Michigan Office of the Governor via AP
3 Jun 2021
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Director Elizabeth Hertel acknowledged Thursday that coronavirus-related nursing home deaths “could be” undercounted in the state.
The Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) appointee disputed to the House Oversight Committee previously reported data that could indicate there has not been a full accounting of all deaths in long term care facilities.
Independent journalist Charlie LeDuff reported last week virus-related deaths could be undercounted by as much as 100 percent.
To date, MDHHS claims 29 percent of coronavirus-related deaths occurred in nursing homes, or about 5,600, according to Bridge. But LeDuff reported a review of vital records from March 2020 to June 2020 found 44 percent “were traced back to nursing homes and other long-term facilities.”
and last updated 2021-04-22 00:13:29-04
LANSING, Mich. â A few weeks ago, Michigan republican senators introduced a package of 39 bills that they said were about election reform and would reduce cheating and fraud. Wednesday afternoon, a few republican lawmakers and others testified in support of them during an Elections Committee hearing.
One of the main issues many brought up were regarding voter rolls.
âWhen somebody says we use a Qualified Voter File, itâs simply full of people granted who are not qualified,â said Senate Elections Committee Chair Ruth Johnson. âWhen I was Secretary of State, we removed over 1.1 million people out of 7.3 [million] because they had moved or died. There accidentally was 3,325 non-citizens on it and some underage, so cleaning up our Qualified Voter File should be one of the most important jobs.â
Credit PublicDomainPictures / Pixabay License
A report to the Legislature from the Michigan Auditor General says there should have been more controls over how millions of dollars in COVID-19 response funds were spent. But the same report also says the spending overall has been “appropriate.”
The report focused largely on government credit cards that were shared between state employees to buy emergency supplies. That made it harder to track who was buying what, and there was one case of purchased personal protective equipment that was never delivered.
The Michigan Department of Technology, Management, and Budget, the report says, “did not have comprehensive emergency procurement policies and procedures in place prior to the COVID-19 emergency, resulting in increased risks for fraud, waste, and loss of funds.”
Credit Images Money / FLICKR - http://bit.ly/1xMszCg
A report to the Legislature from the Michigan Auditor General says there should have been more controls over how millions of dollars in COVID-19 response funds were spent. But the same report also says the spending overall has been “appropriate.”
The report focused largely on government credit cards that were shared between state employees to buy emergency supplies. That made it harder to track who was buying what, and there was one case of purchased personal protective equipment that was never delivered.
The Michigan Department of Technology, Management, and Budget, the report says, “did not have comprehensive emergency procurement policies and procedures in place prior to the COVID-19 emergency, resulting in increased risks for fraud, waste, and loss of funds.”