Latest news with #MichiganSenate
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Friends, family could perform weddings without getting ordained under Michigan bill
Michigan couples planning their weddings could have a family member or friend officiate a ceremony without needing any kind of religious authorization under legislation that recently passed the Michigan Senate. The proposal would also expand the list of elected officials who can perform marriages in the state. The bills in the package passed the Michigan Senate June 10, with support of every Democratic lawmaker in the chamber and three Republicans: state Sens. Jon Bumstead of North Muskegon and Michael Webber of Rochester Hills, along with Senate Minority Leader and GOP gubernatorial candidate Aric Nesbitt of Porter Township. Under current state law, marriages in Michigan can be solemnized by judges, mayors, county clerks and religious practitioners. Because Wayne County is so large, the law allows employees of the clerk's office to also perform marriages. Township supervisors, state lawmakers and civil celebrants would be added to the list statewide under the bill approved by the Michigan Senate. The legislation defines a civil celebrant as someone who is at least 18 years old and "works in accordance with the wishes of the client couple." Sixty-one percent of Michigan adults identify as Christians, 6% identify with other religions and 31% of Michigan adults are religiously unaffiliated, according to the Pew Research Center's 2023-24 U.S. Religious Landscape Study Interactive Database. By enabling judges and some local officials to solemnize marriages, current state law allows for non-religious marriage ceremonies in Michigan. "But a lot of people don't want somebody they don't know conducting the most important ceremony in their life," said bill sponsor state Sen. Veronica Klinefelt, D-Eastpointe, in a June 3 hearing on her legislation. As a workaround, an officiant chosen by a couple will go online and pay a fee to obtain a certificate as an ordained minister. This new legislation would allow a couple's chosen officiant to skip that step. State Sen. Kevin Daley, R-Lum, who opposed the legislation, characterized it as a blow to marriage. "Allowing just anybody to officiate a wedding will further weaken what should be a very serious undertaking," he said. "I'd be glad to support legislation to require real training to become a wedding officiant, thus adding an extra layer of dignity and importance to the proceedings." A separate bill voted on by the Michigan Senate would increase the fine for violating the state's marriage license law from $100 to $500. Michigan's marriage rate has steadily declined since 1970, according to data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. It reached a low in 2020 of 8.4 individuals married per 1,000 residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, but marriage rates have not bounced back to pre-pandemic levels. In order for the legislation to land on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's desk, the GOP-controlled Michigan House would have to approve the bills passed by the state Senate. Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@ or 313-296-5743. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan bill to expand who can perform weddings passes Senate
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Michigan Senators try again for legislation to keep out hazardous waste
Sen. Darrin Camilleri (D-Trenton) during a meeting of the Senate Energy and Environment Committee on June 5, 2025. | Kyle Davidson Members of the Michigan Senate are once again weighing efforts to deter out-of-state companies from dumping hazardous waste in the state while updating standards for managing landfills and potentially harmful materials. Sen. Darrin Camilleri (D-Trenton) on Thursday laid out a renewed proposal for revamping the state's approach to hazardous waste management before his colleagues on the Senate Energy and Environment Committee. During his testimony, Camilleri noted the bills are a response to recent attempts to ship hazardous waste from the East Palestine train derailment, as well as radioactive material from the Manhattan Project, into disposal sites within his district. 'I've had countless conversations with residents and local municipal leaders who are horrified about that potentially harmful material being transported to their communities on their roads and disposed of in their backyard,' Camilleri said. 'Frankly, it is ridiculous that these facilities are located in these dense population centers in the first place.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX If passed, Camilleri's Senate Bill 246 would require the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy to create a hazardous and radioactive waste management plan and issue a moratorium on licensing new hazardous waste storage and disposal facilities or expansions of existing facilities. It would also place stricter siting requirements on hazardous waste facilities to keep them away from large population centers and cap the amount of hazardous waste disposed of within Michigan by tying it to the amount of waste the state produces. While federal law prevents Michigan from banning trash from other states, Camilleri said his policy is a creative effort to try and skirt federal regulations on commerce between states by preferencing Michigan's waste, and allowing other states to send their waste on top of that. 'It's not a perfect solution to that out of state problem, but it's our version of trying our best to take care of home first,' Camilleri said. Additionally, Senate Bill 246 increases the fees for disposing of hazardous waste from $10 a ton to $25 a ton, radioactive waste from $5 per ton to $12.50 per ton, with a portion of the increased fees going towards redevelopment. Another percentage would go toward a new community surcharge reimbursement fund, and another piece would go toward a grant fund to support communities that host hazardous waste disposal facilities. Camilleri's proposal would also increase the waste tipping fee, or the charge to dump in Michigan landfills, from 36 cents a ton, to $1.20. In her budget proposals for the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 fiscal years, Whitmer asked lawmakers to increase the state's tipping fee to $5 in order to combat out-of-state dumping and increase revenue for environmental remediation, brownfield redevelopment, local waste management assistance and grants and recycling initiatives. Alongside Senate Bill 246, Camilleri's Senate Bill 247 targets a liquid waste injection well in Romulus, creating a $100 per ton tipping fee for the waste that goes into those wells. 'The city of Romulus is, right now, on the hook for all types of public safety,' Camilleri said. 'In the event of a disaster with this type of well, they will be the ones forced to pay for additional equipment, additional public safety, including fire and EMS. … This type of fee would help offset some of those costs.' During the meeting, local officials from Romulus and nearby Van Buren Township and Canton Township shared their support for the bills. They cited concerns about out-of-state dumping, and the public health and environmental threats that could come from storing more waste at facilities like the Wayne Disposal Inc. Hazardous Waste Landfill in Van Buren Township. Canton Township Supervisor Anne Marie Graham-Hudak noted that the landfill is three miles south of Canton and sits next to two schools in a residential neighborhood. It's also surrounded by environmental justice communities, she said, neighborhoods where people of color and low-income individuals are disproportionately exposed to environmental hazards. Kevin Krause, the director of community safety and development for the city of Romulus, said the city is inadequately prepared to respond to an emergency at the Romulus injection well, not only from the perspective of the local fire department, but from the regional and county level, as well. 'We are under-resourced, under-trained and underprepared at this particular location,' Krause said. Should there be an issue with the injection well, the response will fall solely on the shoulders of local firefighters to mitigate any threat to the environment and population, while agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Michigan EGLE would only be able to provide administrative support. Supporting Senate Bill 247 would give the city the ability to develop proper pre-response plans, raise awareness, and incorporate surrounding departments and regional hazardous materials teams into their planning, Krause said.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bipartisan event highlights Michigan's legislative divides, instead
MACKINAC ISLAND — In a new era of divided government, state lawmakers face a binary choice between bipartisan cooperation and gridlock. When they convened for the Detroit Regional Chamber's annual policy conference in the Straits of Mackinac, where two Great Lakes meet, they remained at loggerheads. Unlike past conferences in which legislative leaders have sometimes joined the governor for a big bipartisan policy announcement, that didn't happen this year. House Minority Leader Ranjeev Puri, D-Canton Township, described the current legislative session as uniquely unproductive. "I'm disappointed with the lack of progress," he said. Republicans control the Michigan House and Democrats hold a majority in the Michigan Senate. "You think that would be an ideal situation to find common ground," said Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids. Legislative leaders pointed fingers at each other for inaction. Puri blasted Richland Township Republican House Speaker Matt Hall's leadership style. "It's an unserious approach that's going to lead to dangerous consequences," Puri said. Hall said Michigan voters can blame Democrats for a Mackinac Policy Conference that didn't feature a bipartisan bill signing ceremony on the island. The Democratic-led legislative session that came to an end last year has continued to hover over the current one, fueling tensions between the top Republican and Democratic leaders in Lansing. Bills that passed both chambers last session never made their way to Whitmer's desk, prompting the Michigan Senate to sue Hall for refusing to transmit the legislation. Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Township, called it an unfortunate start to the year. Brinks said she and Hall have had informal and infrequent conversations, adding that her continued invitations to sit down have gone unanswered. "It shouldn't be that way," she said. "It's absolutely a problem." Hall has defended his leadership approach during news conferences, touting policies in which House lawmakers from both parties have come together to support in one breath and singling out some Democratic lawmakers for criticism in another. During a Mackinac Policy Conference panel featuring all four legislative leaders May 29, Hall didn't take Brinks or Puri up on their personal pleas to meet. At one point, Puri held up his phone in front of the audience, saying he had his calendar pulled up to put a date to meet on the calendar. Hall told Puri he didn't need to, saying he's worked effectively with other Democratic lawmakers. Hall also said he has set an example for bipartisanship with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, citing their Oval Office visit with President Donald Trump that preceded the announcement of a new fighter jet mission for Selfridge Air National Guard Base. Whitmer declined a request for an interview with the Detroit Free Press during the conference. But in her speeches, she emphasized her commitment to cooperating across the aisle. "This isn't a platitude. This is a philosophy," she said. Whitmer has long preached bipartisanship, but she faces a new dynamic in Lansing. For the first time during her tenure as governor, one political party controls one chamber of the Michigan Legislature and the opposite party controls the other. So far, lawmakers have sent four bills since this session began January to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's desk for her signature: Changes to Michigan's minimum wage and paid sick leave laws and a pair of bills that adjusts the deadline for politicians and candidates to file their personal financial disclosures following hiccups with the online reporting system. Whitmer's governing approach isn't the only thing on the line, so is her marquee campaign promise to "fix the damn roads" if lawmakers reach a stalemate on road funding. But she suggested lawmakers may be close to an agreement. "We're inching closer to a deal," she said. Mackinac Policy Conference: Mike Duggan, Dan Gilbert chat about downtown Detroit and what Bill Clinton saw in 1991 The Michigan House passed a road funding plan in March that would depend on steep cuts, which Puri characterized as an austerity plan packaged as a road funding solution. Brinks has previously described it as a nonstarter. Hall has blasted Senate Democrats for not putting forward a road funding plan of their own. Brinks says Hall won't come to the table to negotiate. While lawmakers may leave potholes unfilled, they face another high-stakes test for bipartisanship during budget negotiations. The Michigan House hasn't passed a budget proposal yet, and Hall hasn't committed to passing one out of the chamber by July 1, the deadline lawmakers — including Hall —imposed on themselves to help schools plan for the next year before students return to class. Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@ or 313-296-5743. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan Democrats say they want House Speaker to negotiate
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senate passes sexual assault statute of limitations extension; Hall noncommittal on House action
Michigan Senate | Susan J. Demas Sexual assault survivors gained support from the Michigan Senate on Tuesday with the passage of bills to allow more time in filing civil lawsuits against their assailants, but it remains unclear if the Republican-controlled House plans to take up the bills. The upper chamber voted 25-9 to pass the five-bill package sponsored by Democratic Senators Kevin Hertel of Saint Clair Shores, Sam Singh of East Lansing, Mallory McMorrow of Royal Oak, Jeff Irwin of Ann Arbor, and Veronica Klinefelt of Eastpointe. Together, the bills would give survivors of sexual assault or other criminal sexual conduct a 10-year window after a crime was committed, with a cutoff at the age of 42, or within seven years after discovering an injury or some other connection to the misconduct, or whichever is later. Survivors can file lawsuits to recover damages sustained from the criminal sexual conduct, which could be brought in court at any time if there was also a criminal conviction involved with the assault. Sexual abuse survivors again ask Michigan lawmakers for more time to sue perpetrators Regardless of the limitations listed in the package, the bills would allow a survivor who was victimized before the package's effective date to file a lawsuit for damages within one year after the effective date. In that case, a claimant could not recover more than $1.5 million. Other bills in the package would remove the existing 10-year statute of limitations, exempt claims to recover damages for criminal sexual conduct from the existing permanent prohibition on bringing a claim against the state, and would amend the state's government immunity law in various ways – including removing the immunity from tort liability for a public university, college or school district whose employee engaged in the misconduct while working there if the institution was negligent in hiring, supervising or training that employee. The same is true if the institution knew about the abuse and failed to intervene. In a statement, Hertel said survivors of sexual assault have for too long been denied their day in court and silenced by 'arbitrary deadlines and a system that failed them.' 'No more,' Hertel said regarding the Justice for Survivors package. 'At their core, these bills are about justice, accountability, and finally giving survivors the voice they deserve. With this legislation, we are shattering that silence and making it clear: Michigan will no longer be a place where assault is ignored and abusers get to walk free to continue their cycle of harm.' Michigan over the last several years made national headlines due to high-profile sexual assault or abuse cases, including the abuse perpetrated by the Larry Nassar scandal at Michigan State University and Robert Anderson at the University of Michigan. Attorney General Dana Nessel also spearheaded investigations into the Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts of American in Michigan during her tenure, which exposed abuses across generations. The making of a monster McMorrow said in a statement that Michigan's justice system needed to be reformed to a position of protecting survivors and not shielding abusers. 'With the passage of this legislation out of the Senate, we're one step closer to securing the access to justice that survivors deserve,' McMorrow said. Irwin in a statement touted the legislation's removal of immunity for large institutions to empower survivors 'to speak their truth and pursue justice that they deserve.' Klinefelt in a statement also noted that power institutions have shielded perpetrators while abuses happened under their watch. The bills would no longer allow those institutions to hide behind legal immunity when survivors come forward. 'We're ending that with this legislation and are restoring trust, delivering justice, and making sure survivors' voices are not easily swept under the rug.' The bills now move to the House, but it's unclear if they'll get traction in the Republican-controlled chamber. In a Tuesday news briefing, Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) appeared noncommittal on taking the bills up in the House. He also noted that his Democratic colleagues tried to pass similar legislation last session, but the effort died in a disastrous lame duck session that saw several key Democratic priorities grind to a halt. 'I haven't looked at it, but I think the idea of extending statutes of limitations for decades, or whatever it is, that creates a lot of questions, a lot of legal problems,' Hall said. 'We'll look at it. I haven't seen it, but you didn't see the Democrats move it when they were there, so it must have a lot of problems.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Michigan House passes bill to rename part of M-6 in honor of tow truck driver
LANSING, Mich. (WOOD) — A West Michigan tow truck driver who lost his life along M-6 near Grand Rapids is being honored by the Michigan House of Representatives. The House passed a bill Tuesday that would designate a portion of the roadway the . The bill now moves to the Michigan Senate for consideration. The parents of Keagan Spencer have been working to honor the life of their son who died in . Tow truck driver honored by community following deadly crash His father Matt Spencer and mother Kiko Garrison were the special guests of State Representative Angela Rigas, who introduced to name a portion of the highway in his memory. 'It's kind of surreal that our child had to give his life to raise awareness but there comes a certain amount of honor that distinction and I think I'm gonna be pretty dang proud,' Spencer said. The bill would make the portion of M-6 from Kalamazoo Avenue to 60th Street the Keagan Spencer Memorial Highway. 'Keagan was a servant, he was, just loved helping people. He had a passion for the towing industry like you just don't see in young people today,' Spencer said. Father of tow truck driver killed in crash: 'Move over' Keagan was a third-generation tow truck driver. Many drivers came to the House session and sat in the gallery to show their support. 'I feel like our legislators are recognizing that tow truck drivers aren't just these men in their Hi-Viz at the side of the road. These are actual first responders,' Garrison said. The family wants to bring awareness about the dangers of distracted driving and to remind people of . 'I hope that parents will let these young drivers that are beginning to drive the highways say remember that story when they go past that sign and maybe there'll be a discussion,' Garrison said. Keagan's parents are grateful for the honor and hope the designation will make an impact. 'If I get an opportunity to go down M-6 and pass my son's sign, it makes me proud. It will make me proud because he deserves that just like all these other men and women do,' Garrison said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
