McCotter Resignation Will Cost State Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars
A special primary to fill the seat left vacant by the sudden resignation last week of Republican Congressman Thad McCotter will take place the Wednesday after Labor Day. That’s a month following the regular primary date, and it’s expected to cost taxpayers several hundred thousand dollars. Rick Pluta reports:
Lt. Gov. Calley says state law and the U.S. Constitution require the state to fill the seat for the final few weeks of the year and Congress’s “lame duck” session. Calley says the special primary could have been coordinated with the August 8th vote if McCotter had made his decision a few weeks sooner. The special election will coincide with the regular November election. The winner of the special election will serve until the end of the year and will represent the current 11th Congressional District. The winner of the regular election will represent the newly redrawn 11th to serve the term that begins in January.
Emergency Manager for Allen Park?
The city of Allen Park is one step closer to having an emergency manager. “Allen Park city officials actually requested the state do a preliminary financial review. That review found ‘probable fiscal stress.’ So, now, Lt. Gov. Brian Calley – because Governor Snyder is on vacation - has appointed a review team to take a deeper dive into the city’s finances. After that wraps up, the city will almost certainly face some type of state intervention under the emergency manager law. Flint, Pontiac, Benton Harbor, and Ecorse already have emergency managers. Other cities, including Detroit, are under state-mandated consent agreements,” Sarah Cwiek reports.
Federal Report Released on Kalamazoo River Oil Spill
A scathing federal report on the 2010 Enbridge oil spill has just been released but it will probably not affect the company’s plans to build a new oil pipeline in Michigan. “The new pipeline would replace the one that broke in 2010 dumping more than 800,000 gallons of oil into the Kalamazoo River. Federal regulators say poor decisions by Enbridge are to blame for the spill. The Michigan Public Service Commission must approve a new pipeline. State regulators are expected to decide by early next year whether to approve the project. Enbridge expects the new pipeline could be complete by the end of 2013,” Steve Carmody reports.
