With Line 5 tunnel plan halted, next steps may belong to Enbridge Energy
by Jim Malewitz (Bridge) LANSING — The Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority no longer exists — and therefore could not sue Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration for halting plans to build a tunnel around Enbridge Energy’s Line 5 oil pipeline. That’s the opinion of Mike Nystrom, who served as chairman of the corridor authority — a body GOP […]
Detroit studies restoring passenger trains to Michigan Central Station
From Bridge Magazine, By Joel Kurth & Chastity Pratt Dawsey, Detroit Journalism Cooperative DETROIT – More than 30 years after the last passenger train left Michigan Central Station, Ford Motor Co. and regional leaders are studying whether Amtrak service can return to the iconic building, Bridge Magazine has learned. A $30,000 feasibility study commissioned by the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority […]
Surging costs cause some Michigan cities to rethink recycling programs
by Jim Malewitz (Bridge) Shortly after taking office in 2007, Westland Mayor Bill Wild launched “Mission: Green,” a program to slash carbon emissions, limit stormwater runoff and improve quality of life in the Detroit suburb. A cornerstone of the plan: Introducing single-stream, curbside recycling to Westland’s 82,000 residents. It was a success, touting a 78 percent […]
Detroit isn’t alone. Car insurance sky-high throughout Michigan, data show
by Mike Wilkinson, Ted Roelofs (Bridge) Think about this: If Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Legislature make radical changes to car insurance, every motorist in the state could save hundreds if not thousands of dollars a year. Yes, thousands. Michigan not only has the highest average rates for car insurance, $2,693, but premiums in all 900-plus […]
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer halts action on Line 5 tunnel
by Jim Malewitz (Bridge) LANSING – Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday ordered state agencies to halt action on a proposed tunnel to encase the controversial Line 5 pipeline in a tunnel. Whitmer’s executive directive came minutes after a fellow Democrat, Attorney General Dana Nessel, issued a legal opinion claiming that a law creating a state authority […]
Whitmer orders Michigan to set PFAS standards, setting up clash with GOP
by Jim Malewitz (Bridge) LANSING — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has kickstarted efforts to set a statewide standard for PFAS, hazardous chemicals that are increasingly befouling Michigan waters. The Democrat on Tuesday directed the Department of Environmental Quality to begin the process of establishing a drinking water standard for how much of the chemicals are unsafe. Whitmer ordered […]
Michigan plows on with Medicaid work rules as law is struck down in two states
by Lindsay VanHulle (Bridge) Michigan is continuing on its path to implement new work requirements for Medicaid expansion recipients, even as a federal judge this week blocked similar rules in two other states. But a legal challenge is possible — and, if one is filed, the case could wind up in front of the same federal judge […]
Michigan minimum wage, sick leave laws to start Friday under legal cloud
by Lindsay VanHulle (Bridge) Michigan’s minimum wage will rise to $9.45 per hour on Friday, the same day new state requirements for employers to offer paid sick leave also take effect. Yet as the new, if scaled back, laws that raise the minimum wage and require paid sick time take effect this week, it’s still unclear if they’re constitutional. […]
Study: More Michiganders struggle to afford basic needs
by Lindsay VanHulle (Bridge) More Michiganders, especially seniors, are struggling to afford basic needs, from food and housing to child care and transportation. That’s the conclusion of a new report from the Michigan Association of United Ways, released Wednesday, that aims to identify the barriers the working poor — which the group identifies as ALICE, for […]
Rich-poor achievement gap won’t budge. Is investing in teachers an answer?
by Ron French, Mike Wilkinson (Bridge) Despite decades of efforts, the achievement gap between rich and poor students hasn’t budged in the United States for a half century, or in Michigan since at least 2000. That’s the sobering finding of a national study released this week examining test scores dating back to the 1970s, and a Bridge […]
