I am writing today to announce the closure of the Michigan Messenger. After four years of operation in Michigan, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news into a single site, The American Independent at Americanindependent.com. This is part of a shift in strategy, towards new forms [...]
An abstinence-only presentation provided to numerous school districts in Calhoun and Eaton Counties in October of this year provided false and misleading information to students about HIV, experts allege.
Two county registers of deeds filed a class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of Michigan’s 83 counties alleging that the Mortgage Electronic Registration Services owes millions of dollars in property title transfer taxes.
Despite evidence of the impact of mercury on children and public health, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette last month joined with 24 other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to scuttle new EPA regulations that would reduce mercury emissions from power plants.
Governor Granholm has signed into effect a new law that will require the state’s troubled film office to issue twice yearly reports about how Michigan’s generous film subsidies are used.
Film director Michael Moore has announced that he will use the expected $1 million dollar film tax credit from his Traverse City-based production Capitalism: A Love Story to develop a project that will revitalize Michigan towns by promoting non-profit movie theaters. “We want to turn on the marquee lights, bring in some jobs, pump money [...]
A controversial deal to build a film studio in an abandoned manufacturing facility in Grand Rapids has run into another controversy. Hangar42 has been in the sights of the conservative Mackinac Center since Gov. Jennifer Granholm pointed at the deal in her State of the State address. Since that time, the center has raised issues [...]
The governor’s office has confirmed that Janet Lockwood, the longtime head of Michigan’s Film Office, will retire at the end of the month. The Grand Rapids Press reports that Lockwood’s departure comes amid intense criticism of the state’s film incentive program which provides rebates of up to 42 percent of the cost of production. The [...]
As lawmakers continue to negotiate next year’s budget, some are urging changes to the state’s film credit program. According to the Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency, the program is expected to cost the state $150 million in the next year while providing unclear job benefits.
CNN Money did a report on Tuesday about the number of movies being filmed in Michigan as a result of tax incentives passed to lure them to the state and the number of people being employed as a result. Video below the fold.
When Michigan passed aggressive tax breaks to attract the film and television industry to Michigan in early 2008, the hope was that this would lead to strong investment in the state from the movie business. That hope appears to be coming true:
Less than two months after Governor Jennifer Granholm signed legislation designed to grow the film industry in Michigan, the first studio is being planned. At a news conference in the shadow of the capitol dome, developers announced plans for City Center Studios. The new facility will be built in downtown Lansing just north of Oldsmobile [...]
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