Eubanks
to PSC
Governor Rick Snyder has named Rachael
Eubanks to serve on the Public Service Commission, replacing John Quackenbush,
who has returned to work in the private sector. Ms. Eubanks was previously a
director of public finance for Robert W. Baird & Company in Lansing. She
will serve the remainder of his six-year term, ending July 2, 2017.
Judge
Thomas Seeking Supreme Court Seat
Wayne Circuit Judge Deborah Thomas is
seeking the Democratic nomination to run for the Supreme Court. Currently, Judge
Thomas is the only Democrat to show interest in running for the Supreme Court. The
court now seats five Republican and two Democratic justices.
Tax
Expenditures Expected to Increase
Total tax expenditures could reach
$36.5 billion in the fiscal year 2016-17, according to an annual report from
the Department of Treasury. The biggest portion of that total will stem from
sales and use tax expenditures, such as health services, food and other
services. This portion is expected to increase to $17.84 billion. Business
taxes are the only category to expect a tax expenditures decline. They are
expected to decline to $1.1 billion.
Lawsuit
Filed Against Vaccine Rule
Tara Nikolao, a woman from Wyandotte,
filed a federal lawsuit at the U.S. District Court in Detroit stating
Michigan’s law requiring parents seeking a non-medical waiver from vaccination
for their children before they enter public schools to receive in-person education
is unconstitutional. Ms. Nikolao is a devout Catholic and objects to
vaccinations from aborted fetal cells. The case has been assigned to Judge
Linda Parker.