Michigan environment roundup: Great Lakes water levels could break records
by Jim Malewitz (Bridge) Bridge Magazine is committed to sharing the best environmental journalism in and around Michigan, an effort called #EnviroReads. In Bridge’s Michigan Environment Watch, we share a roundup of recent stories on the Great Lakes or other issues. If you see a story we should include next time, use the hashtag #EnviroReads […]
Roads get spotlight, but 447 Michigan bridges in serious condition or worse
by Lindsay VanHulle (Bridge) A year ago, Genesee County bridge inspectors discovered holes in the steel beams holding up a bridge over the Swartz Creek. The two-lane bridge, on Grand Blanc Road near U.S. 23, is now being held together by temporary steel supports until it can be replaced in 2020 — a roughly $2 million […]
Michigan Republicans and Whitmer move closer to no-fault auto insurance deal
by Lindsay VanHulle (Bridge) Republican legislative leaders say they have made progress with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration toward a deal to reform Michigan’s unique-in-the-nation no-fault auto insurance system. Talks are expected to continue over the weekend as Republicans seek to bring Whitmer, a Democrat, on board to sign GOP-sponsored bills that would, among other changes, allow drivers […]
Abortion limits pass Michigan House and Senate. What you need to know.
by Riley Beggin (Bridge) LANSING—In a day rife with personal, emotional testimony from state legislators, the Republican-led House and Senate passed bills Tuesday along party lines that would make it a felony for health care providers to perform a common second-trimester abortion procedure. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has already vowed to veto the bills, as Michigan joins a sea […]
Right to Life of Michigan launches ballot drive to ban abortion procedure
by Riley Beggin, Lindsay VanHulle (Bridge) Right to Life of Michigan says it has launched a petition drive to ask voters to ban a common abortion procedure, one day after the state House and Senate passed bills that would outlaw the practice and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer vowed to veto them. The anti-abortion advocacy group said Wednesday it formed a […]
Reader FAQ: Does Michigan Lottery money really go to schools?
by Alexandra Schmidt (Bridge) Where’d all the Michigan lottery money go? It’s a question the public engagement team from the Center for Michigan (which also publishes Bridge Magazine) hears all the time during our statewide engagement campaigns. Michiganders tell us they don’t understand how our public schools could be underfunded with all the lottery money they receive. […]
Six times more third-graders may flunk next year under Michigan reading law
by Ron French (Bridge) More than 5,000 third-graders–five percent across the state–may be held back from advancing to fourth grade following the 2019-20 school year because of Michigan’s “read or flunk” law, which takes effect this fall. That’s a more than six-fold increase over the number of third-graders who were held back in 2017-18 (777 […]
Michigan governor and Republicans at impasse on auto insurance reform bills
By Riley Beggin (Bridge) LANSING — Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer promised Thursday to veto legislation passed by the Michigan House and Senate last week that would bring big changes to an auto insurance system that has made Michigan’s rates the most expensive in the nation. The Republican-backed bills, she argued, “serve a corrupt system where insurance companies are allowed to […]
Michigan’s next superintendent led gains in Kalamazoo, fought GOP policies
By Ron French (Bridge) Kalamazoo Superintendent Michael Rice, who has worked in education in several states and battled the Republican-led Michigan Legislature on several school policies, will be the next superintendent of Michigan’s public schools. By a 5-3 vote on Tuesday, May 7, the State Board of Education agreed to offer the job to Rice, who […]
Betsy DeVos: Michigan doesn’t have enough school choice
By Koby Levin (Bridge) Michigan is often cited as a case study of broad school choice and its troubles. Betsy DeVos thinks students in her home state don’t have enough options. “The reality is, Michigan doesn’t have wide open choice,” the U.S. education secretary told journalists last week at the annual gathering of the Education Writers […]
