Michigan Report for Wednesday, May 16, 2012 Senate Report
House Report

Small Uptick In Revenues Not Expected To Mean Much For Budget

Revenues are higher than expected, the Revenue Estimating Conference determined Wednesday, but not by enough to substantially change the direction in which legislators and Governor Rick Snyder have been moving on writing the 2012-13 fiscal year budget.

The conference, made up of the Department of Treasury and the House and Senate fiscal agencies, said revenues to the general fund for the 2011-12 fiscal year are $33.9 million more than forecast at the January conference and are $112.5 million more than expected for the School Aid Fund. Those amounts, if they hold up through the end of the current fiscal year, could afford Mr. Snyder and legislators some additional funds in shaping the budget for the 2012-13 fiscal year that begins October 1.

Questions Arise Over Schmidt's Decision, Democratic Opponent

Weeks of careful, behind the scenes planning went into making the news that stunned the Capitol Tuesday when Rep. Roy Schmidt changed his party affiliation to run as a Republican for his third and final term. After more than a dozen phone calls over a period of several weeks, the deal was sealed with a meeting late Monday night at House Speaker Jase Bolger's home in Marshall.

M.P.S.E.R.S. Reform Will Wait Another Day In Senate

Senate Republicans spent three caucus sessions on Wednesday discussing changes expected to arise on Thursday when the Senate will take another whack at reforming the Michigan Public School Employee Retirement System.

Economists: Michigan Recovery Continues, But Not Robust

Michigan's economy has come a long way from the depths of the Great Recession, but not far enough to boost the fortunes of all its residents, economists said Wednesday at the Revenue Estimating Conference.

Survey Shows Consumer Hopes Best In Years, Snyder Approval Up

Michigan residents are the most confident they have been about the state's economy in seven years, results from the latest State of the State Survey show, and Governor Rick Snyder has been the beneficiary of some of that optimism.

Senate Panel Sends School Bond Bills To Full Senate

Bills making major changes to Michigan's School Bond Loan Fund were reported to the full Senate by the Appropriations Committee on Wednesday. Critics have charged the bills could essentially block the construction of new school buildings for decades but supporters said the changes were needed to help control debt costs.

Unemployment Declines As Employment Grows

Michigan's seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate dropped to 8.3 percent in April with more people working and more seeking work, the Department of Technology, Management and Budget announced.

Snyder Taking Salary, Still Planning Bridge

Governor Rick Snyder is getting paid his full salary this year, but some portion of it will end up going to charity, he said Wednesday.

Senate Reforms Committee Heats Up Over Release Time Bill

A bill that would prohibit public employer contracts that pay union officials for time conducting union business sparked a great deal of debate on Wednesday regarding whether the state was overstepping its boundaries and how union time should be defined, if at all, by legislation.