Daily Briefs

Supreme Court ruling means no new Michigan maps for 2020


LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan’s Republican-led Legislature will not be forced to redraw legislative and congressional districts for the 2020 election following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling Thursday that federal courts have no role to play in deciding claims of partisan gerrymandering.

Pending its 5-4 decision, the high court had put on hold an April ruling from a federal court panel that ordered lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to enact new maps by Aug. 1.

The lawsuit suit pertains only to 2020. Michigan voters in November approved a constitutional amendment creating an independent commission to handle the once-a-decade redistricting process after the 2020 census, which will affect the 2022 election and beyond.

 

Plans move ahead for site of shuttered prison
 

MUSKEGON, Mich. (AP) — Plans are moving forward to redevelop the site of a shuttered prison in western Michigan.

The Michigan Land Bank Fast Track Authority on Wednesday announced the sale of the former West Shoreline Correctional Facility to the City of Muskegon for redevelopment.

The facility opened in 1987 and closed in 2018 . City officials are discussing plans for the 60-acre (24-hectare) property, but it could become part of the existing Port City Industrial Park.

The Michigan Department of Corrections closed the prison due to a decline in the state’s prison population. The facility had 1,245 prisoners and 174 employees.

 

Michigan to pull plug on child-welfare computer system


DETROIT (AP) — Michigan’s child-welfare agency will gradually dump a multimillion-dollar computer system that went online just five years ago.

The disclosure was made in federal court Thursday as officials gave an update on how the state is caring for children who are removed from homes because of abuse and neglect.

The child-welfare system has been under court oversight for more than a decade. While there’s been improvement, it’s been hard to fully measure performance because the computer system — known as MiSACWIS — has been plagued with problems.

The director of the Department of Health and Human Services says the cost of a new system will be significant. But Robert Gordon didn’t disclose a price tag.  It could take five years to fully replace MiSACWIS, which has cost more than $200 million.

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