Michigan

     (DETROIT) - UAW officials want guarantees of job security during an unsettled period for the still highly-profitable auto industry.

   Both General Motors and Ford are trying to save money as car sales dwindle, with GM having already announced it will cease production at four assembly plants. Two of them in Metro Detroit.

   But the union may still want a bigger piece of the profit pie, especially when it comes to Fiat Chrysler, which is investing in facilities and finalizing plans to build a new assembly plant in Detroit.

(LANSING) - Some Republican lawmakers in Lansing want to shorten the time period when a pregnant woman can get an abortion. A bill in the Senate would make it a felony to perform abortions after 20 weeks of the probable conception.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - New Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is urging lawmakers to let absentee ballots be counted before Election Day and to make other changes following the passage of a ballot initiative that expanded voting options in Michigan. The Democrat says the number of absentee ballots is expected to increase significantly now that people can vote absentee for any reason. Benson also is calling for a number of other changes to "modernize" elections.     

Some rural lawmakers in Lansing aren’t on board with how Governor Gretchen Whitmer wants to reshape the state’s road funding methods.

Right now, money brought in for roads is divided among the state, cities, and counties. Whitmer wants to increase the fuel tax by 45-cents. And she wants that money to be distributed based primarily on road use.

But some people in more rural areas say that’s not fair.

Two bills in the Michigan State House would allow Michigan teachers to carry pepper spray and tasers on school grounds.

State legislators introduced a bill last year to allow teachers to carry a gun on school grounds. That bill did not pass. Critics worried that having guns on school grounds might endanger students.

Tuesday Michigan state lawmakers plan to consider legislation to help school districts that have to make up snow days. 

Severe weather and bitter cold forced many Michigan schools to exceed the number of allowable snow days this year.  A bill going before the Michigan House Education Committee would give school districts a break if the governor declares an emergency because of the weather.

     LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Legislation advancing in Michigan would combat mail theft that law enforcers say is an increasing problem across the state.
 
     The Senate voted unanimously Thursday to send two bills to the House.
 
     They would make the theft of mail and packages a state crime. Law enforcement says U.S. postal inspectors are currently overwhelmed with investigating what is a federal crime.
 

(MICHIGAN) - The Michigan State Police plan to expand a program that field tests impaired drivers for drug usage. The pilot program started in late 2017 in five counties including Berrien County.

Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019 at 7 PM

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer is scheduled to deliver her first State of the State address. You can livestream the speech here or listen live on 88.1 WVPE.

http://www.house.mi.gov/SharedVideo/VideoPlayer.html?data=3LR

Monday, Feb. 11, 2019 at 9 PM

Michigan Public Radio's Cheyna Roth and WDET's Jake Neher co-host a preview of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's first State of the State speech to be delivered Tuesday, Feb. 12, at 7 PM (88.1 WVPE will carry that address live).