Analysis: Gretchen Whitmer’s budget banks on Michigan GOP backing one historic tax hike
by Lindsay VanHulle, Riley Beggin (Bridge) A single, simple vote. With just the push of a button, Michigan lawmakers can solve the many vexing, expensive problems plaguing the state. At least, that’s how Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer pitched her first budget proposal to legislators Tuesday, before a joint meeting of the state House and Senate appropriations […]
Six big proposals in Gretchen Whitmer’s first Michigan budget
by Riley Beggin, Lindsay VanHulle (Bridge) The conventional wisdom that many of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s campaign promises to protect the environment, invest in education and fix the roads would pack a punch to the state’s wallet has finally come to fruition. Whitmer’s first budget proposal, unveiled Tuesday, calls for a 3.6 percent increase in state spending over […]
An $18B debt is coming due, and it’s haunting small town Michigan
by Roelofs (Bridge) Once a mining community, Iron Mountain is probably more famous now as proud home town to Michigan State University men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo. But this Upper Peninsula city is also notable these days for something no one brags about: It’s one of dozens of small rural Michigan communities and public bodies that face […]
Whitmer kills Michigan marijuana licensing board in favor of new agency
by Lindsay VanHulle (Bridge) Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Friday killed a controversial state board tasked with approving licenses for medical marijuana operations, instead opting to house the process in a new state agency intended to speed up the process. The announcement drew praise from industry advocates and at least one Republican legislative leader, even as it was […]
Seven things to know about Gov. Whitmer’s debt-free college plan
by Ron French (Bridge) Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is pushing an ambitious revamp of Michigan’s college scholarship program. Administrative officials are working out details, and more changes likely would be at least debated in the Republican-led Legislature, which may or may not approve the proposal. Here’s what you need to know: Free community college for […]
Look to sales tax on gas to help fix Michigan roads, report suggests
By Lindsay VanHulle (Bridge) Michigan policymakers looking to find money to fix the state’s crumbling roads should consider untying the sales tax from gasoline sales, according to a new road-funding analysis released Tuesday. Doing so would allow lawmakers to increase the state gas tax by roughly 15.5 cents per gallon — replacing the estimated $894 million […]
Warming temps mean many Michigan lakes won’t freeze in coming years
by Jim Malewitz, Mike Wilkinson (Bridge) As the earth warms, more Michigan lakes will see ice-free winters, and “extensive loss of lake ice will occur within the next generation,” according to a study recently published in the journal Nature Climate Change. The trend bodes poorly for the state’s cold water ecosystems and those who enjoy ice fishing, […]
Less skiing, thinner ice, canceled fests. Michigan adapts to climate change
by Jim Malewitz (Bridge) Jim MacInnes would rather not say how much money his northwest Michigan resort lost in December 2015. That’s when temperatures in the 40s and 50s effectively closed 54 of his 58 ski trails by the end of Christmas week, a crucial stretch for the business. “It cost us a lot of money,” said MacInnes, […]
Michigan environment roundup: PFAS found in 119 Michigan water systems
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 […]
Consumers Energy chief: We’re making changes after natural gas crisis
by Jim Malewitz (Bridge) LANSING — The CEO of Consumers Energy told lawmakers Wednesday the company is rewriting contingency plans and making other reforms after narrowly avoiding gas shutoffs during last month’s polar vortex. Consumers, Michigan’s largest energy provider, vows to become less reliant on a Macomb County compressor station that caught fire in late January and […]
