Jason Hoskins

The Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) announced an $81 million investment to improve a 48-inch water transmission main along 14 Mile Road in Oakland County over the next three years. The main has experienced multiple breaks, including incidents in September 2025, March, and May, prompting the project to enhance its reliability and resiliency.

Michigan lawmakers have proposed a three-bill package to study reparations and racial disparities, focusing on housing, education, and economic inequities. Critics question the costs and feasibility, while supporters argue it addresses long-standing issues like homeownership gaps between white and Black residents.

Michigan lawmakers are proposing legislation to address excessive noise from modified vehicles on Woodward Avenue in metro Detroit, which residents say disrupts their lives year-round. The bills, House Bills 6151 and 6152, would allow enforcement against loud vehicles on state highways with fines up to $1,000 for repeat offenses. Local authorities and residents support the measures, though some drivers argue the penalties are too steep.

Michigan lawmakers are proposing legislation to increase fines for drivers with illegal exhaust systems, raising penalties from $100 to $500 for a first offense and $1,000 for a second. The bill removes the requirement for law enforcement to measure exhaust noise before issuing citations and includes a provision allowing first-time offenders to waive fines by removing modifications. The proposal faces mixed reactions from residents and drivers.

The Michigan Legislative Black Caucus has proposed reparative justice bills to establish a state office for descendants of slavery, launch a reparations commission, and implement data collection subcategories. The bills aim to address historical harms through research and resource coordination, though they do not include immediate reparations payments. Speaker Matt Hall expressed opposition to funding reparations, and the legislation was sent to a committee with a history of stalling bills.

Michigan Senate passed four bills to establish a state Voting Rights Act in response to the federal act's weakening by the U.S. Supreme Court. The legislation aims to protect voting access for protected groups and faces the Republican-led House next.