News & Resources

Special guests a highlight of SBAM’s winter Leadership Council meeting

The great reputation and hard work that SBAM puts into maintaining and building strong bipartisan relationships was on full display at the Leadership Council’s winter meeting.

February 26, 2019

What If Every State Stopped Giving Businesses Money To Locate?

Not a fan of state and local governments offering special tax breaks and/or cash to lure companies to their locale?

February 26, 2019

McLellan: Legislature OK In Amending Proposals; Issue Taken To Supremes

The Legislature was within its right to amend two citizen-initiated laws during the same legislative session in which they were adopted, the chair of the Michigan Law Revision Commission told MIRS Wednesday.

February 21, 2019

Job Providers Coalition applauds the passage of HR 25 and SR 16

The Small Business for a Better Michigan (SBBM) today expressed support for House Resolution 25 and Senate Resolution 16, taken up by the House and Senate today, calling on the Michigan Supreme Court to opine …

February 20, 2019

Legal Challenge To Paid Sick Leave, Min. Wage Changes Imminent

A legal challenge to take down the Legislature's lame duck changes to the state's minimum wage and paid sick leave proposals is coming soon, MIRS has learned.

February 20, 2019

Benson Outlines Plans To Implement Redistricting Panel, Voting Changes

Secretary of State (SOS) Jocelyn Benson said Tuesday she'd be forming an office within the SOS to implement the independent redistricting commission, the voter-approved panel that will redraw the 2021 legislative and congressional boundaries.

February 18, 2019

Recapping the State of the State

In her State of the State address Governor Whitmer covered a wide range of issues, but many of the details will not be available until the budget is presented next month.

February 12, 2019

Prescription Drugs Make Up About A Quarter Of All Health Care Costs

Prescription drugs have become the biggest expense category in health care at 23.3 percent, according to national statistics. Medicine costs make up more of the total health care pie than staying in the hospital, which …

February 12, 2019

We Still Owe $1.2B For Old Bonded Road Projects

State government still owes $1.2 billion for road projects that were approved as many as two decades ago and will pay an estimated $196.6 million in interest this fiscal year alone on the debt, a House …

February 11, 2019

SBAM launches legislative consulting service for small businesses

To help small businesses better advocate on specific issues impacting their companies in the Michigan Legislature, the Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM) today launched MainStreet Legislative Consulting.

February 4, 2019

Economic gardening vs economic hunting

Not long ago, Foxconn (manufacturer of iPhones) had several states and the federal government bending over backwards offering tax incentives to lure their proposed U.S. project.

January 30, 2019

Benson Wants Nessel’s Opinion On Lame Duck Petition Drive Changes

Secretary of State (SOS) Jocelyn Benson Tuesday asked Attorney General Dana Nessel to opine on the constitutionality of the law passed in lame duck that set limits, per congressional district, on signatures gathered for citizens' initiatives.

January 30, 2019

Benson’s Redistricting Settlement Would Redraw 11 State House Districts

Secretary of State (SOS) Jocelyn Benson announced a proposed deal in the federal redistricting lawsuit that would involve the Legislature redrawing 11 state House districts, which the court would then have to approve for the …

January 28, 2019

Maximize the potential of Michigan’s small businesses

The team at SBAM didn’t waste any time getting the member-driven agenda started in the New Year.

January 23, 2019

Will The Federal Shutdown Count As A Rainy Day?

With parts of the federal government still shuttered since Dec. 22, will Michigan's now-$1.1 billion Rainy Day Fund come into play at some point?

January 23, 2019

Benson Seeks Deal In Redistricting Suit; May Mean Redrawn Districts In 2020

Arguing the court has "found significant evidence of partisan gerrymandering," Secretary of State (SOS) Jocelyn Benson filed a brief in the League of Women Voters of Michigan (LWV) redistricting lawsuit that opens the door to …

January 21, 2019

Raising the bar

Having served in state office for the last 12 years in a term-limited environment, I’ve seen several transitions to new executive and legislative leadership.

January 15, 2019

Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Is First Horse Out Of The Gate

A drug dealer would have to be convicted before police could keep, through civil asset forfeiture, money or property seized as proceeds of the crime, under legislation introduced Wednesday, the first two bills of the …