Michigan’s balmy October means more mosquitoes, peril for coldwater fish
By Kelly House (Bridge Michigan) Normally this time of year, Dennis Eade would be on a boat in the Pere Marquette River or Grand River, hooking chinook salmon or steelhead as they migrate upstream for the annual fall spawning season. But instead, Eade is still waiting for his fishing buddies to alert him that the […]
After 18 months: Welcome back, Canada, if you’re vaccinated
By Ted Roelofs After more than 18 months in which the U.S. border was closed to most Canadians, Michigan business leaders hailed Wednesday’s announcement that the U.S. border would reopen to vaccinated travelers from Canada next month. Claude Molinari, president and CEO of the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau, noted that 1.3 million Canadians […]
Michigan ER patients left on stretchers, then recliners, in swamped wards
By Kate Wells, Michigan Radio (For Bridge Michigan) Just looking at all the patients laying on the stretchers in emergency department hallways makes Tiffani Dusang physically uncomfortable. It’s like she vibrates, a sort of perpetual small bounce on the soles of her practical shoes. “It’s hard to watch,” said Dusang, the director of emergency and […]
Lawmaker: ‘We’re going to fix’ Michigan’s broken public records request law
By Jonathan Oosting LANSING — Big bills, baffling redactions, and years-long delays. Michigan transparency advocates, journalists and citizen activists on Thursday shared horror stories of trying to navigate the state’s public records request law that they say is broken. Loopholes, exceptions and vague language in Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act allow the state and local governments […]
Michigan GOP approves election reforms. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s veto is next.
By Jonathan Oosting LANSING — Michigan Republicans attempting to tighten voting and election laws are about to get exactly what they want: A veto from Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The GOP-led Michigan House on Thursday gave final approval to a sweeping plan that would toughen identification rules for in-person voting, require absentee ballot applicants to […]
Michigan schools would decide on opening before Labor Day under House bill
By Tracie Mauriello (Chalkbeat/Bridge Michigan) Mission Point Resort is a bustling Mackinac Island retreat where families swim, golf, play croquet, sip lavender lemonade and dine on seared walleye all summer. Come September, business falls off sharply as vacation season ends and children start school. That drop could happen sooner if state lawmakers repeal a law […]
Michigan redistricting drafts could make state Senate a toss-up
By Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, Mike Wilkinson LANSING — The Michigan Senate could become more competitive next year, under three draft district maps approved Monday by the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. Republicans now control the Senate 20-16 with two vacant seats that favor the GOP. According to the group’s analysis of the past 13 state elections, two […]
Hoping to avoid Enbridge Line 5 shutdown, Canada asks U.S. to negotiate
by Kelly House (Bridge Michigan) The Canadian government wants a federal judge to halt Michigan’s efforts to shut down the Line 5 pipeline until Canadian and U.S. diplomats can talk it out. On Monday, a lawyer for the Canadian government alerted U.S. District Court Judge Janet Neff that Canada has officially invoked a 1977 treaty, part of […]
COVID outbreaks in Michigan schools already 8 times higher than last year
by Ron French, Robin Erb, Mike Wilkinson (Bridge Michigan) One month into the new school year, there are more than eight times more COVID cases connected to outbreaks among students and staff in Michigan schools than at the same point last year. And that’s a conservative estimate, given that the state recently narrowed the definition of what constitutes an outbreak. […]
New redistricting map would give Democrats an edge in Michigan Senate
by Sergio Martínez-Beltrán (Bridge Michigan) LANSING—Michigan’s redistricting commission on Friday approved draft Senate boundaries that could give Democrats a solid shot at capturing the chamber next year. Democrats would have an edge in 20 of 38 seats, according to a commission analysis of the past 13 elections. That would flip the majority, as Republicans now […]
