Latest news with #Michiganders'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Michigan Department of State: 200K REAL IDs issued in past few months
A Secretary of State branch office in East Lansing, Michigan | Susan J. Demas The push to get Michiganders' identification cards replaced with federally-compliant REAL ID cards has resulted in 200,000 IDs issued to residents over a period of three months, the Michigan Department of State announced Friday. Department employees either issued new or upgraded REAL IDs over the past 12 weeks, bringing the state into more than 76% compliance with a new U.S. requirement for REAL ID in order to travel domestically by air. A REAL ID is a driver's license or state identification card that has been verified with proof of U.S. citizenship and proof of legal residence in the U.S. They are distinguishable by the gold star in the upper right-hand corner. Per a change in federal law, Michigan residents as of May 7 are required to present a REAL ID-complaint card when attempting to fly anywhere in the U.S. The IDs also allow entrance to certain federal facilities as allowed by federal law. Overall, the IDs have protections against copying or altering identification information. REAL IDs are different from Michigan's enhanced IDs and driver's licenses, which allow entry to and from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or the Caribbean by land or sea. Enhanced IDs, however, are also REAL ID compliant. A news release issued Friday said Secretary of State branch offices served more than 90% of those customers within 20 minutes of their scheduled appointment times, signaling that the transition has been relatively smooth thus far. 'The hardworking staff at our branch offices throughout the state rose to this challenge and set a new standard of exceptional public service,' Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said in a statement. 'I'm grateful for their dedication and commitment to excellence, which ensured a smooth process for Michiganders during a potentially disruptive transition. This is what it means to have a state government that truly works for people.' A total of 202,571 REAL ID-compliant driver's licenses or state IDs were issued between February 23 and May 17. The week of May 4 was said to be the busiest this year, with 28,289 identification cards converted to REAL ID. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Medicaid cuts bring protesters to Barrett's Lansing office
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Protesters gathered in front of U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett's Lansing office Thursday to voice their disappointment in his 'yes' vote on the 'one big, beautiful bill.' In particular, these protesters are not happy that he supported the legislation's cuts to Medicaid. The protest was originally scheduled to ask Rep. Barrett to vote no on the bill, but since he voted overnight on Thursday, though, the protesters shared their reactions instead, chanting things like 'Shame on Barrett.' Greta Dewolf shared why she wants the federal government to keep its hands off of health care. 'It is important to provide mental health and health care.' Dewolf continued, 'It's a right, not a privilege.' The protester said that Medicaid was crucial for her while she was a single mother pursuing a college degree. 'Some bad things happened to me. I got on welfare, and Medicaid was fundamental in providing that health care to give me a leg up, as well as my children,' said Dewolf. Governor Gretchen Whitmer said that cuts to the program could terminate more than 700,000 Michiganders' health care. Rep. Barrett said that these cuts would 'strengthen Medicaid's integrity' by preserving it for the people who need it most. Protesters in front of his office Thursday, like Carol Clyde, said lawmakers who voted yes to the bill are not looking at the bigger picture. 'Even people who are not on Medicare or Medicaid will be affected,' said Clyde. Clyde said that through her 26 years working in health care, she has seen how much hospitals rely on Medicaid. 'Even larger hospital systems are going to have to cut back because they won't have the income they've had before.' Clyde continued, 'What are you cutting health care for?' Rep. Barrett said the cuts would remove recipients who are ineligible from the program. There would also be a requirement for some recipients in order to qualify for the program. People would have to work or volunteer at least 80 hours a month to get Medicaid. This would have to be verified twice a year. 'There are some people that are unable to work, what are we going to do with that?' asked Dewolf. There are some exceptions to the requirement, but either way, the protesters said there should not be extra hoops to jump through when it comes to receiving health care. 'There's nothing beautiful about this bill. Not one single thing,' Clyde said. If the bill passes, it would take effect in 2029, and monetary cuts would happen over ten years. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
House GOP proposes all-out assault on Medicaid
Getty Images Threats to Medicaid are mounting, with the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce unveiling a new, harmful plan this past weekend that would not only have a devastating impact on Michiganders' ability to access health care, but lead to a catastrophic ripple effect on our state's health care systems and economy. Under the plan, up to 512,000 adults in Michigan could lose coverage due to new, punitive work requirements. This latest news comes at a time when Michiganders have sent a loud-and-clear message that they don't want cuts to Medicaid. In fact, according to new statewide polling results released last week, 83% of Michigan voters across political views and party affiliations want to see Medicaid spending either increased or kept the same. EPIC·MRA, with support from the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan, Michigan Association of Health Plans, Michigan Health & Hospital Association, Michigan Primary Care Association, and Protect MI Care, conducted the new statewide poll to determine where Michiganders stand on the proposed Medicaid cuts. The poll also showed that 82% of Michiganders oppose cutting Medicaid to pay for tax cuts and 80% said Medicaid is important in their communities. More than 2.6 million Michiganders — including more than 1 million children — rely on Medicaid for their health care coverage. This includes 1 in 5 adults ages 19-64, 2 in 5 children, 3 in 5 nursing home residents, 1 in 6 Medicare beneficiaries and 3 in 8 working-age adults with are our family members, friends, co-workers and neighbors, and they live in every county in our state. Each and every one of them deserves to be able to access the care they need in order to live healthy lives. Health care providers, advocates urge Michigan congressional delegation to vote no on Medicaid cuts In addition to providing health care coverage to nearly half of Michigan's kids, Medicaid covered 45% of all babies born in our state last year and allows more than 270,000 older Michiganders to live safely at home or in caregiving facilities. It also serves as a lifeline for Michiganders seeking care at behavioral health and substance use treatment centers in rural and underserved areas, and, statewide, it protects families who otherwise couldn't afford care from serious health consequences and insurmountable financial burdens. Medicaid is foundational to Michigan's health care delivery systems, providing an essential source of funding for hospitals, nursing homes, Community Mental Health Services Programs, schools and Emergency Medical Services. The program brings over $19 billion in federal funding to Michigan, supporting care, providers and thousands of jobs. In addition to stripping health care away from hundreds of thousands of Michiganders, the implementation and administration of the House GOP's proposed work requirements would lead to exorbitant administrative costs, with Michigan taxpayers footing a potential $155 million bill in the first year alone. This is funding that would be put to much better use as a means to maintain and, better yet, increase health care coverage for the people who call Michigan home. The plan also proposes tax 'reforms' that could result in a $3 billion annual loss in funding for our state, including a $2.3 billion decrease in payments to Michigan hospitals and upwards of $325 million in cuts to nursing homes. The closures of hospitals and other health care facilities are a real possibility under this plan, which would be deeply felt in rural and underserved areas where health care accessibility is already a major issue. Let's be clear: this new plan is an all-out assault on Medicaid that would push families off coverage, overwhelm hospitals with uncompensated care and deepen workforce shortages in essential health care services. We here at the Michigan League for Public Policy continue to stand strong in our fight to protect Medicaid, and we do not stand alone. We stand together with the majority of Michiganders and the more than 150 organizations that make up the Protect MI Care coalition. The stakes right now could not be higher, which is why the League is proud to have helped launch the Protect MI Care coalition in order to build a united front against any cuts or caps to Medicaid. The health and well-being of Michiganders and our state economy depend on it. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Court strikes down Michigan's 24-hour waiting period for abortions
A sign at the Michigan Pride rally in Lansing on June 26, 2022. | Photo by Laina G. Stebbins Michigan's mandatory 24-hour waiting period for receiving abortions has been struck down after a Michigan Court of Claims judge determined Tuesday that the rule was unconstitutional. Michigan voters enshrined the right to an abortion and 'reproductive freedom for all' into the state constitution in the November 2022 election through a ballot measure. In February 2024, abortion rights groups filed a lawsuit challenging several of Michigan's provisions around abortion access, asserting that they work against Michiganders' new constitutional rights. In addition to the mandatory 24-hour waiting period, Michigan Court of Claims Judge Sima Patel struck down requirements surrounding mandatory counseling that required abortion providers to provide an image of a fetus to patients receiving abortions. Another stricken rule had barred nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives and physician assistants from performing abortions However, Patel upheld a rule that requires abortion providers to screen for signs of coercion, saying the rule does not violate the constitutional right to reproductive health care. Michigan voters OK abortion, voting rights and term limits proposals 'The interest to be protected in this case is the fundamental right to reproductive freedom. The Court has deemed the majority of the provisions in the challenged laws to unconstitutionally burden and infringe upon that right,' Patel wrote in her opinion Tuesday. Striking down the 24-hour waiting period has been a top priority for abortion access advocates, as Planned Parenthood of Michigan reported in 2023, when lawmakers were considering a repeal, that the rule causes around 150 patients to cancel their appointments each month due to difficulty scheduling with work, transportation or other reasons. Plaintiffs arguing for the repeal in the case argued that the waiting period does nothing to promote patient health or protect against coercion into getting an abortion. Instead, proponents for the repeal argued that the waiting period works to ensure it becomes more difficult, logistically and medically, to receive quality abortion care earlier in a pregnancy. '…the Court finds that the mandatory 24-hour waiting period burdens and infringes upon patients' rights to reproductive freedom,' Patel wrote in her opinion Tuesday. 'The mandatory delay exacerbates the burdens that patients experience seeking abortion care, including by increasing costs, prolonging wait times, increasing the risk that a patient will have to disclose their decision to others, and potentially forcing the patient to forgo a medication abortion for a more invasive procedure.' Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a staunch supporter of abortion rights, has long supported eliminating the state's waiting period placed on abortions, saying in a statement Tuesday that the court's decision recognizes the struck down provisions as burdensome and obstructive to abortion care. 'This ruling affirms what Michiganders made clear when they voted to enshrine a fundamental right to reproductive freedom in our state constitution: that deeply personal medical decisions belong to individuals and their providers,' Nessel said. 'I will continue fighting to defend reproductive freedoms and protect bodily autonomy for Michigan residents.' Meanwhile, Right to Life of Michigan President Amber Roseboom said in a statement that the court's decision endangers womens' ability to make informed and safe medical decisions for themselves. 'Abortion is the only medical procedure of its kind in which the patient now is expected to go in blind,' Roseboom said in a statement. 'There is no question that women are at greater risk when they enter an abortion clinic in Michigan today than they were even a few years ago.' Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who championed the effort to remove the barriers, said the ruling 'reaffirms that Michigan is a state where you can make your own decisions about your own body with a trusted health care provider, without political interference.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Michiganders split on Trump tariffs, but almost nobody sees immediate benefit
Michiganders are split on the value of tariffs as a long-term economic strategy but almost nobody says they are seeing short-term benefits from President Donald Trump's signature policy, 100 days into his second term. That's a major takeaway from 100 Michigan residents interviewed over the last several weeks by reporters from the Detroit Free Press, Lansing State Journal and Center for Community Journalism — Michigan, who fanned out across the state to seek Michiganders' views on Trump's first 100 days back in office. Trump has imposed a wide range of tariffs of at least 10% on most countries around the world — and as high as 145% on China — in a series of moves that have caused massive stock market swings and provoked retaliatory tariffs from other nations. He has also delayed the implementation of some tariffs and granted exemptions for certain products, such as smartphones, computers, semiconductors and other electronics. On April 29, while en route to Michigan aboard Air Force One, Trump signed executive orders that ease some tariffs that impact automakers in a move that was welcomed by industry leaders but that analysts said will still result in higher vehicle prices. Nearly half of the Michigan residents recently interviewed about Trump's performance mentioned tariffs as a significant factor in their assessments. Of those, nearly half blasted tariffs or the way Trump has implemented them, while a roughly equal number said they favor the policies, adding in some cases that Michiganders will need to endure some short-term pain before the benefit of tariffs are evident. Views on Trump's tariff policies were split along party lines, with Republicans mostly favoring Trump's tariffs and Democrats and independent voters mostly opposed. More: We asked 100 Michiganders about Trump's first 100 days: Here's what they said Republican voter Perry Blackwell, 32, a Port Huron factory worker, said the tariffs should help wean Americans off of foreign products. "We need more factories here and the only way to do that is to jack up the prices," said Blackwell, who said he voted for Trump in November. More: It's been 100 days. How is Trump doing? Have your say in a letter to the editor | Letters But Democratic voter Jim Clair, 72, of Ortonville, who said he voted for then-Vice President Kamala Harris, said Trump's tariff have been a "disaster" that have cost him more than $100,000 in retirement savings as stock market indexes have reacted negatively. "He should've never been brought back,' Clair said of Trump. Clair was one of several Michiganders interviewed who said they are already experiencing negative impacts from Trump's tariffs. Mark Lewis, 68, of Madison Heights, who receives food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), said he's noticed prices of groceries and other items, such as batteries, continuing to rise under Trump, and he blames tariffs. 'I don't think we Americans are taking it as seriously as we should,' Lewis said. 'A recession, I think, is around the corner.' Garrett Ellis, 52, of Detroit, who considers himself an independent and said he did not vote in November, said tariffs are "killing the world." Ellis worked as a machine operator in automotive manufacturing but said he's out of work and looking for a job. He said the industry is slow due to difficulties in acquiring materials. "He's cutting everything out," Ellis said. "How are people going to live?" Several Republican voters acknowledged inflation remains a problem and tariffs are not helping but said it will take some time before Michiganders see the value of Trump's tariff policies. Ruby Meekhof, 66, of Cadillac, said that as a retired dairy farmer she has firsthand experience with unfair trade policies directed at the U.S. from Canada and Europe with respect to milk. She said she supports what Trump is trying to do. "I realize that we have to go through some pain before things get reset," Meekhof said. Some Michiganders said tariffs are not so much the problem, as the way Trump implemented them. Warren Holloway, 43, of Sterling Heights, a onetime Democrat who now is less sure of his political leanings, said he is hopeful that the chaos Trump has generated in his first 100 days will end up benefitting Americans and believes the aim is to improve the country's global standing. "The hot button issue is the tariffs — tariffs could have had a much more positive spin if done with a scalpel rather than a sledgehammer," Holloway said. Not everyone's views on tariffs aligned with their partisan leanings. Amy Barbieri, 45, of Warren, a small business owner who said she voted for Trump in 2020 and 2024, said the president has lost her support over tariffs. Barbieri, who sells metaphysical goods like tarot cards on TikTok Shop, said she was more of a Democrat before 2020 but this year displayed a large Trump flag in her yard. But her views have changed."I've made good money selling on TikTok, but I import from China," she said. "So now I just lost my small business." Evan Ellis, 33, of Ferndale, who identifies as a Democrat or independent, said many of Trump's actions are undermining the rule of law and have him worried about the future of democracy in the U.S. Yet Ellis said he sees a rare bright spot in Trump's tariff policies. He believes tariffs could help inhibit the country from manufacturing and selling cheap products that end up in landfills. Reporters Dana Afana, Jackie Charniga, Johnathan Hogan, Darcie Moran, Adrienne Roberts, Andrea May Sahouri and Beki San Martin contributed to this story. Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michiganders split on Trump tariffs, but few see immediate benefit
