt of Porter Township. Under current state law, marriages in Michigan can be solemnized by judges, mayors, county clerks and religious practitioners. Because Wayne County is so large, the law allows employees of the clerk's office to also perform marriages. Township supervisors, state lawmakers and civil celebrants would be added to the list statewide under the bill approved by the Michigan Senate. The legislation defines a civil celebrant as someone who is at least 18 years old and "works in accordance with the wishes of the client couple." Sixty-one percent of Michigan adults identify as Christians, 6% identify with other religions and 31% of Michigan adults are religiously unaffiliated, according to the Pew Research Center's 2023-24 U.S. Religious Landscape Study Interactive Database. By enabling judges and some local officials to solemnize marriages, current state law allows for non-religious marriage ceremonies in Michigan. "But a lot of people don't want somebody they don't know conducting the most important ceremony in their life," said bill sponsor state Sen. Veronica Klinefelt, D-Eastpointe, in a June 3 hearing on her legislation. As a workaround, an officiant chosen by a couple will go online and pay a fee to obtain a certificate as an ordained minister. This new legislation would allow a couple's chosen officiant to skip that step. State Sen. Kevin Daley, R-Lum, who opposed the legislation, characterized it as a blow to marriage. "Allowing just anybody to officiate a wedding will further weaken what should be a very serious undertaking," he said. "I'd be glad to support legislation to require real training to become a wedding officiant, thus adding an extra layer of dignity and importance to the proceedings." A separate bill voted on by the Michigan Senate would increase the fine for violating the state's marriage license law from $100 to $500. Michigan's marriage rate has steadily declined since 1970, according to data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. It reached a low in 2020 of 8.4 individuals married per 1,000 residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, but marriage rates have not bounced back to pre-pandemic levels. In order for the legislation to land on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's desk, the GOP-controlled Michigan House would have to approve the bills passed by the state Senate. Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@ or 313-296-5743. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan bill to expand who can perform weddings passes Senate
