Michigan lags nation in government transparency. Lawmakers promise change
by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — As of March 14, Michigan remains one of two states in the country where lawmakers and the governor are wholly exempt from public records requests. Last week, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle vowed that that won’t be the case for much longer. Along with Massachusetts, Michigan […]
Few good options for shrinking Michigan’s problem deer herds
by Kelly House (Bridge Michigan) Few creatures look more harmless while doing more destruction than the urban deer. They spread disease and dash in front of cars, sometimes resulting in accidents. They devour farm fields, gardens and forests, killing off songbirds while allowing invasive species to spread. But it’s not all their fault: Humans have […]
GM offers buyouts to ‘majority’ of 35,000 salaried workers in Michigan
by Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) Most of the 58,000 salaried workers at General Motors learned Thursday that they will be offered voluntary buyouts as the automaker hopes to reach $2 billion in savings this year and avoid layoffs. The company is Michigan’s largest automaker and one of its top employers, with 35,000 salaried workers in the state. […]
What is Michigan Right-to-Work: How law impacted wages, jobs, unions
by Mike Wilkinson (Bridge Michigan) Michigan Democrats are moving fast to repeal the state’s Right-to-Work law that allows workers to opt out of paying dues in union-represented jobs but still receive benefits. Along party lines, the state House voted on Thursday to repeal the 2012 law. The state Senate could follow suit next week, sending legislation to […]
DTE Energy cut operations to meet profits months before power outages
by Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) DTE Energy cut its operations budget to meet earnings projections months before a historic ice storm on Feb. 22 left more than 450,000 of its customers without power, company officials said recently as they released year-end earnings. Job openings went unfilled. Contractors were eliminated, and overtime limited, Maintenance work was postponed, […]
MSU shooting: Video shows gunman checked ammo after entering Union
by Yue Stella Yu (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — The Michigan State University shooter checked ammunition in his handgun before entering a room in the MSU Union on the night of Feb. 13, according to surveillance footage from inside the building obtained Friday by Bridge Michigan. The footage, first obtained by the Detroit Free Press, emerged […]
Daylight saving 2023 arrives Sunday. Not every Michigander is happy
by Janelle D. James (Bridge Michigan) Get your clocks ready to “spring forward” for daylight saving time. In the early hours Sunday morning everyone will set their clocks an hour ahead, if their digital clock doesn’t do so automatically. Then in November, clocks will once again “fall back” an hour to standard time. It’s a […]
Michigan’s local road conditions improved slightly, but projections still bleak
by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) Michigan’s local roads have improved slightly in the last year, but potholes will persist without additional funding for fixes, a survey of county road agencies found. The survey, conducted by the County Road Association of Michigan, found 6,047 miles of county roads were improved in 2022, meaning they were patched up, repaved […]
Michigan Senate votes to add LGBTQ protections to anti-discrimination law
by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — LGBTQ people would be explicitly protected by Michigan’s anti-discrimination law under legislation passed in the Michigan Senate on Wednesday. In what supporters called a historic moment, Senate Bill 4 — which would expand the state’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity — passed […]
Democrats push Michigan gun reforms. Here’s what the laws are now
by Ron French (Bridge Michigan) It seems like a simple question: How old do you have to be to own a gun in Michigan? In most cases, if you’re 18, you can buy a rifle or shotgun. If you’re 21, you can buy a handgun. But you can buy a handgun at 18 if you […]
