Michigan Supreme Court

The Michigan Supreme Court vacated a key permit for Enbridge Energy’s Line 5 pipeline replacement project, ruling the state commission failed to fully assess environmental harms and public trust impacts. The decision requires a remand for a more thorough review, delaying the project further.

The Michigan Supreme Court ruled that state energy regulators improperly limited environmental review of Enbridge's Line 5 tunnel project, requiring a broader assessment. Opponents, including tribal nations and environmental advocates, celebrated the decision as a victory for protecting the Great Lakes and public resources.

The Michigan Supreme Court ruled that the state regulator must reassess Enbridge Energy's Line 5 tunnel project due to insufficient analysis of environmental harms. The court found the Michigan Public Service Commission failed to properly evaluate potential impacts and alternatives, with the decision supported by six justices and one dissent. The pipeline, running through the Straits of Mackinac, faces challenges from tribal communities and environmental groups.

The Michigan Supreme Court allowed the state's attorney general to investigate Eli Lilly's insulin pricing practices, rejecting a prior court's decision. The probe alleges the company artificially inflated prices for three insulin products, leading to patient hardships including rationing and health risks.

The Michigan Supreme Court ordered regulators to reconsider a permit for Enbridge's proposed pipeline tunnel under the Great Lakes, ruling that environmental impacts and alternatives were inadequately assessed. The 6-1 decision challenges the future of Line 5, a 73-year-old pipeline, as environmentalists and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer argue it poses a catastrophic spill risk to the region.

The Michigan Supreme Court ordered state regulators to reconsider a permit for Enbridge's Line 5 oil pipeline tunnel under the Great Lakes, citing environmental oversight. The court ruled regulators failed to assess the pipeline's extended operational impact and alternatives, while opponents argue the project risks the Great Lakes' ecosystem and sacred sites.

The Michigan Supreme Court has ordered state regulators to reconsider a permit for a tunnel carrying an oil pipeline under the Great Lakes. The decision requires reevaluation of the permit approval process.

The Michigan Supreme Court rejected a permit for Enbridge's proposed tunnel to house its Line 5 oil pipeline under the Great Lakes, citing insufficient environmental review. The court found regulators failed to assess whether the tunnel would extend the pipeline's lifespan and cause greater harm, while environmentalists and tribal nations oppose the project due to spill risks and cultural significance. Enbridge argues the tunnel would enhance environmental protection and energy reliability.

The Michigan Supreme Court rejected a permit for Enbridge's planned tunnel to carry Line 5 oil pipeline under the Great Lakes, citing regulatory failures in environmental impact assessments. The 6-1 decision mandates regulators reevaluate the project, which environmentalists and tribal nations argue poses catastrophic risks to the waterway and sacred Indigenous sites.

The Michigan Supreme Court ruled that the Michigan Public Service Commission must reassess its approval of Enbridge Energy's Line 5 tunnel project due to inadequate evaluation of environmental harms. The court found the commission failed to properly analyze potential impacts and compare alternatives, including greenhouse emissions and oil spill risks.

The Michigan Supreme Court ruled 4-3 to allow Attorney General Dana Nessel to proceed with a price-gouging investigation against Eli Lilly and Company over insulin pricing. The court overturned two prior cases (Smith v. Globe Life Insurance Company and Liss v. Lewiston-Richards Inc.) that had misinterpreted an exemption in the Michigan Consumer Protection Act, enabling the AG to challenge licensed businesses for deceptive practices. The decision remanded the case to a lower court for further proceedings.

The Michigan Supreme Court has vacated a key permit for the Line 5 pipeline, which crosses the Straits of Mackinac. Concerns about potential oil spills from a pipeline rupture have sparked debate over relocating the pipeline into a concrete tunnel beneath the lakebed.

The Michigan Supreme Court declined to hear a habeas corpus case for seven chimpanzees at the DeYoung Family Zoo, upholding lower courts' decisions that chimpanzees are not 'persons' under the law. Justice Elizabeth Welch dissented, arguing the law could evolve to recognize animal rights based on scientific understanding.

The Michigan Supreme Court ruled that police cannot mislead suspects into waiving their right to an attorney, suppressing statements made after such violations. The decision in People v. Fenderson found Detroit police officers violated Miranda rights by implying a suspect needed money to hire counsel, leading to a 6-1 ruling in favor of the defendant. The case was remanded for further proceedings.

A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction to two Michigan anti-abortion organizations challenging a state employment law requiring them to hire candidates with conflicting beliefs on abortion and cover abortion care in employee benefits. The judge ruled the law likely violates the First Amendment, halting enforcement until the Michigan Supreme Court interprets its application.

Gretchen Whitmer vetoed nine bills that were subject to a Michigan Supreme Court order requiring their presentation to the governor. The bills, which were stalled by the Republican-led House during the 2023-24 session, were rejected due to constitutional time constraints and potential administrative burdens.

The Michigan House must send nine blocked bills to Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's desk after the state Supreme Court declined to take up an appeal.

Wayne County property owners must file claims by July 1, 2026, to receive leftover money from tax foreclosure sales, following a Michigan Supreme Court ruling that grants them rights to surplus proceeds. About 3,700 properties, including vacant lots, are scheduled for fall auctions, with a multi-step process involving the Wayne County Treasurer’s Office and Circuit Court.