➡️Livingston County Sheriff Michael Murphy Warns Of Brewing Epidemic Over Fake Weight Loss Drugs

(By Michael J. Murphy, Livingston County Sheriff)

Please allow this to serve as notice of a brewing epidemic.

Having served in Law Enforcement for over 37 years, I do not use this term flippantly.

I am referring to counterfeit and compounded GLP-1 drugs sold online, marketed through social media and distributed "wellness clinics" that often have no proper licensing at all.

These drugs were legitimately developed for diabetes and weight loss treatment and when prescribed by a licensed medical professional and dispensed through a legitimate pharmacy, can be powerful tools for better health.

However, every day, ads pop up offering "discount Ozempic" or "affordable weight-loss injections"-no real doctor visit, no real pharmacy, and no guarantee of what's in the syringe. They're selling directly through social media, shipping products from overseas, or compounding substances in facilities that wouldn't pass even the most basic safety inspection.

Unlicensed providers write prescriptions after a quick online quiz. Beauty spas and strip-mall clinics are mixing and injecting powerful drugs without any oversight and counterfeit products are shipped through the mail, mislabeled as the real thing.

I'm not alone in raising the alarm. 

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, along with attorneys general from 37 other states and territories, have urged the FDA to crack down on this dangerous pipeline of counterfeit and illegally compounded GLP-1 drugs.

I ask that you use your influence and resources to help slow down this brewing epidemic before it's too late.

Michael J Murphy

Livingston County Sheriff

🚨Breaking: House Republican Budget Fixes Roads, Funds Education, And Cuts $5 Billion In Waste+Fraud---Including $560 Million For Ghost Employees That Don't Exist🚨

By Brandon Hall

(Email him at WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com)

The Michigan House Republicans have passed a $79 billion budget that actually CUTS SPENDING while delivering real results for Michiganders:

 Stops paying $560 million for 4,300 ghost employees that DON’T EVEN EXIST, so department heads use the money like a slush fund

Has NO tax increases

 Cuts $5 billion+ in waste, fraud, and abuse

Ends taxes on your overtime, tips, and social security income

Invests $3.4 billion in roads, with an emphasis on LOCAL roads as a top priority

Eliminates payments for illegal immigrants, including rental assistance

Provides schools with historic funding---AND unprecedented new flexibility---all while protecting girls sports, and ending woke DEI and CRT style programs

>>>Fantastic job by Speaker Matt Hall, Appropriations Chair Ann Bollin, Appropriations Vice Chair Matt Maddock, and the ENTIRE Michigan House Republican caucus team!!!

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Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

>>>Email him at WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com

SICKENING: House Dems True Colors On Display In Drama Over Limiting Cell Phones In Schools

By Brandon Hall

(Email him at WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com) 

The recent ordeal in the State House over a bill requiring school districts to set limits on students using cell phones at school is a pathetic display of partisan politics at its worst. Petty AF would be a kind description! 

There is bipartisan support for the legislation in Lansing, and a similar version has already passed the State Senate. 

Polling shows nearly 80% of Michiganders back the measure, including a strong majority of parents and teachers.

Yet last month, nearly every House Democrat voted against the bill---even though most actually support it---just because they don't want to give State Rep. Mark Tisdel and Speaker Of The House Matt Hall a "win."

Among those nearly 80% is Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who is such a strong supporter, she even mentioned it as a top priority at her State Of The State address.

“We’ve seen encouraging data about how commonsense restrictions on phone use during class lead to more learning and less bullying," Whitmer said. "Kids listen, raise their hands, and make more friends. They talk during field trips. Three-quarters say they feel happy or peaceful without their phone. That’s what school should be about.”

Whitmer's office said that  "Phones are negatively impacting mental health, physical safety, and academic performance. The Governor is calling for bipartisan collaboration to limit phones in classrooms."

Speaker Of The House Matt Hall

Speaker Hall called out the House Dems for playing games, and stabbing Whitmer in the back.

"If Democrats were smart, they'd follow her---she is a lot more popular than legislative Democrats are," Hall said in a press conference after the vote. "They won their majorities because of her and now they're abandoning her, I don't understand why."

MIRS spotlighted Detroit Mayor and Independent candidate for Governor Mike Duggan's comments on the issue.

Duggan says that the Democrats didn't want to give State Rep. Mark Tisdel a "win" because Tisdel lives in a competitive, swing district that could help decide control of the House next November.

According to MIRS:

 "With student performance in Michigan the worst in America, the House had a chance to do something about that by banning cells during classroom work. Phones are a consistent distraction," Duggan said.

Detroit Mayor and Independent candidate for Governor, Mike Duggan

The Mayor continues that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer endorsed the ban, but it “failed by three votes.” He explained why. He blames the House Democratic leadership for being "so obsessed" with defeating swing district Rep. Mark Tisdel  that they blocked the ban "because they didn't want Tisdel to get any credit."

Duggan also said in the video that Democrats who considered voting yes were threatened with loss of voting lists, campaign money, and staff for re-election.

"When you send them to Lansing, you think they work for you. You'd be wrong,"Duggan said.".

State Rep. Mark Tisdel

Rep. Tisdel has worked extremely hard on the issue, answering Gov. Whitmer's call for bipartisan cooperation in order to get a bill to her desk.

According to WLNS:

 "Tisdel  thought he had the votes for the bill to pass.

However, the bill fell three votes short of the 56 needed. The final tally was 53 yes, 45 no and 12 were absent.

According to Tisdel, the three Democrats expected to vote for the legislation were State Reps. Noah Arbit (D-West Bloomfield), Regina Weiss (D-Oak Park) and Amos O’Neal (D-Saginaw).

Arbit supported the bill on Fox 2 Detroit earlier this year, Weiss voted for the bill in the Education Committee, and Tisdel said he worked with O’Neal on the legislation. All three voted against the bill. 6 News has reached out to their offices.

The text of the bill was four pages long and amends the school code to “implement a wireless communications device policy for students … that prohibits those students from using a wireless communication device on school grounds.”

For students in grades kindergarten through 5, cellphones would be prohibited on school grounds. For students in grades 6 through 8, cellphones would be prohibited during the school day, including instructional time, breaks, lunch, and recess. High school students in grades 9 through 12 would be prohibited from using a cell phone during instructional time.

School boards would’ve been given freedom to implement additional restrictions. The bill also addressed the effects of restrictions during an emergency.

“We put in language that in the event of emergency students could use their cellphones as long as it didn’t interfere with the school’s emergency protocols or interfere with first responder activities,” Tisdel said.

Tisdel cited a Pew Research study released this month showing that 74% of adults would support banning middle and high school students from using cellphones during class, up from 68% last fall. Only 19% oppose classroom bans and 7% said they were unsure."

State Rep. Noah Arbit

Michigan's students have suffered tremendously because of the Covid lockdowns, and the impact from the damage they caused is still felt today. We now rank as one of the worst states in many important categories, and education is taking center stage as a top issue for 2026.

Democrats in vulnerable districts should worry. 

For example, Rep. Noah Arbit of West Bloomfield publicly supported the legislation, telling Fox 2 Detroit (around the 20 minute mark) that he agreed with Rep. Tisdel that action on cell phones in schools was needed---and that he supported the bill in the House---and it being passed by the Michigan Senate, and signed by Governor Whitmer.

Yet ...Arbit actually voted against the bill!!! So did Mentzer, Xiong, and Miller, among many others.

Meanwhile, for Republicans in swing districts like Mark Tisdel, Donni Steele, Kathy Schmaltz, Steve Frisbie, Ron Robinson, Karl Bohnak, and Rylee Linting, this will be a great issue for them to illustrate to voters how insane and childish Lansing Dems are.

Instead of delivering a big win for Michigan students, House Dems have shown their true colors: they would rather try to give Rep. Tisdel and Speaker Hall what they think is a "loss." It's sad. It's sickening. And it shows who the real losers are---House Democrats. Voters will be remined next fall who stood with families, and who wanted to screw around and play games.

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Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

>>>Email him at WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com

🚨Breaking: House Dems Betray Whitmer As Caucus Drama Intensifies🚨

By Brandon Hall

(Email him at WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com)

In an unexpected defeat for Governor Whitmer, the House Democrats betrayed her on one of her top priorities this week, stunningly voting down a bill in the State House that would require limits on cell phones in schools. 

Whitmer highlighted the issue as a top priority in her State Of The State address earlier this year, yet nearly every House Dem voted against it---even despite strong bipartisan support among parents, educators, and voters for this type of legislation. 

The State Senate has already passed a similar bill.

Speaker Matt Hall says he doesn't understand why House Dems stabbed Whitmer in the back.

"If Democrats were smart, they'd follow her---she is a lot more popular than legislative Democrats are," Hall said in a press conference earlier this week. "They won their majorities because of her and now they're abandoning her, I don't understand why."

One might think after the horrendous impact the C-19 school lockdowns had on our kids, that Dems would understand it's important to limit distractions in the classroom?

 Apparently not. Dems would rather play partisan games than do what's best for kids!

The vote is also highlighting some of the issues internally with House Democrats. 

"Chaotic," and "contentious" are some of the words Lansing insiders are using to describe how things are looking within the House Democrat caucus, which is a nice way of saying it's a shit show most days.

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Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

>>>Email him at WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com

🕵️ Is Jocelyn Benson Scared Of Her Court Ordered Mediation With Speaker Hall?

By Brandon Hall

(Email him at WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com)

A Judge has ordered Secretary Of State Jocelyn Benson and Speaker Of The House Matt Hall personally meet to settle the dispute over subpoenas issued by the State House in their attempt to obtain documents showing how Benson runs Michigan's elections.

Benson has refused to comply with the subpoenas and produce all the required documents, saying that " her office needs extra time to review some of the requested materials to ensure that no sensitive election data is released," whatever the hell that REALLY means.

Sources tell West Michigan Politics that Lansing Democrats are extremely nervous that Benson is being totally outplayed by Speaker Hall in these negotiations, and that she will request to be excused from the upcoming mediation with Speaker Hall.

To be excused, Benson must show Court Of Claims Judge Robert Redford, who will preside over the mediation, "good cause" as to why she shouldn't have to appear...

I wonder what excuse she'll come up with to avoid going?

Stay tuned!

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Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

>>>Email him at WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com

↘️Senate Democrats Exemplify Why Legislators Shouldn't Get Paid Until They Pass A Budget

Senate Democrat Leader Winnie Brinks

By Brandon Hall

(Email him at WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com)

 The July 1st legal deadline for the legislature to pass a budget recently came and went---all without a budget actually being passed as required by state law.

Speaker Hall and House Republicans did EVERYTHING they could to meet their legal obligations, most notably passing a historic education budget that gives schools the resources they need at record levels, all while ending controversial DEI programs, and keeping boys out of girls sports. 

Districts also have a lot more flexibility on how to spend their money instead of much of that being decided for them by Lansing lobbyists. 

The bipartisan House Republican road package that was passed fixes Michigan roads without raising taxes by using existing money, and cutting corporate welfare. 

The House passed a responsible budget that puts taxpayers first while also recognizing that Republicans don't control the Senate or the Governor's office, and as Mick said, "you can't always get what you want."

Unfortunately, over in the Senate, Democrats passed a budget from HELL: it's embarrassingly partisan, extremely radical, and actually illegal because of the unconstitutional $1 billion deficit. 

Senate Dems want to raise taxes on hunters and fisherman, start the process to add a new tax on vehicles for every mile driven, and kick 60,000 vulnerable Michiganders off Medicaid---possibly to blame President Trump. This budget is horrendous!

Sara Anthony, the Democrat in charge of the budget process in the Senate through her role as Appropriations Chair, said she doesn't give a damn about the July 1st legal deadline---she said that she doesn't care about it. 

It's time to make her care!

We need legislation addressing this issue. 

Every week after July 1st  that goes by without a budget being passed, legislators SHALL have 20% of their pay withheld on a climbing basis.

Week 1: 20% withheld

Week 2: 40% withheld

Week 3: 60% withheld

Week 4: 80% withheld

Week 5: 100% withheld 

After 5 weeks, at 12:01 on August 5th, that money is no  longer going to be withheld: it's gone, sent to the General Fund.

Week 6: starting August 5th at 12:01 AM, all  withheldpay is totally forfeited to the General Fund, and no new checks issued until a budget is passed! No work, no pay... And no backpay.

Starting at 12:01 AM on October 1st, the beginning of the new fiscal year, Legislators SHALL be fined $999/day until a budget is passed. The fine must be paid personally, and not out of any committee, PAC, c4, WHATEVER...

Senate Dems would sing a much different tune if they weren't being paid, and their Dem friends over in the House were blowing up their phones pissed AF that they are playing games, and screwing around. 

Funny thing is, even Big Gretch is sick of the Senate Dems and their bullshit. She recently said that the only people who have been serious about putting out a budget plan are her, and Speaker Hall...

Stay tuned!

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Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

>>>Email him at WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com

Looks Like Jocelyn Benson Has A Chris Swanson Problem

By Brandon Hall

(Email him at WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com)

Private polling numbers obtained by West Michigan Politics reveal a major problem brewing for Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in the Democrat primary for Governor: Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson.

The problem? Swanson is far more likeable than Benson, and his favorable numbers are starting to prove that...

Swanson's problem?

Benson's name ID---she's far more known among Democrat primary voters---and has the financial backing of much of the Dem establishment, including her close longtime friend, billionaire Stephen Ross, who is said to be ready to drop millions for her if needed...

(Unlike in the past, WMP is not identifying the specific poll numbers in this case to help protect the source who sent them.)

However, if Swanson gets a major donor with a PAC behind him, or can capitalize on a grassroots army donating, the entire Dem primary could be turned upside down!

Swanson's friend Jelly Roll could prove to be a major player in the primary if he decides to help the Sheriff...Concerts. Fundraising. Media Tour.  

If I were Swanson, I'd invest in a full opposition research file, as well as a"24/7" tracking operation against Benson---and keep Jelly Roll on speed dial!!!

Stay tuned...

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Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

>>>Email him at WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com