Michigan politics

The early numbers provide insight into the state of primary races in the Saginaw Bay region at around the halfway mark in the lead up to election night on Feb. 3.

Guidance from Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson says absentee ballots with mismatched or missing identifying numbers can be counted as challenged ballots. The court struck that down.

Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman, who acknowledged orchestrating political robocalls to suppress the Detroit vote, were formally sentenced Monday to one year of probation.

The GOP lawmakers say federal oversight is needed because Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has a conflict of interest since she is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor. One of the letter’s signers is Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt, who is seeking his party’s nomination.

Some new items in the guidelines include discussions about social media and newer technology, gender identity and sexuality, and boundary setting.

The Michigan Senate approved bills to outlaw per-signature payments to professional circulators gathering signatures for political candidates and ballot campaigns.

Michigan is one of only two states that fully exempts lawmakers and the governor’s office from FOIA.

Michigan bills to restart tracking abortion data — including patients' marital status, racial and ethnic background, and pregnancy history — will get a hearing in the Republican-led House Committee on Health Policy.

A new 24% wholesale tax on marijuana in Michigan has sparked a heated debate, with the state defending its constitutionality in court filings and arguing it does not conflict with a voter-approved law that legalized recreational cannabis.

With his sweeping pardons, Trump has effectively shielded those who challenged the 2020 election results from federal prosecution, however state charges and potential appeals loom on the horizon.