A reporter who covers Michigan politics and government for The Detroit News. www.detroitnews.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/craigmauger.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/craigmauger.bsky.social/post/3mdgt3nxclk2kMichigan police group apologizes for 'woke scum' post about Minneapolis https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/01/27/michigan-police-officers-association-apologizes-for-woke-scum-post-minneapolis-ice-ted-nugent/88383885007/27 Jan 2026 22:37 +0000at://did:plc:ryopy24gtofjoc34jbmeue3c/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdgt3nxclk2khttps://bsky.app/profile/craigmauger.bsky.social/post/3mcxuersxgk2hSterling Heights Mayor Michael Taylor blasted federal immigration authorities in a 22-mintue speech during a city council meeting Tuesday: "The current regime does not care about the Constitution. The current regime does not care about the laws." https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/macomb-county/2026/01/21/sterling-heights-michigan-mayor-michael-taylor-says-immigration-authorities-are-terrorizing-people/88287604007/21 Jan 2026 23:50 +0000at://did:plc:ryopy24gtofjoc34jbmeue3c/app.bsky.feed.post/3mcxuersxgk2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/craigmauger.bsky.social/post/3mcumvum4cs2aMichigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer tells @steveinskeep.bsky.social that she believes the country is ready for a woman president: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/01/20/michigan-governor-gretchen-whitmer-says-america-ready-for-woman-president/88264146007/20 Jan 2026 16:58 +0000at://did:plc:ryopy24gtofjoc34jbmeue3c/app.bsky.feed.post/3mcumvum4cs2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/craigmauger.bsky.social/post/3mcl6fd4xis27Michigan Democrats apply to vote early in 2028 presidential primary: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/01/16/michigan-democrats-apply-to-vote-early-in-2028-presidential-primary/88217920007/16 Jan 2026 22:44 +0000at://did:plc:ryopy24gtofjoc34jbmeue3c/app.bsky.feed.post/3mcl6fd4xis27https://bsky.app/profile/craigmauger.bsky.social/post/3mc7yvdqxa227Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II is dropping his bid for governor to run for secretary of state. "My time may come to run for and earn the chance to serve as governor of Michigan, but now is not that time," he said in an interview. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/01/12/garlin-gilchrist-ends-bid-for-michigan-governor-to-run-for-secretary-of-state/88135995007/12 Jan 2026 12:07 +0000at://did:plc:ryopy24gtofjoc34jbmeue3c/app.bsky.feed.post/3mc7yvdqxa227https://bsky.app/profile/craigmauger.bsky.social/post/3mbyxqmfq7s26The 10 Michigan political races to watch in 2026 (there were a lot to choose from) https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/01/08/10-michigan-political-races-to-watch-at-the-start-of-2026/88065738007/09 Jan 2026 16:57 +0000at://did:plc:ryopy24gtofjoc34jbmeue3c/app.bsky.feed.post/3mbyxqmfq7s26https://bsky.app/profile/craigmauger.bsky.social/post/3mbwe4b6m2s2kThe anti-war demonstrator who was arrested in Grand Rapids after a TV interview is a preschool teacher who had recently traveled to Venezuela. "As soon as the lights for the (TV) camera turned off, two police officers came up behind me," she said. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2026/01/08/preschool-teacher-jessica-plichta-arrested-anti-war-venezuela-protest-grand-rapids-michigan/88047126007/08 Jan 2026 16:01 +0000at://did:plc:ryopy24gtofjoc34jbmeue3c/app.bsky.feed.post/3mbwe4b6m2s2khttps://bsky.app/profile/craigmauger.bsky.social/post/3mbugs66ras2zA potential major Michigan politics story in the works: Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II is considering ending his campaign to be Michigan's next governor and instead joining the race for secretary of state in the coming days, according to three sources. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/01/07/michigan-lt-gov-garlin-gilchrist-weighs-dropping-bid-for-governor-to-run-for-secretary-of-state/88066713007/07 Jan 2026 21:43 +0000at://did:plc:ryopy24gtofjoc34jbmeue3c/app.bsky.feed.post/3mbugs66ras2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/craigmauger.bsky.social/post/3mbomizoddc2jMichigan’s electricity rates have jumped over the last two decades, outpacing the wide majority of other states and potentially becoming a key issue in the 2026 campaign: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/01/04/michigan-residential-electricity-rate-hikes-dte-consumers-energy-public-service-commission/87949769007/05 Jan 2026 14:10 +0000at://did:plc:ryopy24gtofjoc34jbmeue3c/app.bsky.feed.post/3mbomizoddc2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/craigmauger.bsky.social/post/3m5ok6vnwys2zA group of 22 Michigan Republican lawmakers asked President Donald Trump's U.S. Department of Justice to deploy monitors to vote-counting facilities and to provide general oversight for the state's upcoming elections in 2026. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2025/11/13/republicans-ask-pam-bondi-department-of-justice-to-oversee-2026-michigan-election-jocelyn-benson/87253019007/15 Nov 2025 15:47 +0000at://did:plc:ryopy24gtofjoc34jbmeue3c/app.bsky.feed.post/3m5ok6vnwys2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/craigmauger.bsky.social/post/3m2u4jgamrk2bMatt DePerno, former Michigan attorney general nominee, is fighting the release of text messages that prosecutors say are important evidence in the criminal case against DePerno: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2025/10/10/michigan-attorney-matt-deperno-fights-release-of-text-messages-in-2020-tabulator-tampering-cases/86620598007/10 Oct 2025 16:43 +0000at://did:plc:ryopy24gtofjoc34jbmeue3c/app.bsky.feed.post/3m2u4jgamrk2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/craigmauger.bsky.social/post/3m2rczz2uis2dIn Royal Oak this morning for the preliminary exams of Matt DePerno and Daire Rendon. These exams focus on charges DePerno, former AG nominee, and Rendon, former state rep, were involved in a scheme to improperly access voting machines after the 2020 election.09 Oct 2025 14:02 +0000at://did:plc:ryopy24gtofjoc34jbmeue3c/app.bsky.feed.post/3m2rczz2uis2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/craigmauger.bsky.social/post/3lu3xihmdas2iMajor news for Michigan this morning: Semiconductor manufacturing project near Flint, sought by Gov. Whitmer, falls through Michigan Democrats are blaming President Trump https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2025/07/16/mundy-township-semiconductor-project-sandisk-michigan-gretchen-whitmer-genesee-county-trump-chips/85239778007/16 Jul 2025 17:38 +0000at://did:plc:ryopy24gtofjoc34jbmeue3c/app.bsky.feed.post/3lu3xihmdas2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/craigmauger.bsky.social/post/3ltjvjibtl22iAn email, obtained by The Detroit News, shows that Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer included a $15 million grant program in her budget proposal for 2023 that was sought by one of her donors. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2025/07/08/michigan-governor-gretchen-whitmer-fay-beydoun-business-accelerator-grant-medc-email-quentin-messer/84503989007/09 Jul 2025 13:15 +0000at://did:plc:ryopy24gtofjoc34jbmeue3c/app.bsky.feed.post/3ltjvjibtl22ihttps://bsky.app/profile/craigmauger.bsky.social/post/3lst6mf7mqs2fNEWS: A coalition of groups in Michigan, where lawmakers have resisted ethics reforms, will seek a ballot proposal in 2026 to ban political giving by the state’s dominant utilities and major contractors. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2025/06/30/michigan-campaign-seeks-ban-political-giving-utilities-contractors-transparency-voters/84388822007/30 Jun 2025 12:26 +0000at://did:plc:ryopy24gtofjoc34jbmeue3c/app.bsky.feed.post/3lst6mf7mqs2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/craigmauger.bsky.social/post/3lshl5c2dps2cThe Michigan Senate approved a bill Wednesday that would balloon the ability of government boards and commission to meet in secret. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2025/06/25/michigan-senate-open-meetings-act-bill-give-government-boards-more-chances-to-meet-in-secret/84342968007/25 Jun 2025 21:39 +0000at://did:plc:ryopy24gtofjoc34jbmeue3c/app.bsky.feed.post/3lshl5c2dps2chttps://bsky.app/profile/craigmauger.bsky.social/post/3lsfgawtme22jMichigan lawmakers' personal financial disclosures lacking in details: - Only 29% went beyond the minimum requirements in listing lobbyist gifts; - 2 of the 3 lawmakers who reported free tickets didn't detail what they were; - Many discrepancies. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2025/06/22/michigan-lawmakers-personal-disclosures-often-leave-out-key-details/84257186007/25 Jun 2025 01:06 +0000at://did:plc:ryopy24gtofjoc34jbmeue3c/app.bsky.feed.post/3lsfgawtme22jhttps://bsky.app/profile/craigmauger.bsky.social/post/3lqwxcj4iz22g'No one will know': Court records reveal secret money flowing through Lansing https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2025/06/05/no-one-will-know-records-reveal-secret-money-flowing-through-lansing/84031791007/06 Jun 2025 13:36 +0000at://did:plc:ryopy24gtofjoc34jbmeue3c/app.bsky.feed.post/3lqwxcj4iz22ghttps://bsky.app/profile/craigmauger.bsky.social/post/3lp5lugv3ws2xMichigan's State Board of Education is calling for mandatory limits on class sizes to be implemented by the 2030-31 school year. The resolution comes after an investigation by The @detroitnews.bsky.social that published in April. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2025/05/14/michigan-state-board-of-education-calls-for-smaller-class-sizes-after-detroit-news-investigation/83622818007/14 May 2025 18:09 +0000at://did:plc:ryopy24gtofjoc34jbmeue3c/app.bsky.feed.post/3lp5lugv3ws2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/craigmauger.bsky.social/post/3lnuzjpphfc2tKevin Kijewski, a defense lawyer for one of the 15 Michigan Republicans facing criminal charges for signing a certificate falsely claiming President Donald Trump won the 2020 election, has announced he'll seek the GOP's nomination for attorney general. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2025/04/28/lawyer-trump-false-elector-running-for-michigan-attorney-general-kevin-kijewski/83323842007/28 Apr 2025 14:55 +0000at://did:plc:ryopy24gtofjoc34jbmeue3c/app.bsky.feed.post/3lnuzjpphfc2thttps://bsky.app/profile/craigmauger.bsky.social/post/3lngpxvnqls22Michigan lawmakers are considering competing bills for how to combat cellphone use at school. One bill would broadly prohibit phones on school grounds for elementary grades. Another bill would allow individual districts to decide. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2025/04/22/michigan-lawmakers-push-competing-plans-on-cellphone-use-in-elementary-middle-schools/83216781007/22 Apr 2025 22:27 +0000at://did:plc:ryopy24gtofjoc34jbmeue3c/app.bsky.feed.post/3lngpxvnqls22https://bsky.app/profile/craigmauger.bsky.social/post/3lneebbw6wk2dNEWS: Top Michigan Republicans spent much of the fall criticizing Democrats for ties to the China-linked company Gotion. On Sunday, President Donald Trump's inaugural committee revealed it accepted $1 million from Gotion. Story with @grantschwab.bsky.social: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2025/04/21/china-tied-company-gives-1m-to-trump-inaugural-after-gop-criticism/83197520007/ .21 Apr 2025 23:52 +0000at://did:plc:ryopy24gtofjoc34jbmeue3c/app.bsky.feed.post/3lneebbw6wk2d