All the work project spending the House Republicans denied last week would be restored under legislation the Senate passed Tuesday evening, 23-15, with four Republican yes votes.

With no debate, the Senate subbed-out a supplemental spending bill, HB 4576, and passed it without debate or comment. The action came after the Senate Appropriations Committee took two hours of emotional testimony criticizing the House Republicans’ decision to block $644.9 million in previously approved work projects, with Chair Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing) calling the move reckless, opaque and harmful to communities statewide.

Seven more “red tape” reduction bills being pushed by House Rules Committee Chair Bill G. Schuette (R-Midland) passed overwhelmingly out of the House Wednesday, joining seven other pieces of legislation from the package that’s moving through the system.

The bills moved out of the House Rules Committee on Wednesday as Schuette eyes some 40 bills he’d like to get through committee by the end of the first quarter.

The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) unanimously approved the sped-up timeline for the DTE application to provide power for the Saline Township data center, as a packed room yelled at the commissioners.

MPSC Chair Dan Scripps said the approved order had enough conditions placed on it that he was comfortable with the approval.

“I know that this conversation is happening in every state in the country right now, and I would put the contracts that are in front of us today on par or better with any that have been approved in the country,” Scripps said.

Protesters yelled as Scripps, Commissioner Kathrine Peretick, and Commissioner Shaquila Myers gave their explanations.

Data centers have kicked up protests against the OpenAI data center as well as the slate of proposed data centers across the state.

The MPSC had set several conditions with a precedent passed in November and cited several of those that were also added to the ex parte order. All three commissioners reiterated that there should be no costs passed on to utility customers.

Beginning January 1st, 2026, Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance maximum weekly benefit will increase from $446 per week to $530 per week. This means that for new claims filed in 2026, claimants may qualify for a substantial increase in their weekly benefit rate, depending on what they qualify for given their wage history.