Michigan counselors fighting ban on right to diagnose, give psychotherapy
by Ted Roelofs (Bridge) In a dozen years of counseling in suburban Detroit, Anahid Derbabian has helped clients navigate everything from depression to suicidal thoughts, grief over the loss of a spouse or a job, and a range of marital issues. “My work is extremely important to me – life and death important,” Derbabian said […]
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s 5 big asks for new Michigan budget talks
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has plans for roughly one-third of the $947 million she vetoed from Republican budgets this week and is proposing additional spending on parolee monitoring tethers, literacy coaches, and a skilled-trades job retraining program for adults. The first-term Democrat is looking to restart bipartisan negotiations after an unprecedented […]
Michigan’s ban on flavored vaping products with nicotine now in full force
by Robin Erb (Bridge) A judge has refused to place Michigan’s ban on flavored vaping products on hold, leaving in place rules that make it a misdemeanor to sell such products starting at 12:01 a.m. last Wednesday. Judge Cynthia Diane Stephens of Michigan’s Court of Claims instead continued a hearing into the request by a […]
Besieged Michigan farmers back new trade pact with Canada and Mexico
by Jim Malewitz (Bridge) LANSING — Michigan farmers are calling on Congress to swiftly pass a new trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, saying it could provide partial relief from low prices, a trade war with China and heavy rains that kept crops out of the ground this spring. “It’s huge to our futures in […]
Talk about Pure Michigan: Outdoor pursuits generate $10B, report says
by Mike Wilkinson (Bridge) Outdoor recreation contributes $10 billion annually to Michigan’s economy, according to new data that confirm the importance of the industry that is spurring growing jobs, talent and spending from Monroe to Marquette. The data, released last week from the federal government’s Bureau of Economic Analysis, shows that Michigan’s boating industry is the […]
Michigan government won’t shut down, state tells workers
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING — Michigan government will not shut down next week, the budget office and department directors said late Friday in a memo to state employees telling them to plan to report to work as usual Tuesday morning. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has until the end of Monday to decide the fate of […]
Michigan law limiting ballot drives unconstitutional, court rules
by Riley Beggin (Bridge) Multiple provisions of a lame-duck law that makes it harder for groups to get a citizen initiative on the ballot are unconstitutional, a Court of Claims judge ruled Friday. The law places a 15 percent cap on the number of signatures ballot petitioners can gather in any one of the state’s […]
Judge slams Dana Nessel in gay adoption case for ‘targeted attack’ on religion
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING — A federal judge on Thursday temporarily suspended Michigan’s new gay-friendly adoption policy and accused Attorney General Dana Nessel of “a targeted attack on a sincerely held religious belief.” U.S. District Court Judge Robert Jonker also denied most elements of the state’s motion to dismiss the highly-charged case, allowing the […]
Michigan House considers expungement of marijuana, traffic convictions
by Riley Beggin (Bridge) LANSING—Hundreds of thousands of Michiganders would be eligible to set aside their criminal record — or parts of it — under a bill package before the state House Judiciary Committee. The proposal to expand criminal expungement would include misdemeanor marijuana convictions for conduct that is now considered legal under the adult-use marijuana law […]
Majority of Michigan public schools started school year short on teachers
by Ron French (Bridge) Six out of 10 Michigan school districts started this school year without enough full-time teachers to fill their classrooms, according to a survey of Michigan school superintendents. The survey, conducted the second week of September by the Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators, found 518 classrooms in 178 school districts that […]
