Cell phone driving ban stalls in Michigan; critics say plan too harsh
by Yue Stella Yu (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — A bipartisan effort to require hands-free phone use while driving has stalled in Michigan, after lawmakers worried the legislation would disproportionately target low-income and rural residents. After passing a House Transportation Committee with unanimous support last week, House Bill 4250 — the first piece of the three-bill package — […]
Michigan automatic expungement: What convictions qualify, how to check
by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) This month, Michigan became the latest state in the nation to automatically wipe past eligible criminal convictions from public records. More than 1 million felonies and misdemeanors have been erased from residents’ records since the automatic program took effect on April 11, and state officials say the process is designed to run […]
A new Michigan legislative committee on mental health gives parents hope
by Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) Please help. I’m in the emergency room. My child is trying to kill me … They want to send us home. Please help. What kind of locks can I put on the inside of my younger children’s doors so my older child doesn’t kill them? The messages that come though […]
Michigan Democrats eye hate crime reform, look to add LGBTQ protections
by Yue Stella Yu (Bridge Michigan) After adding LGBTQ protections to the state’s anti-discrimination law, Michigan Democrats are eying the next area of civil rights reform: Hate crime laws. A trio of Democratic lawmakers, along with Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, introduced legislation Wednesday morning to expand the definition of a hate crime in state law, […]
Michigan business leaders mildly hopeful despite lagging GDP, income
by Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) Michigan business leaders are expressing a bit less pessimism this spring than last year, even as concerns remain about inflation, a potential recession and the ability to hire enough workers. Recent surveys representing the viewpoints of retailers, commercial borrowers and executives at Michigan’s largest companies show that fewer think the state will […]
Michigan brine brouhaha: Proposed limits for unpaved roads prompt dustup
by Lauren Gibbons & Kelly House (Bridge Michigan) A salty solution sprayed onto many of Michigan’s unpaved roads each summer is causing a major dust-up between the state’s environmental agency and local road commissions. Michigan has some 36,000 miles of unpaved roads, which are treated with brine to tamp down on dust. But like the rock […]
Lawmakers aim to phase out dry-cleaning chemical with a dirty reputation
by Kelly House (Bridge Michigan) Some of the dirtiest sites in Michigan are connected to businesses that pride themselves on getting your clothes sparkling clean. Now, a bill in the Legislature aims to phase out a dry-cleaning solvent that gets stains out of sport coats, but has caused contamination that poses a health threat and […]
After passing three gun bills, Michigan Democrats say they’re not done
by Janelle D. James (Bridge Michigan) Michigan’s Democratic Legislature quickly passed a trio of gun measures, with only the red flag law — intended to remove weapons from people who pose a danger to themselves or others — still to be signed by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Democratic leaders and advocates for greater gun restrictions […]
Michigan county eyed criminal ordinance for books. Librarians fought back
by Ron French (Bridge Michigan) A statewide network of librarians thwarted a proposed ordinance in Cass County on Tuesday that sought to criminalize the distribution of sexually “explicit” library books to children. In a 24-hour political blitzkrieg, librarians and library supporters forced the board of commissioners in this conservative Southwest Michigan county to — at […]
U.S. Supreme Court ensures broad access to abortion pill in Michigan for now
by David Zeman (Bridge Michigan) The U.S. Supreme Court issued an order Friday evening preserving, at least for now, broad access to the abortion pill mifepristone. In its first abortion decision since overturning Roe v. Wade last summer, the high court’s short but eagerly awaited order provided continued availability to so-called abortion pills, which are used in […]
