Gerrymandering never died in Michigan. It still haunts county boards, foes say
by Mike Wilkinson (Bridge Michigan) In 2018, Michigan voters overwhelmingly voted to create an independent citizens’ commission to draw state legislative maps, wresting control of the process from politicians. In November, those redrawn maps helped Democrats win both the state House and Senate, a feat they hadn’t accomplished since the mid-1980s despite sometimes winning more […]
Michigan gun reform: Democrats may pursue red-flag laws. What research says
by Yue Stella Yu (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Michigan Democrats may push for “red flag” gun laws when they take control of the state Legislature in January. Democrats, who will lead all branches of government for the first time in decades, have said gun reform is a priority, especially in the wake of last year’s shooting […]
U-M hospital system to acquire Sparrow Health in latest Michigan merger
by Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) Lansing-based Sparrow Health System is to be absorbed into Michigan Medicine by next summer — a move that hospital leaders say will expand access to specialty medicine in mid-Michigan and put Sparrow on better financial footing, the health systems announced Friday. The deal is “expected to be completed in the first […]
Senate may vote on long-awaited recycling reform. Which one is unclear.
by Kelly House (Bridge Michigan) After years of bipartisan work on a bill package that would reform Michigan’s solid waste laws to boost recycling and composting, lawmakers are gearing up for a potential Senate vote on the bills Wednesday. A tentative Senate agenda for Wednesday specifies intent to see the bills through “all the way […]
How should Michigan fund school transportation? A new report offers a blueprint.
by Koby Levin, Chalkbeat Detroit (for Bridge Michigan) Rudyard Area Schools, a district in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, has just one school building to serve its entire K-12 enrollment of 627 students. And that building is about a 23-mile bus ride away from Trout Lake, a town of 330 people on the other side of the […]
Michigan hunters say 252,000 deer killed in firearms season with new rules
by Kelly House (Bridge Michigan) It’s been a storybook hunting season for Jennifer Parent, who bagged two big bucks this fall on her 13-acre property in Howell. With each clean shot, Parent took a day or two to celebrate her success, then opened an app on her phone to report its rack size, location and […]
How moving up Michigan presidential primary could increase state’s clout
Yue Stella Yu (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Michigan’s political clout could increase after a Democratic National Committee panel voted Friday to make the state one of the first five states to hold presidential primaries in 2024. The vote comes a day after President Joe Biden wrote a letter to the Democratic National Committee, lobbying to eliminate caucuses during […]
Caregivers need help. Michigan is slowly finding a way
by Sarah Rahal, The Detroit News & Hayley Harding, The Detroit News (for Bridge Michigan). Jim Mangi never thought he’d be living out the later parts of the plot of Nicholas Sparks’ fictional “The Notebook,” but he is grateful he can stay a block from the Saline dementia treatment center near his wife, Kathleen, who is struggling […]
Michigan business hopeful as Congress poised to end rail strike threat
by Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) A potential national rail strike continues to threaten Michigan’s industries that depend on trains for essential products, even as top federal leaders say avoiding a shutdown is an urgent priority. Congress plans to initiate votes this week to prevent a strike, with leaders of both parties in the House and […]
Michigan State condenses teacher preparation program from five years to four
by Tracie Mauriello, Chalbeat Detroit (for Bridge Michigan) Michigan State University will shorten its teacher preparation program from five to four years, saving education majors $16,700 in tuition and awarding them a credential more quickly. The change alleviates a financial burden on students and addresses an educator shortage by getting teachers in classrooms faster, said Tonya Bartell, […]
