Whitmer agrees to delay road funding talks to finish Michigan budget
By Riley Beggin (Bridge) Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has agreed to put aside negotiations on how to raise $2.5 billion annually in revenue for the state’s roads and infrastructure. This is the first time Whitmer, a Democrat, has publicly changed her position on the centerpiece of her budget — she has previously said she would veto any […]
Michigan budget negotiations break down (again) over short-term road funding
by Riley Beggin (Bridge) Negotiations over the state budget broke down once again this week and both Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and GOP leaders blamed each other for holding up an agreement before an Oct. 1 deadline to pass a state budget. At the center of the disagreement is, as ever, road funding. Whitmer is […]
As Michigan schools ban cellphones, reports surface of ‘talking,’ ‘eye contact’
by Ted Roelofs (Bridge) ADA TOWNSHIP—Standing outside Forest Hills Central High School in late August, senior Jack Walls admitted he has an issue with his phone. “I’m addicted,” he said. “I know it. It’s real bad. I have a real bias for texting people.” This was Day 1 of a districtwide ban on student cellphone […]
What you need to know about Michigan’s flavored e-cigarette ban
by Riley Beggin, Joel Kurth (Bridge) Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made national news on Wednesday by announcing an order to make Michigan the first state to ban flavored e-cigarettes. Here’s what you need to know. Why the ban? The Democratic governor said she was moving to protect Michigan children by ordering the state Department of Health and Human Services to issue emergency […]
HPV cancer rates are up. Yet many Michigan doctors won’t talk about it.
by Robin Erb (Bridge) In its fight against a sexually-transmitted human papillomavirus, or HPV, Michigan’s health department is hoping to recruit a surprising ally: dentists. While common and generally not life-threatening, HPV also can trigger a host of cancers, and rates are rising: 43,371 cancers were associated with the virus in the United States in 2015, […]
As Lansing debates funding, schools struggle to pay teachers, fix roofs
by Ron French (Bridge) WYOMING – The roof caved in at Lee Middle and High School in May. A large silver tarp covered the hole and orange metal braces propped up the brown brick façade of the building, which opened in 1925 when Calvin Coolidge was president. Nearby, Godfrey Elementary is comparatively new – it […]
Suicide rates rise across Michigan, with few answers
by Ted Roelofs (Bridge) Even as Michigan’s suicide rate rose by a third over two decades -‒ and climbing even higher among young people, rural residents and military veterans -‒ a fundamental question has yet to be fully answered. Why? “We need to get to the bottom of why this is happening,” said state Sen. Jim Runestad, R-Oakland […]
Michigan Republicans push budget without road deal, a likely no-go for Whitmer
by Riley Beggin (Bridge) Republican leaders controlling the Michigan House and Senate have agreed on a budget, they announced Friday ‒ one that doesn’t include a negotiated deal on road funding with the state’s Democratic governor. The announcement raises the stakes for a possible state government shutdown in less than a month. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has […]
Michigan becomes the first state in U.S. to ban flavored vaping products
by Riley Beggin (Bridge) Michigan will become the first state in the nation to ban flavored vaping products under emergency rules announced Wednesday by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. It will be issued by the state Department of Health and Human Services, which has found youth vaping to be a public health emergency. The six-month ban will […]
Algae is again fouling Lake Erie. Thanks a lot, Ohio.
by Mike Wilkinson (Bridge) Across western Lake Erie, a giant green algal mass is again forming and it’s the largest in three years. How big is it? So big it can be seen from space and, at 620 square miles, is about bigger than the largest cities in Michigan (Detroit), Ohio (Columbus) and Indiana (Indianapolis) put together. Not […]
