Governor Rick Snyder says Proposal Two should not be viewed as a referendum on whether Michigan becomes a right-to-work state that outlaws compulsory union membership. The question would guarantee collective bargaining rights in the state constitution.
Michigan’s unemployment rate dropped in September for the first time in six months. The decline was a very slight one-tenth of a percentage point to 9.3%.
The Michigan Court of Appeals hears arguments this week on how the state should comply with a US Supreme Court decision on so-called juvenile lifers. It struck down sentences of automatic life without parole for juveniles convicted of murder.
Secretary of State Ruth Johnson says she will not contest a federal judge’s ruling that a citizenship question may not be on the ballot applications people will fill out at the polls in November.
Unions are betting big on ballot proposals in Michigan this election. Voters in California and Alabama will also decide ballot questions dealing with unions, but neither of those measures is as sweeping as Michigan’s. It would enshrine collective bargaining rights in the state constitution. That could potentially reverse as many as 170 Michigan labor laws that limit union bargaining power and fundraising.
A ballot campaign has filed an elections complaint against Governor Rick Snyder. It says he’s using his official website and other state resources illegally to campaign against the proposal.
The Michigan Supreme Court opens its session this week with oral arguments in Lansing. Its first cases deal with auto no‑fault coverage, before the court turns its attention to Michigan’s medical marijuana law.
Governor Rick Snyder has signed legislation that requires every schoolroom to display a U.S. flag and give children the opportunity to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
A lawsuit claims no state-appointed managers should be running Michigan cities or school districts until after voters determine the fate of the emergency manager law in November.
Members of faith-based groups in Michigan could soon be allowed to share the costs of their medical bills as an alternative to buying health insurance. The state House is expected to vote this week on the measure.
There was another day of hearings Thursday on Governor Rick Snyder’s proposed overhaul of Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Michigan. For-profit companies say any insurance reforms should make it easier for them to compete with Blue Cross.
