The answer to swelling jails? Stop jailing so many folks, Michigan report says
by Riley Beggin (Bridge) LANSING – A coalition charged with shrinking Michigan’s county jail populations is recommending the state reduce license suspensions, shorten probation terms, cut fines for civil infractions and stop requiring inmates to pay for their own incarceration, among other things. The recommendations, unveiled Tuesday, are based on an unprecedented analysis of local jail […]
Michigan’s ‘green ooze’ may be ‘tip of iceberg’ of state’s toxic sites
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING – The discovery of toxic PFAS chemicals at a contaminated site in Madison Heights could triple the cost of an already expensive cleanup effort, a state official told lawmakers Wednesday. And taxpayers could get stuck with the bill to clean up the green ooze site, since it’s unclear if its […]
Five things to know as Michigan lawmakers kick-start state budget process
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING — Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Republican-led Legislature wrapped up a bitter nine-month budget fight in December, with a deal that restored more than half of her $1 billion in line-item vetoes but included no new money to fix the state’s roads. A month later, they’re getting ready […]
Michigan’s brain drain is back, as best and brightest leave state
By Mike Wilkinson When it comes to population, Michigan is no longer a rarity – a state losing population while every other one is gaining it. The state has gained residents since bottoming out in 2009 after five straight years of decline. But recovery has been tepid and from July 2018 to July 2019, the […]
New year, old problems: Six issues Michigan leaders vow to tackle in 2020
By Riley Beggin LANSING – It was a rocky first year of divided government, and none of Michigan’s leaders deny it. But Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Republican legislative leaders in the House and Senate say they’re going into 2020 wiser, relationships strengthened, to tackle the problems they couldn’t address in their first year. […]
Michigan Republican pushes to deregulate health care. Some hospitals call foul.
By Ted Roelofs (Bridge) Republican legislation in the Michigan Senate raises a basic question: What is the proper role of state government in regulating health care? Introduced in December, the seven-bill package would lessen state oversight over dozens of hospitals and strip regulation over a range of issues, from the number of psychiatric beds to oversight of […]
How to weigh in on Michigan’s proposed limits on PFAS in drinking water
By Alexandra Schmidt (Bridge) The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy this week is beginning to accept public comment on proposed new limits for PFAS in drinking water. Through month’s end, the state is soliciting input on the proposed rules, including three community meetings, before likely rolling them out in late spring. Michigan’s rules would […]
Michigan to allow cellphones in all courts, striking down local bans
By Riley Beggin (Bridge) LANSING – Cellphones, laptops, tablets and similar devices will be allowed in all Michigan courts beginning in May, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled last Wednesday. The order strikes bans on cellphones that are common in Michigan’s 242 courts, which are allowed to set their own policies. And it follows public testimony […]
Michigan inches toward universal pre-K as leaders support 2-year kindergarten
By Ron French (Bridge) Without news conferences, legislative action or statewide policy changes, Michigan is moving closer to universal, optional preschool for 4-year-olds. By essentially sanctioning a second year of kindergarten, more than half of 4-year-olds in the state are now in taxpayer-funded preschool or developmental kindergarten, and that number is likely to increase, with […]
Michigan Supreme Court won’t rule on GOP minimum wage, sick leave changes
By Riley Beggin (Bridge) The Michigan Supreme Court will not decide whether the Legislature’s maneuver to “adopt and amend” the state’s minimum wage and paid sick leave laws during last year’s lame-duck session was constitutional, the court announced in a 4-3 ruling Wednesday, December 18. “We are not persuaded that granting the requests would be […]
