Michigan Republicans say ‘the budget is done.’ Here’s what they really mean.
by Riley Beggin (Bridge) LANSING — It’s been more than three weeks since Gov. Gretchen Whitmer approved Michigan’s $59 billion budget and, in the process, cut nearly $1 billion lawmakers had approved for a variety of Republican priorities. Several programs that lost funding — from rural police patrols and hospital funding to grants for the popular […]
Michigan’s roads have turned to crap. So has a strike among road builders.
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING — A months-long union strike at one of Michigan’s largest road building firms has delayed some pavement projects and shows no signs of letting up as the summer construction season nears an end. Instead, it’s turned to crap. Literally, according to a National Labor Relations Board complaint filed Aug. 28 […]
Is literacy a constitutional right? A Detroit legal case could decide
by Mike Wilkinson (Bridge) The conditions inside some Detroit public schools were horrific: Five textbooks for 28 students in one class. Thirty-seven chairs for 52 students in another. Schools where a third of the teachers were not state-certified to teach. U.S. District Judge Stephen J. Murphy III was appalled. In 2018, he called the allegations […]
Former Michigan Governor William Milliken dies at 97
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) Former Michigan Gov. William Milliken, hailed as a protector of the environment and a “passionate moderate” whose civility and grace is scarcely recognizable in contemporary politics, died October 18 at age 97. Milliken was a Republican who never formally left the party, but grew apart from it later in life after […]
Michigan surgeons offered more money to limit opioids for pain
by Robin Erb (Bridge) Money and pain first fed Michigan’s opioid crisis, but the state’s largest insurer hopes money might starve it, too. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is offering a 35 percent boost in insurance reimbursement — hundreds of dollars per procedure — to doctors who follow tight, new prescribing guidelines that reduce […]
Michigan fish fight: Bills would squeeze commercial fishers, help anglers
by Jim Malewitz (Bridge) LANSING — Whose fish are they, anyway? Michigan House lawmakers last week advanced legislation to tighten regulations on Great Lakes commercial fishers, escalating a fight between the long-declining industry and sportfishing groups. In a series of 7-2 votes on Tuesday, the House Committee on Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation approved House Bills […]
Michigan judge suspends Gov. Whitmer’s ban on flavored e-cigarettes
by Robin Erb (Bridge) Michigan’s ban on flavored vaping products may be headed to the state Supreme Court, after a judge on Tuesday granted a preliminary injunction to vape store owners. In approving the suspension Tuesday, Michigan Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Diane Stephens said the owner of an Upper Peninsula vape shop and a West […]
Here’s what Gretchen Whitmer’s new PFAS water rules mean for Michigan
by Jim Malewitz (Bridge) Michigan has taken a major step toward regulating dangerous PFAS chemicals in drinking water supplies. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last week formally proposed limits on seven types of PFAS that would apply to about 2,700 public water systems around Michigan. The announcement came seven months after she directed her Department of Environment, […]
Michigan environment roundup: Great Lakes water levels may surge higher
By Jim Malewitz (Bridge Environmental Watch) In Bridge’s Michigan Environment Watch, we share a roundup of recent stories on the Great Lakes or other environmental issues. If you see a story we should include next time, use the hashtag #EnviroReads on Twitter or email environmental reporter Jim Malewitz at jmalewitz@bridgemi.com. Michigan AG focuses on clean energy, […]
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer eases access to welfare in Michigan
By Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING — Low-income Michigan residents can have more money in the bank without losing access to public assistance, under new policies announced last week by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Beginning Nov. 1, Michigan will allow residents with up to $15,000 in personal assets to remain eligible for cash, food and emergency […]
