LANSING, MIch - The Michigan House Oversight Committee’s rare decision to issue two subpoenas against Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has intensified, with House Speaker Matt Hall claiming today that Benson has explicitly refused to comply. The subpoenas, authorized on April 15 in a 9-6 party-line vote, demand election training materials that Republicans say Benson has withheld, escalating a months-long clash over transparency and election security.
The dispute began in November 2024, when Rep. Rachelle Smit (R-Martin), then minority vice chair of the House Elections Committee, requested training materials provided to local election clerks to ensure compliance with new laws, including a 2022 constitutional amendment expanding early voting. Benson’s office provided hundreds of documents but withheld others, citing sensitive election security information that required redaction. The standoff prompted Rep. Jay DeBoyer (R-Clay Township), chair of the Oversight Committee, to issue subpoenas—one targeting Benson personally and another the Michigan Department of State—demanding unredacted materials by May 14 at the House Office Building.
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On April 24, Hall, a Republican from Richland Township, told reporters that Benson had informed the committee she would not comply, a claim echoed in posts on X. “The days of the Secretary of State doing whatever they want without oversight are over,” Hall said, warning that non-compliance could lead to court action. “If she won’t comply, she’ll be dragged into court.”
Benson’s office, through spokesperson Angela Benander, disputed Hall’s characterization, calling the subpoenas “unnecessary.” Benander told Michigan Public Radio that the withheld materials, including “active screens” of the qualified voter file and secure communication protocols, could jeopardize election security if released unredacted. “We’ve provided hundreds of documents and offered to brief the committee privately, but they refused,” she said, adding that the office is prepared to challenge the subpoenas in court to protect election integrity.
Democrats slammed the subpoenas as partisan overreach. House Minority Leader Joe Hertel (D-St. Clair Shores) called them a “gross overstep,” accusing Hall of using the committee’s new subpoena powers—granted under rules adopted in January—to target political opponents like Benson, who is running for governor in 2026. “This is about political persecution, not transparency,” Hertel told CBS Detroit.
Republicans, however, insisted the materials are essential for legislative oversight. Smit told MLive the documents are “basic training materials” routinely shared with clerks, not sensitive secrets. DeBoyer, speaking on the It’s Just Politics podcast, said, “Only the guilty need to feel guilty,” implying Benson’s resistance raises suspicions.
The subpoenas follow a history of tension between Benson and Hall, who, as Oversight Committee chair in 2020, invited her to testify on election integrity, only for Benson to decline, citing concerns over amplifying disinformation. Legal experts suggest Benson’s potential court challenge could hinge on proving the materials’ release risks election security, a stance courts may uphold, according to the Detroit News.
As the May 14 deadline nears, the dispute has polarized Lansing. On X, some users accused Benson of hiding misconduct, while others praised her for safeguarding elections. With Hall’s latest remarks signaling no retreat, Michigan’s political divide deepens, and the courts may soon decide the fate of this high-stakes showdown.
LANSING, Mich. — Thousands of Michigan taxpayers are still waiting for state income tax refunds months after filing, and state officials say a new tax processing system is a major reason why.
The Michigan Department of Treasury recently acknowledged that roughly 5% of tax returns remain unresolved, affecting an estimated 200,000 to 250,000 taxpayers. Officials told lawmakers that the delays stem from the state’s transition from a 40-year-old mainframe system to a new platform known as GenTax.
State Rep. Brad Paquette criticized Treasury officials following recent legislative testimony, arguing that taxpayers deserve better accountability and communication.
“The Michigan Department of Treasury says approximately 200,000 Michiganders still have problems with their tax returns,” Paquette wrote on social media. He questioned whether Treasury leadership has been adequately prepared to manage the new technology while implementing what officials have described as a culture of tax compliance.
Treasury ...
A Michigan attorney says many homeowners misunderstand when government officials can legally enter private property and what protections are guaranteed under the Fourth Amendment.
Attorney Philip Ellison of Outside Legal Counsel discussed property rights, government inspections and constitutional protections during a recent interview with independent journalist Dave Bondy.
Ellison said government officials generally may approach a home’s front door to initiate contact, a practice commonly referred to as a “knock and talk.”
You can also learn more about the 4th ammendment and your rights from Ellison by clicking here.
“The law recognizes this national implied license that we permit Girl Scouts, law enforcement and trick-or-treaters all to come to our front door and knock,” Ellison said.
According to Ellison, that authority extends to police officers and other government officials, including zoning inspectors, health inspectors and federal agents. However, he said officials typically cannot move beyond ...
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Education has opened investigations into three Michigan school districts over allegations they violated federal Title IX protections by allowing students to participate in athletics and use locker rooms based on their gender identity.
The department's Office for Civil Rights announced Thursday it is investigating Ann Arbor Public Schools, Monroe Public Schools and Chippewa Valley Schools.
Federal officials said the investigations will examine whether the districts violated Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs receiving federal funding.
According to the Education Department, Ann Arbor Public Schools allegedly maintained policies that allowed a biological male student to compete on a girls' volleyball team and use female locker room facilities.
In Monroe Public Schools, officials said complaints alleged female volleyball players were required to compete against a team that included a biological male athlete ...
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The nest isn’t so empty: Affordability crunch has 49% of young adults living with parents
WASHINGTON D.C. — Nearly half of young adults lived with a parent last year, illustrating the struggles of a generation trying to gain a financial foothold.
A report from the Federal Reserve in May showed 49% of adults under age 30 lived with a parent, up 12 percentage points since 2019.
“Everything is just out of reach,” a 28-year-old woman who lives with her mother in the Atlanta suburbs told The Wall Street Journal.
That woman said a young adult could live on their own if they wanted, but they’d be “dead broke at the end of the month.”
Another young woman told the Journal that the COVID-19 pandemic “flipped the script” on young adults moving back in with their parents. Click here to read more.
Michigan Business Development Program’s deals are plentiful; its results are not
The workhorse of the state’s business subsidy programs is not the one that gives out deals for hundreds of millions of dollars. Instead, it’s the program where assistance is limited to $10 million payouts, the Michigan Business Development Program. This program has made 875 deals since it began in 2012. But while it makes a lot of deals, it also falls short. It’s just not an effective use of taxpayer money.
One of the basic problems is that it gives taxpayer money to companies and doesn’t ask for anything in return. All businesses that have a project where they expect to create enough jobs — 25 to 50 of them — are eligible, regardless of whether they would do anything differently without money. The only nod to accomplishing anything is that preference may be given to businesses “that need additional assistance for deal-closing and for second stage company gap financing.” Click here to read more.
w">Trump announces Walmart to lower prices for thousands of products at his administration’s request
resident Donald Trump said Monday that Walmart has confirmed it will be lowering its prices for thousands of products this summer at his administration’s request in celebration of the United States’ 250th birthday.
Walmart said it will be lowering prices through its signature Rollbacks and Sam’s Club programs, and customers can expect savings on groceries, household and everyday essentials, outdoor living, toys and apparel.
Trump noted that one grocery price that the savings include is a reduction in the cost of beef, which he said will be lowered by almost 15% per pound. Walmart said a pound of beef will now cost $5.94 instead of $6.74. Click here to read more.
Joy Reid Guest Rooting for Team USA to Lose So Victory Won’t be ‘Exploited’ by Trump
If you feel like you might not dislike the left enough, keep reading.
On July 1, the same day that U.S. soccer star Folarin Balogun was hit with a red card in the U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, former MSNBC host Joy Reid welcomed Dave Zirin, sports editor for The Nation, onto her podcast.
During the interview, Zirin made it clear that he was not rooting for America and wanted to see the U.S. “knocked down a peg,” at least in part, for fear of its victories being “exploited” by President Trump.
“I find myself really wishing the United States was actually playing a team from the Global South so I could truly root with even more fervor to see them get knocked down a peg, because we know how it’s going to be exploited if they go forward in the Cup,” Zirin said. “Let’s just be real about that.” Click here to read more.
America learned long ago that air-conditioning saves lives. Why does Europe remain so stubborn about it?
During his inaugural speech on Jan. 1, Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared, “We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism.”
It certainly feels warm these days.
As temperatures climbed during the heat wave that blanketed much of the eastern United States, the mayor took to social media with a familiar message from the government. “New York: it’s hot out there, and the power grid is working overtime to keep us cool,” he tweeted. “Set your AC to 78 degrees, turn off lights/electronics you’re not using, and unplug what you can.”
This is the real face of the political left: Individual comfort and convenience should be subordinated to collective priorities, with government officials deciding how much energy ordinary people ought to consume. Click here to read more.
Michigan medical school suggests using tickborne disease to curb meat eating
A recent study from a medical school affiliated with Western Michigan University promotes spreading a tickborne disease to curb meat eating, a stance that has prompted calls for an end to taxpayer funding for the school.
The WMU Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine received $600,000 in state grants in 2020 and 2025, according to a Michigan Strategic Fund report. The school also received more than $10 million in federal grants from fiscal year 2020 through 2026, according to USA Spending.
But the school is under fire over the 2025 study in the journal “Bioethics” encouraging proliferation of ticks that carry Alpha-gal syndrome, which has the potential to make people allergic to red meat. Click here to read more.
Michigan taxpayers are funding the push for higher taxes
When you paid your taxes last month, perhaps you grumbled about the amount. Did you know your tax dollars are used to call for higher taxes?
Local governments use public funds to argue for tax hikes. School districts blanket communities with information about the benefits of millages and other tax measures. Taxpayer-funded bureaucracies hold public town halls and plaster social media with demands for more of your money. Superintendents warn about the dire consequences if the measure fails.
Strictly speaking, Michigan law prohibits using public funds or property for electioneering. Public bodies are free, however, to share factual information. School districts can explain how much money a bond proposal would raise and what projects it would fund. If they stop short of telling people to vote “yes,” they avoid violating the law. Click here to read more.
Mamdani’s thermostat moment draws conservative backlash, flashbacks of Carter’s ‘sweater speech’
ew York democratic-socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdi’s suggestion that city residents turn up their thermostats to 78 degrees during the heatwave this July 4 holiday weekend to help conserve energy has drawn sharp criticism from essentially every corner of the conservative movement – with some members even going so far as to compare the mayor’s comment to Democrat President Jimmy Carter’s 1977 “sweater speech.”
“New York: it’s hot out there, and the power grid is working overtime to keep us cool,” Mamdani wrote Wednesday on the social platform X. “Set your AC to 78 degrees, turn off lights/electronics you’re not using, and unplug what you can.”
He also wrote: “A stable grid means the AC stays on, and lives are saved. Let’s ease demand – and get through the heat – together.” Click here to read more.
Bee-wildering scene: Millions of honeybees swarm Texas neighborhood after crash
ORANGE COUNTY, Texas (TNND) — Millions of honeybees got loose in a Texas neighborhood Sunday morning after an 18-wheeler carrying hundreds of beehives overturned, according to officials.
Orange County Emergency Services urged residents to stay indoors because of a “heavy presence of bees in the area.” By Sunday afternoon, crews were still working to safely transfer the hives onto transport trucks before moving them to a local honey farm.
Local beekeepers and volunteers also pitched in to help recover the bees. Christie Ray, owner of Queen Bee Supply, shared photos and videos of the effort on Facebook.
“Not something you ever want to see, but so nice to see beekeepers helping beekeepers,” Ray wrote. “From commercial outfits to backyard beekeepers, grateful for everyone that came out and helped!” Click here to read more.
Michigan House passes $75B state budget overnight with no new tax increases
LANSING, Mich. Lawmakers in Lansing have passed a $75 billion state budget with no new tax increases for the fiscal year after an overnight session.
The newly passed budget, estimated to be $10 billion less than last year’s, expands investments in places like education, roads and infrastructure, Medicaid, mental health and public safety, while reducing unnecessary spending, according to House Republicans.
“We didn’t come to Lansing to rubber stamp another spending binge,” said State Rep. Matt Maddock. “We came here to protect taxpayers, expose waste, and hold government accountable. This budget reflects that fight from beginning to end.”
Lawmakers say the budget prevents around $800 million in tax increases while also protecting the state’s ‘Rainy Day’ fund. Click here to read more.
