Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer held a news conference Tuesday afternoon to announce a plan to invest more into early childhood education in the state.

Gretchen Whitmer called for unity in her State of the State address. But this week, the GOP-led state Senate has rejected appointments to various boards. AdRELATED: Michigan house ties billions in COVID aid to giving power to counties“What they’re doing is saying we’re gonna spend time on rejecting appointments and not put in place the governor’s COVID plan,” said Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich (D-Flint). Nesbitt said the Senate will take up the House plan in short order. MORE: 7 takeaways from Whitmer’s COVID update: Michigan sports, variant spread, metricsMORE: Michigan youth contact sports can resume Monday -- here are all the rules, specifics and details

Michigan State Senator Jim Ananich has tested positive for OCIVD-19, according to a Twitter post. Sen. Ananich, Michigan Senate Minority Leader and representative of the state’s 27th district, tweeted Friday afternoon that he contracted the virus, but is doing well. I wanted to update you all that I have tested positive for Covid. — Senator Jim Ananich (@jimananich) November 6, 2020“I wanted to update you all that I have tested positive for Covid,” Sen. Ananich wrote Friday. New: Friday, Nov. 6, 2020: Michigan coronavirus cases up to 200,569; Death toll now at 7,513

Gretchen Whitmer and legislative leaders issued a joint statement after reaching a bipartisan deal regarding the upcoming 2020-21 school year. The agreement comes one day before a rare Saturday session meant to tackle the debate centered around forcing school districts to offer an in-person option. READ: Heres what Michigan school districts have planned for the fall amid the pandemicRead the full statement below:Today, we reached a bipartisan deal that will give students, parents, educators, and support staff much needed support, flexibility, and certainty as we approach the new school year. They deserve peace of mind about what the next few months will hold in store, and this legislation will provide it.The joint statement was released by Whitmer, Sen. Mike Shirkey, Sen. Jim Ananich, Rep. Lee Chatfield, and Rep. Christine Greig. READ: More return to school coverage