Politics & Government

Now that the Florida primary is over, we’re bound to see increasing media attention on Michigan. We’re the next big state to hold a primary election, though not till the end of the month.

Native son Mitt Romney is heavily favored, but the fact that Newt Gingrich badly needs a win somewhere means we may see a fair amount of campaigning here.

Right-to-Work in Indiana

A law signed yesterday makes Indiana the first right-to-work state in the industrial Midwest. That has stirred discussions in Michigan on the topic, Rick Pluta reports. From Pluta:

Governor Snyder was asked for his thoughts on right to work as he testified in Washington D.C. before a congressional committee yesterday… Snyder did not rule out Michigan becoming a right-to-work state sometime in the future, but says that debate should not take place in 2012. The governor says roads, public transit, and connecting the chronically unemployed to jobs are all higher priorities. But Republican state Representative Mike Shirkey says having a right-to-work state next door in Indiana could force the governor and the Legislature to confront the question. Shirkey says he hopes to have a right-to-work bill introduced before the Legislature begins its spring break in May.

Flint EM

Residents of Flint will have a chance to hear directly from their city’s Emergency Manager this evening. Steve Carmody reports:

An emergency manager has been calling the shots at Flint city hall since the beginning of December. During that time, Michael Brown has limited the power of the city’s elected leaders, fired some city employees and come up with a plan to lift Flint out of its financial crisis… Tonight is the first of nine community meetings that Brown plans to hold during the next month to share his vision and take input from Flint residents. Flint is facing an $11 million dollar deficit this year and the city’s cumulative deficit could be more than twice that.

Six More Weeks of Winter

The famous groundhog known as Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning which means a prediction of six more weeks of winter. But, here in Michigan, winter has meant mild temperatures and little snow. “The groundhog made his ‘prediction’ on Gobbler's Knob, a tiny hill in the town for which he's named about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. Thursday's ceremony is largely that: Phil's prediction is determined ahead of time by the Inner Circle, a group which dons top hats and tuxedos and decides in advance what the groundhog will predict,” the Associated Press reports.

The Detroit Fire Department is aiming to save lives—and money—by preventing heating-related home fires.

Fire officials say there’s a “noticeable peak” in fire-related deaths in the winter months--largely due to people improperly using space heaters and other heat sources, like propane tanks.  19 people died in the winter months last year.

Detroit fire captain Christopher Dixon says that’s a tough but unfortunate calculation many Detroiters make each month.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder is questioning the approach of his fellow Republican governors in the upper Midwest.

He said in an interview with The Associated Press that their efforts to push through divisive legislation may make governing more difficult in the long run.

Snyder says he sees large protests in Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana about anti-union laws as unfortunate. He says pushing the contentious legislation means those states will have overcome
divisiveness and hard feelings in the future.

Snyder spoke to the AP on Wednesday, while in Washington to a congressional committee about job creation.

Snyder says he prefers a consensus approach to governing. He says government should do what it can, find areas of agreement and get that done rather than focus on potentially divisive legislation.

Michigan’s Attorney General Bill Schuette filed a request with the state Supreme Court to stop a hearing about whether certain graduate students at the University of Michigan can unionize.

But the hearing was held today despite the request, and is scheduled to continue tomorrow.