An oil pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac faces trouble after a ruling from the Michigan Attorney General. Governor Whitmer calls for an audit of the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association. New standards for teaching history and social studies move closer to approval. President Trump comes to Grand Rapids. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos criticizes a critic of her department's plan to cut funding for the Special Olympics.
(Gongwer News Service) A plan to build a tunnel around the two oil pipelines of Enbridge Energy’s line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac faces new trouble. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is taking issue with the controversial law passed last year to create a tunnel-building authority. Nessel says the law violates the title-object clause of the Constitution. Environmentalists have called for Enbridge to shut down Line 5. They say a spill from the aging pipes would devastate the Great Lakes. Enbridge says a new tunnel would protect the lines.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer has ordered an audit of the fund that pays for long-term care for injuries caused by auto accidents, after a 15% fee increase was announced. The board of the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association approved a $28 increase in the fee, bringing the total to $220 per vehicle. Whitmer says she is directing the Department of Insurance and Financial Services to conduct an audit of the MCCA. Michigan’s auto insurance rates are the highest in the nation, several lawmakers say it’s a top issue for the Legislature to solve.
(MPRN) Proposed new standards for teaching history and social studies in Michigan would include references to abortion, climate change, and gay rights. The new standards have been at the center of political battles at the elected state board of education. The effort to update the standards stalled last year because of a partisan deadlock on the board of education. Democrats won a majority on the board in statewide elections last November. The education board will review the new standards at its meeting next month, followed by a public comment period.
(Kalamazoo Gazette) A medical marijuana facility in Portage has reopened after getting a license from the state. The Michigan Medical Marijuana Licensing Board approved the license for Lake Effect earlier this month, they denied an application in September. The Kalamazoo Gazette reports that the dispensary has made improvements in recent months and remodeled its facility on Portage Road.
(WDET) President Trump Donald is scheduled to travel to Michigan Thursday for a rally in Grand Rapids. It’s the President’s first major campaign-style event since the conclusion of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. The “Make America Great Again” at Van Andel Arena was scheduled before Mueller gave his report to the Attorney General. Trump turned previously blue Michigan red in 2016 in part by pledging to bring jobs outsourced to other countries back to working-class voters he said had been forgotten by politicians. The state has already become a battleground ahead of the next presidential election…with several high-profile Democratic candidates visiting Michigan in recent weeks.
(Interlochen Public Radio) Many counties across the state use different methods for determining if a driver is under the influence of marijuana. But the State’s Impaired Driving Safety Commission says THC, the chemical that gets you high, should not be one of them. The Commission says more cops should use roadside sobriety tests and train officers to get better at detecting a high driver. Some counties relied on the cop’s discretion others used mouth swabs to test THC levels. The recommendations now go to the state Legislature and the Governor’s office. In the meantime Michigan State Police is expanding the use of roadside sobriety tests this fall.
(Detroit Free Press) Education Secretary Betsy DeVos had harsh words on Thursday for a critic of her department’s proposal to cut $18 million in grant money to the Special Olympics. DeVos faced questioning from a US Senate subcommittee on the proposed education budget. The Detroit Free Press reports that when Illinois Democratic Senator Richard Durbin pressed DeVos on the Special Olympics cuts, she told him his questions were, in her words, “shameful” and “disgusting.” DeVos has proposed cutting billions of dollars overall from student and teacher programs. She says the Special Olympics reductions are necessary to meet that goal. The budget would increase funding for charter schools by $60 million.
In baseball, Western Michigan lost at Michigan State Wednesday 3-2 despite nine hits for the Broncos to five for the Spartans. Western is now 6-17 overall this season, they will begin a three game series at Toledo Friday.
In softball, Western Michigan jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but lost at Notre Dame Wednesday 11-4. The Broncos begin their first Mid-American Conference series of the season Friday at Akron.
In hockey, Kalamazoo fell behind 3-0 in the first period and lost at Fort Wayne Wednesday night 5-1. The K-Wings will play at Indy on Friday.