Michigan was to be a ‘haven state’ for abortion. It didn’t happen
by Robin Erb, Bridge Michigan At Michigan’s abortion clinics, phones were ringing, appointment books were full and patients were waiting — sometimes for weeks — to see a doctor. It was 2022. The US Supreme Court had just sent a seismic jolt through the national abortion landscape, leaving patients with unplanned pregnancies scrambling to states […]
Protect yourself: Why ticks are spreading in Michigan
By JULIA ROEDER, Capital News Service LANSING — A walk through the woods is no longer the only place Midwesterners should watch for ticks. Researchers say the tiny parasites are spreading to communities across the region and show no signs of slowing down. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, emergency room visits attributed to […]
Michigan Supreme Court vacates key Line 5 permit
by Kelly House, Bridge Michigan The Michigan Supreme Court on Friday ruled that the Michigan Public Service Commission erred when it granted a key permit for the Line 5 petroleum pipeline tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac. Among other findings in its 58-page ruling, the majority found the commission’s permit review was overly narrow, failed […]
Michigan fills free college gap, lowers eligibility to 21 — for now
by Kim Kozlowski, Bridge Michigan Aerik Enfinger recently turned 21 and got an unexpected gift. He learned the state lowered the age of eligibility for its largest free tuition program for adults, Michigan Reconnect, and he just made the threshold. “Whenever you go to buy alcohol on your 21st birthday, they should give you a […]
Mystery Hill defies gravity — and the demise of roadside attractions
by Janelle D. James, Bridge Michigan Growing up about 20 miles south of the Irish Hills, Nathan Wakefield was a regular visitor to “southern Michigan’s vacation land.” The region along US 12 was filled with roadside attractions, where kids like Wakefield could climb towers, traverse a prehistoric forest and see blacksmiths and saloons in scenes […]
Excessive rainfall in Michigan may affect nutrients in soil amid fertilizer price increases
By ANNA BARNES, Capital News Service LANSING — Michigan’s supply of nitrogen and phosphorus-based fertilizers has taken a hit from shipping disruptions caused by the U.S. war with Iran. Bill Knudson, an agricultural economist at Michigan State University, said about 20% to 30% percent of the world’s fertilizer exports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, […]
Michigan bars big investors from buying more homes. Will it work?
by Jordyn Hermani, Bridge Michigan LANSING — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday signed a new law to bar large private investors from buying single-family homes in Michigan if they already own 100 or more in the state. It’s part of a broad push to address an ongoing housing crisis by limiting the ability of private […]
Report: Michigan’s budget much bigger than ‘on paper,’ likely tops $86B
by Jordyn Hermani, Bridge Michigan LANSING — Michigan’s new state budget is larger than it appears, according to a new analysis that claims the spending plan signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is also out of balance by at least $600 million. The nonpartisan Citizens Research Council of Michigan contends state lawmakers shifted large sums of […]
Who’s funding Michigan governor candidates? New filings reveal top donors
by Simon D. Schuster, Bridge Michigan Businessman Perry Johnson has poured nearly $30 million of his own money into his quest to become Michigan’s next governor. But will it be enough? In the heated Republican primary against Trump-endorsed US Rep. John James, Johnson has spent $23 million this year bombarding Michigan’s airwaves with a series […]
‘Money out of politics’ proposal cleared for Michigan ballot
by Jordyn Hermani, Bridge Michigan LANSING — Voters will likely have the chance to decide this fall whether to ban political spending in state elections by Michigan’s regulated utilities and large government contractors. In a 3-1 vote, the bipartisan Board of State Canvassers certified petition signatures filed by Michiganders for Money Out of Politics. The […]
