New Faces in D.C.
All of Michigan's 15 U.S. Congressional Representatives will take the oath of office today in Washington, D.C. Five of the members are new to Congress: Republicans Dan Benishek, Bill Huizenga, Justin Amash, and Tim Walberg, and Democrat Hansen Clarke. Representative Tim Walberg, though, could be considered a 'second year freshman' as he won a seat in Congress in 2006 but lost it in 2008. He won back the seat in this past November's election.
Splitsville for the DNRE
Governor Rick Snyder issued the first executive order of his administration yesterday. The order splits up the state Department of Natural Resources and Environment into two departments: the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Environmental Quality. The split will take effect on March 13th. In a statement released yesterday, Snyder said:
Michigan is blessed with an abundance of natural resources and we need to be a leader and innovator in protecting these resources. Recreational fishing, hunting and boating activities alone contribute more than $3 billion annually to our economy. Separating the DEQ and DNR means we can better address these key priorities.
RichRod Rumors
Whether or not you care about the story, it's no doubt that you, at the very least, heard rumblings about the possible firing of the University of Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez... that is, unless, you were ONLY listening to Michigan Radio. The station decided not to report yesterday's swirling rumors about Rodriguez's job. You can read more about the station's decision to wait to cover the story here.
