Michigan may regulate sale of kratom, an herbal mix linked to overdoses
by Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) Whether it’s harmful or helpful, addictive or medicinal, Michigan soon may regulate the herbal supplement kratom, making it illegal for minors and requiring licenses and product testing for anyone wishing to sell it. A Michigan bill, sponsored by State Rep. Lori Stone, D-Warren, several other Democrats and a Republican, swings […]
Michigan lawmakers reach deal on letting clerks pre-process absentee ballots
by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) Michigan lawmakers and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office have reached a deal on legislation allowing clerks more time to pre-process absentee ballots to speed up the vote count, as well as other tweaks to the election process. The Republican-majority Senate voted 33-0 on bills that would let clerks prepare absentee ballots […]
Michigan school districts are flush with cash, but wary of a downturn
by Koby Levin (Chalkbeat, for Bridge Michigan) Grand Rapids Public Schools received $104 million in federal COVID-19 relief funding, an enormous one-time cash infusion equal to about half its annual budget. The district used the money for tutoring, extra summer programs and coaching for teachers. But now, facing an uncertain economy and the expiration date […]
Gretchen Whitmer touts economy. Michigan lost 82K jobs under her watch.
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge Michigan) Standing between supermarket shelves, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer turns to the camera and acknowledges that “everything is going up,” even the cost of breakfast cereal. “I can’t solve the inflation problem, but we’re doing things right now to help,” she says in a television ad for her re-election campaign, noting $400 state […]
Federal judge nixes suit seeking Michigan public funds for private schools
by Isabel Lohman (Bridge Michigan) Michigan’s prohibition on public funding for private schools remains intact after a federal judge dismissed a legal challenge to that rule in the Michigan Constitution on Friday. The case, brought by five families with the support of the free-market Mackinac Center Legal Foundation, argued that Michigan’s constitutional ban on public funding for […]
Who are the five candidates running for Michigan Supreme Court?
by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) One of Michigan’s most consequential elections consistently flies under the radar. The Michigan Supreme Court is the state’s highest court and often has the final say on issues of critical importance, determining whether laws enacted by the state Legislature are constitutional, weighing in on the validity of ballot initiatives and more. […]
Higher mortgage costs cool home sales as Fed sends interest rate higher
by Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) The Federal Reserve on Wednesday met widespread expectations by accelerating its inflation-fighting tool: Raising interest rates on the money banks loan each other. The benchmark federal funds rate will increase by 0.75 percentage points, with increases totaling 3 percentage points this year, taking it to its highest level since 2008. The increase followed a […]
Michigan’s rural school districts plead for more bus and broadband funding
by Tracie Mauriello & Koby Levin, Chalkbeat (Bridge Michigan) Tom McKee was an 11th grader in rural Michigan when a “grow your own” teacher training program sold him on a career in education. Even so, McKee might have not imagined that he would one day go on to work as a superintendent, athletic director, and bus driver […]
Culture wars divide Michigan schools. How many rights should parents have?
by Yue Stella Yu and Isabel Lohman, (Bridge Michigan) TAYLOR — The Moms for Liberty Wayne County chapter meeting at the American Legion hall began with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance before moving on to the main order of business: Learning how to search public school library databases for books with sexual content. […]
Report: COVID forced 500k workers from workforce; thousands from Michigan
by Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) Until September, understanding who left the U.S. workforce during the pandemic was gleaned from federal labor data and other analyses, including talking to workers and employers. But a new national study examining what happened to workers who had to take at least a week off of work due to the virus quantifies […]
