Michigan aims to remedy ‘egregious injustice,’ as tribes shut out of opioid funds
by Ron French (Bridge Michigan) The south side of the Saginaw Chippewa Behavioral Health Center in Mount Pleasant is a 24-bed residential treatment center, one of only two operated by the dozen federally recognized tribes based in Michigan. There, in the modern, one-story brick building, tribal members who need intensive support for their substance use […]
Michigan bottlers still get free water, despite governor’s tough talk
by Anna Clark, ProPublica (Bridge Michigan) When Gretchen Whitmer campaigned for Michigan governor in 2018, she took aim at Michigan’s bottled water industry — and the state policy that gave it unfettered access to free water. Nestle was extracting hundreds of millions of gallons of groundwater a year, which it bottled and sold under the […]
Michigan House OKs new penalties for drivers who hit bicyclists, runners
by Jordyn Hermani & Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Michigan lawmakers on Tuesday took steps to impose more stringent penalties on drivers who injure runners, bicyclists and other road users, arguing an extra level of accountability is necessary. A pair of bills passed out of the Michigan House Tuesday with bipartisan support are part of […]
Wind, solar farm law won’t make November ballot in Michigan
by Kelly House (Bridge Michigan) A proposed ballot initiative to repeal Michigan’s new statewide renewable energy permitting law will not make the November ballot. Officials with Citizens for Local Choice have until 5 p.m. on Wednesday to turn in the 356,958 signatures needed to place the measure on this fall’s ballot. But in a statement […]
Michigan to monitor smog in eight counties amid switch to summer gasoline
by Janelle D. James (Bridge Michigan) Saturday is the last day for gasoline retailers to make the annual changeover to cleaner-burning, summer-grade fuel. Meanwhile, state agriculture officials have announced plans to monitor ozone levels in eight counties “as an extra measure” to reduce smog. The Clean Air Act gives the Environmental Protection Agency the authority […]
Gun control groups aim to close ‘loophole’ in Michigan protection orders
by Jordyn Hermani (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Gun control advocates are pushing for Michigan’s Democratic-led Legislature to close what they say is a loophole in the state’s personal protection order laws: firearm relinquishment. When issuing a restraining order to stop threats, violence or harassment against an individual — also known as PPOs — judges can choose to bar the […]
EV transition a slow go in Michigan. It needs 100,000 chargers, has 3,300
by Kelly House (Bridge Michigan) Standing on the porch of Mackinac Island’s Grand Hotel in 2021, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer vowed that soon, Michigan’s western shoreline would boast “the best new road trip for electric vehicle owners in America.” As she unveiled the plan to build a reliable public EV charging network called the Lake Michigan Circuit, Whitmer […]
Donald Trump guilty on all counts: Michigan reacts. He’s still on ballot
by Bridge Staff (Bridge Michigan) Donald J. Trump has become the first former U.S. president to be convicted of felonies, after a New York jury on Thursday convicted him of 34 counts of financial crimes related to a hush money scheme. Trump is the likely Republican candidate for president and locked in a tight race in […]
Michigan leaders gather on Mackinac amid deep divides, economic apathy
by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) Organizers of an annual conference that draws many of Michigan’s top business executives and political power players say they aim to tackle deep partisan divides they view as impediments to progress. The 2024 Mackinac Policy Conference kicks off Tuesday and will focus on attracting business and new jobs to Michigan, […]
Return of bald eagles to the Great Lakes could hold lessons for humans
by Emma McIntosh, The Narwhal (Bridge Michigan) Growing up in a shiny Toronto-area suburb lined with concrete and puny trees, the only bald eagles Sheetal Rawal saw in the 1980s were in her imagination or on TV. It wasn’t for lack of trying. Inspired by a particularly stirring episode of “Alvin and the Chipmunks” — the gang goes […]
