Latest news with #MichiganStateHouse
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Michigan House sues Jocelyn Benson over election training material request
The Brief The Michigan State House has sued Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson over her withholding training materials for election officials. Spearheaded by Republican lawmakers, representatives argued Benson had refused to cooperate with the legislature in their requests. Benson's spokesperson said the official was "glad" the lawmakers had taken their request to the courts. (FOX 2) - The Michigan House of Representatives has sued the Secretary of State, ratcheting up a fight that has been brewing between the two parties for months. The escalating feud follows a previous vote by Republican lawmakers holding Jocelyn Benson in contempt for withholding election training materials that conservatives requested she give to them. Big picture view The Michigan State House has filed a lawsuit against Jocelyn Benson, arguing the state official had repeatedly ignored requests from lawmakers to hand over election training materials. "It is time the Secretary of State cooperates with the legislature to ensure our elections are conducted properly," Michigan House Republicans wrote on social media. Republican lawmakers have argued Benson has stonewalled efforts to obtain the materials the Secretary of State has disseminated to clerks for running Michigan's elections. Benson says she has pubically shared thousands of pages of training materials, posting them on the department's website. In May, she slammed the lawmakers by claiming their governance was "rooted in bullying and chaos." Hours before making the statement, the conservatives voted on a resolution holding Benson in contempt. Trading Barbs Republican state representatives have complained for months that election training materials should be public. In March, Rep. Rachelle Smit (R-Martin) argued her office's request wasn't for "state secrets; they are the simple training materials and guidance used to give clerks clarity on election law and election processes." Since then, Michigan Republicans have threatened to impeach Benson, issued subpoenas for election training documents through the oversight committee, and railed against the official for not being transparent. In response, Benson argued mistrust in Michigan's election systems stems from investigations like the one conservatives are pushing. "This is dangerous governance because this rhetoric, this cruelty, this lying, will directly influence people to harm hardworking state and local election officials who are simply trying to do their job," she told media on May 23. A day prior, State Rep. Jay DeBoyer decried Benson's "flagrantly illegal behavior." "She believes, or at least purports to believe, that to inform legislators on how she trains local clerks would endanger the integrity of our elections. Of the many preposterous claims Benson has made while in office, this is perhaps the most alarming and openly hostile to our constitutional system of government," he said in May. Zoom Out Amid the brewing feud, Benson promised to see House Republicans in court over the case. On Thursday, the Republican-led chamber filed a suit in the Michigan Court of Claims, arguing Benson had broken the law. "Benson's illegal defiance now brings us to the courtroom, where we will hold her office accountable to the people of Michigan," DeBoyer said. A statement issued through her spokesperson said Benson was "glad they have finally acted accordingly." "Let's be clear - the Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee is demanding information that could be used to interrupt the chain of custody of ballots, tamper with election equipment or impersonate a clerk on Election Day," Cheri Hardmon said. The Source Previous reporting, statements from lawmakers, and the Michigan Secretary of State were used for this story.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bills aim to study long-term PFAS effects in children
LANSING, Mich. (WOOD) — Bipartisan companion bills introduced in the Michigan State House and Senate aim to find out more about how PFAS will impact children who have been exposed. PFAS — a class of manmade chemicals used in all sorts of products, often to make them nonstick or waterproof — was discovered in residential wells near an old industrial dumping site near Rockford in 2017. Kent County advocate 'disappointed' by PFAS standard rollback State Sen. Mark Huizenga, R-Walker, and thousands of others who had never heard of PFAS felt blindsided. 'The PFAS crisis emerged in Rockford when I first started to run. And I consider myself well-read and understand what's going on with a lot of things, but I had never heard about PFAS and I felt very ignorant,' Huizenga said. Huizenga and many people in Michigan and beyond have learned a lot about the so-called 'forever chemicals' that don't break down and can well after contamination. While the chemicals are thought to be linked to certain cancers and other illnesses, the full scope of their lingering health implications is not clear. EGLE says Wolverine Worldwide has hit 'major milestone' in PFAS cleanup Huizenga and state Rep. Julie Rogers, D-Kalamazoo, have introduced legislation that will explore PFAS blood levels in children who may have been exposed. 'This new legislation is focused on children and aims to continue to look at the potential long-term health effects from PFAS exposure,' Rogers said. If approved, the new measures would allocate $500,000 for free blood testing that could otherwise cost people hundreds of dollars. That testing can give children and their parents answers about personal health and create a scientific record and database of information as PFAS continues to be detected in sites around the country. MPART identifies 2 new PFAS contamination sites in West Michigan At a time when bipartisan cooperation is sometimes hard to find in the state capitol, these two lawmakers from different parties say some things, like children's health, rise above the political fray. 'This is not partisan politics,' Huizenga said. 'This is standing up for the men and women and mostly for the children in our community to make sure they get the resources that they deserve and need.' The pilot plan, if approved, would be for Kent, Ottawa and Kalamazoo counties. But given the scope of the contamination, it could be implemented statewide in the future. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
13-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Gretchen Whitmer ribbed online for seeming to hide face in Oval Office
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, was ribbed online for seeming to hide her face during a meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office. Whitmer was seen temporarily shielding her face from cameras in the Oval Office by holding up a folder, according to a photo by the New York Times. She later lowered the folder, as the president spoke to the press and encouraged Whitmer to comment as well. The Democratic governor, who clashed with Trump during his first term regarding her COVID-19 lockdown policies, met with the president to discuss recovery from an ice storm that impacted thousands of Michiganders, funding for the Selfridge Air National Guard base near Detroit, protections for the Great Lakes and the automobile industry. Whitmer, joined by Michigan State House Speaker Matt Hall and several Cabinet secretaries, stood steps away from the Resolute Desk while Trump signed executive orders Wednesday. "We're honored to have Gretchen Whitmer from Michigan, great state of Michigan. And, she's been she's really done an excellent job. And a very good person," Trump said. Whitmer told reporters afterward that she thought she was coming into the Oval Office for a one-on-one meeting with the president and was taken by surprise by the press conference. Her face-shielding was derided online. "Whitmer covering her face is the perfect metaphor for the Democratic Party," one user wrote. Another X user said, "Gretchen Whitmer hiding behind her files in the White House is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. This is what my 2 year old does." "Was this the nail in the coffin of Gretchen Whitmer's political aspirations?" a third user wrote. Some users joked that Whitmer was "embarrassed" to be photographed with Trump but had no shame in placing a Dorito in the mouth of a podcaster in a 2024 social media post that critics said mocked a Christian sacrament. Whitmer was in Washington to deliver a "Build, America, Build" address in which she called for bipartisan cooperation to strengthen American manufacturing. She was at the White House for her second meeting with Trump in less than a month, this time to talk about tariffs that were expected to disproportionately affect Michigan, whose economy is closely tied to an auto industry reliant on trade with Canada, Mexico and other countries. In her speech Wednesday, which came before Trump announced he was pausing tariffs in most nations except for China, Whitmer highlighted areas of agreement with Trump on tariffs but criticized how they had been implemented. "I understand the motivation behind the tariffs, and I can tell you, here's where President Trump and I do agree. We do need to make more stuff in America," said Whitmer, before adding, "I'm not against tariffs outright, but it is a blunt tool. You can't just pull out the tariff hammer to swing at every problem without a clear defined end-goal." Whitmer's approach stands in stark contrast to that of other high-profile Democratic governors, many of whom are also seen as potential contenders for the party's 2028 presidential nomination. But Whitmer faces a more challenging political landscape than leaders such as Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker or California Gov. Gavin Newsom as she represents a state with a divided state legislature and that went for Trump in two of the last three elections.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Michigan House speaker, wife return to court on embezzlement charges
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Former Michigan State House Speaker Lee Chatfield and his wife are in court this week for preliminary hearings related to alleged financial crimes. Former Michigan House leader and wife charged with misusing political funds The hearings, which are being held in East Lansing, will determine if there is enough evidence to proceed to a trial. They stem from charges filed in by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Lee Chatfield faces 13 embezzlement-related charges, all of which are felonies. Stephanie Chatfield faces two felony charges. Investigators say that Lee Chatfield used funds from the Peninsula Fund and his electoral political action committees to pay off personal credit card expenses, implemented a check kickback scheme and filed mileage reimbursements from the House of Representatives for travel that never occurred. Sign up for breaking news alert emails 'Our investigation has uncovered evidence that Lee Chatfield used various different schemes to embezzle, steal and convert both private and public monies to fund a lavish lifestyle that his state salary could not possibly afford,' . In , investigators documented how Lee Chatfield allegedly used a system involving Anne and Robert Minard, two top aides, to send money back and forth to cover costs stemming from trips to Las Vegas, the Bahamas and Universal Studios in Orlando. Lee Chatfield faces 13 charges in all — including one count of conducting a criminal enterprise, which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison. He also faces four counts of embezzlement from a nonprofit organization ($1,000 to $20,000), one count of conspiracy to commit embezzlement from a nonprofit organization ($1,000 to $20,000), three counts of embezzlement by a public officer over $50, three counts of embezzlement ($1,000 to $20,000) and one count of violating the Charitable Trust Act. Those charges carry sentences anywhere from five to 10 years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines. Hackers slam Michigan tribe for not negotiating after cyberattack forced casinos to close Stephanie Chatfield faces one count of embezzlement from a nonprofit organization ($1,000 to $20,000) and one count of conspiracy to commit embezzlement from a nonprofit organization ($1,000 to $20,000). Those charges come with a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and $25,000 in fines. Both Chatfields to all charges last June. They both posted bond — $50,000 for Stephanie and $100,000 for Lee — but were required to turn over their passports and report any out-of-state travel to the court. The Minards also face multiple felony charges for their role in the alleged embezzlement scheme. They were in Ingham County last September. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
