Budget talks advance, GOP election bills tweaked: The week in Michigan politics
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LANSING, MI - This week in Lansing was more about molding legislation than passing bills, at least on major topics.
Both chambers made moves to further clarify key initiatives, with budget talks picking up in the House and Senate and amendments made to Senate Republican election bills.
The House continued to tackle ethics reform, while Republicans in both chambers moved to allow high schools to hold in-person commencements. Here’s what happened this week at the Michigan Capitol:
Budget talks evolve
Quarterly budgets for many state agencies, staffing cuts and additional limits on how state agencies can respond to the COVID-19 pandemic all remain on the table as Michigan lawmakers move forward with setting the state’s annual budget.
AG
AG Nessel Announces New Director of Legislative Affairs, Special Projects DirectorContact: Ryan Jarvi 517-599-2746Agency: Attorney General
March 8, 2021
LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel today announced the appointments of Mitch Albers as her new director of legislative affairs and Amber McCann as special projects director in the Office of Public Information & Education.
“I am happy to welcome Mitch and Amber to our team – I know they will prove to be invaluable as they take on these new roles,” Nessel said. “They each bring a wealth of experience and knowledge needed to serve the people of this great state. Mitch’s legal background will provide this office with another perspective as we dissect the many statutory questions we are presented with, and I look forward to his counsel. Amber has proven herself a tireless public servant, working for many years in state government and I am confident she has the skills and experience needed to s
Amber McCann, Mike Shirkey's deputy chief of staff and press secretary who has worked with three GOP senate majority leaders will start work in the department's public information and education office.
Republican Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey s spokeswoman is leaving the Michigan Senate to work for Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel, Nessel s office confirmed Wednesday.
Amber McCann, deputy chief of staff for the Senate GOP, will serve as special projects director in Nessel s Office of Public Information & Education. She ll begin March 8 and report to Nessel s Communications Director Kelly Rossman-McKinney. Ms. McCann has a reputation as a tireless worker and consummate professional, and Attorney General Nessel is eager for her to continue serving the people of our state,” Rossman-McKinney said in a Thursday statement.
Shirkey said Thursday that McCann was a trusted adviser, a consummate professional and integral part of my staff.
Associated Press
LANSING, Mich. (AP) A top aide to embattled Republican Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey is leaving to take a job in Democratic state Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office.
Amber McCann, Shirkey’s deputy chief of staff and press secretary, will start as special projects director in the department’s public information and education office on March 8, Nessel communications director Kelly Rossman-McKinney said Thursday.
The news first reported by Crain’s Detroit Business came about a week after the release of a video in which Shirkey falsely said supporters of President Donald Trump were not involved in the deadly U.S. Capitol riot, calling it a “hoax.” He apologized but the next day said he was not taking back the points he was trying to make but rather “some of the words I chose.”