Mackinac Island fears ‘economic strangulation’ by ferry. Will Lansing step in?
by Paula Gardner & Justin A. Hinkley (Bridge Michigan) MACKINAC ISLAND — Over 1 million travelers are spending more this summer to reach Michigan’s iconic vacation destination, and the officials fear price increases on the only ferries to the island could be devastating. New fees could push the cost of a family day trip to the […]
Michigan lawmakers want to ban synthetic dyes, additives in school meals
by Astrid Code, (Bridge Michigan) Should ultraprocessed foods be in Michigan’s school lunches? Some lawmakers say no, and are moving to ban a list of synthetic ingredients from schools. House Bill 4369, introduced by State Rep. Brad Paquette, R-Niles, would prohibit food distributors from providing schools with food that contain certain additives. The list of […]
When will smoke clear in Michigan? What you need to know
by Astrid Code (Bridge Michigan) Canadian wildfires have led to smoky skies and air quality alerts throughout Michigan this week. As of late afternoon Thursday, Detroit and Chicago were among the top five most polluted cities in the world, with air quality alerts for much of Michigan continuing through at least Friday. Here’s what you need to […]
Michigan lawmakers seeking stronger antisemitism ban: We’ve been threatened too
by Simon D. Schuster (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Following a series of attacks across the country, Jewish members of the Michigan Legislature on Tuesday announced a new proposal that would make antisemitism a specific form of illegal ethnic discrimination in the state. They know the stakes well, said Rep. Samantha Steckloff, D-Farmington Hills: All three […]
New PFAS guidelines spark more ‘do not eat’ warnings for Michigan fish
by Kelly House (Bridge Michigan) Michigan health officials have dramatically reduced the amount of PFAS-tainted fish they consider safe to eat, tripling the number of waterbodies where anglers are warned against eating their catch. Ninety-eight water bodies are now subject to “do not eat” advisories because fish are contaminated with the so-called “forever chemicals,” up […]
Michigan’s bottle return rates keep falling. Is it time for change?
by Emilio Perez Ibarguen (Bridge Michigan) Michigan beer and pop buyers increasingly aren’t bothering to return their bottles and cans to get their deposit back, and in the process left more than $116 million dollars on the table last year. Records released this month indicate that 70.4% of 10-cent deposits put down at grocery store checkout […]
As Michigan scores fall, state superintendent blames local control ‘run amok’
by Isabel Lohman (Bridge Michigan) As Michigan students continue to struggle with early literacy, State Superintendent Michael Rice was in the hot seat in Lansing on Tuesday and blamed “local control” for lower scores. Michigan third and fourth grade reading scores continue to be lower than before the pandemic. Just 39.6% of third grade readers are […]
Michigan wants to grow its population, but more adults say no thanks to kids
by Astrid Code (Bridge Michigan) Like many women growing up in Allendale, Kim Bode was raised with a set life plan: go to college, find a husband and have kids. The west Michigan native recalls feeling like her sole purpose in life was to become a mother. “That’s just what everybody did, you know? You […]
Michigan school districts are shrinking. None want to consolidate. Why not?
by Isabel Lohman (Bridge Michigan) Back in 2022, lawmakers allocated $5 million for school districts to explore consolidation. No one took the lawmakers up on it in the first year. But the following year, 16 districts got money to study consolidation. Still, no local district has actually consolidated. K-12 enrollment in public schools is declining amid […]
Gretchen Whitmer urged bipartisan cooperation. Michigan lawmakers quickly clashed
by Jordyn Hermani (Bridge Michigan) Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made a plea for political civility on Thursday in a roughly 20-minute keynote speech at the Mackinac Policy Conference, pointing to President Donald Trump’s recent commitment to Selfridge Air National Guard Base as an example of bipartisan cooperation. “We cannot give in to the instant gratification that comes […]
