Rick Pluta

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has asked the Legislature to hit the “pause” button on the requirement that adults on Medicaid must be working, looking for work, or in school to qualify for benefits.
 

The governor, who is a Democrat, sent a letter to lawmakers. It says Michigan should wait for federal courts to decide legal challenges filed in other states to work requirements before making them part of the Healthy Michigan program.
                Whitmer says Republican-led states have already done this…

Michigan Republicans are deciding what to do next after a federal judge rejected a lawsuit to challenge the state’s new redistricting law.
                The judge said the challenge is NOT likely to succeed.

Michigan Republicans are deciding what to do next after a federal judge rejected a lawsuit to challenge the state’s new redistricting law.
                The judge said the challenge is NOT likely to succeed.

Michigan has a new state elections chief. Elections bureau director Jonathan Brater says his top job is ensuring the integrity of and public confidence in elections.
 

Brater says efforts to undermine elections might include fake social media announcements or telephone messages that encourage voters to stay home or show up at the wrong polling sites. He says fighting to keep elections honest is difficult and complicated in the internet age.

The state’s marijuana watchdog agency has ordered tests on vaping inventories. They want distributors to make they don’t include an ingredient linked to lung damage.

Invitations will soon be in the mail asking voters to apply to be part of Michigan’s new redistricting commission.
                The commission will draw new congressional and legislative district lines.
 

250 thousand voters were randomly selected to get letters from the state. People can also apply to serve whether or not they receive a letter. These are all steps outlined in the amendment that was adopted overwhelmingly by voters last year.
                Nancy Wang is with the Voters Not Politicians campaign.

A new state policy makes it faster and easier for people to get a Michigan ID or driver’s license that matches their gender identity.

       The rule is effective today.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson ordered the new rule. It says people will no longer have to show a new passport, an amended birth certificate, or a court order to change the designated gender on a state I-D.

“People who would like to correct their sex designations on their IDs will only need to complete a form, come into a branch office, and have their photo taken.”

West Michigan Congressman Bill Huizenga faces an ethics investigation. A bipartisan committee has voted to go ahead with an inquiry into Disney World trips paid for with campaign funds.

An insurance industry group says a fee charged to many Michigan drivers will drop by more than half. That’s due to a change in the state’s auto insurance law.

Michigan no longer requires every driver to carry accident insurance that pays lifetime medical benefits for people injured in car crashes. That policy change means the fee to pay for those benefits will drop to 100 dollars a year. The Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association says that’s a 55 percent reduction. Drivers who choose less coverage won’t have to pay the fee at all.

Republicans in Lansing are proposing more changes to the state’s budget process. New bills would require the Legislature to deliver budget bills to the governor’s desk by July first.

This is taking place as the Legislature’s Republican leaders and Governor Gretchen Whitmer are trying to improve their working relationship during a budget staredown.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer says she’s hopeful talks with the Legislature’s GOP leaders could soon lead to a new budget deal. An agreement could restore many of her line-item vetoes and other budget cuts.

The cuts are proving to be very unpopular in areas represented by Republicans, as well as areas represented by Democrats.