Michigan eyes miles-traveled charge for roads as EVs cut into fuel tax
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Michigan officials are exploring whether to replace gas taxes with “usage charges” as the auto industry’s shift to electric vehicles is expected to cut into tax revenues for road repairs. With fuel taxes projected to decline by hundreds of millions of dollars in coming years, the $82 billion budget Gov. […]
Michigan ‘river walker’ program warns anglers on eating contaminated fish
by Ashley Zhou (Bridge Michigan) DETROIT—Sporting a bright yellow “Eat Safe Fish” t-shirt and lanyard, Jim Bridgforth carries an armful of pamphlets as he walks the Detroit River at Mariner Park. Anglers sit in camping chairs equipped with bait of all colors and sizes, wearing bucket hats and dipping into their lunch boxes as they […]
Control for frog-bit and water soldiers
by Vladislava Sukhanovskaya, Circle of Blue (Bridge Michigan) In the waters where it’s a native species — Europe, Asia, and Africa – the aquatic plant known as European frog-bit is no trouble at all. Though its name summons images of slime and bumps, frog-bit is a decorative display of coin-size leaves that in shallow water look […]
Records: Michigan voting machines exchanged at mall, ‘manipulated’ in hotels
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Pro-Trump attorneys and a Michigan lawmaker enlisted a private investigator to collect 2020 voting machines that were later “manipulated” during testing in Oakland County hotels, according to newly disclosed allegations by a special prosecutor. In a Thursday court filing, special prosecutor D.J. Hilson alleged the group — spearheaded by […]
Whitmer’s population group eyes Michigan infrastructure, education, economy
by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s council to address the state’s stagnant population announced 64 new workgroup members Monday to study infrastructure, education, the economy and other factors that could draw more residents. The “Growing Michigan Together Council” is chaired by Republican businessman John Rakolta and Democratic education leader Shirley Stancato and will rely on input […]
Michigan court limits scope of no-fault reform. Will insurance rates rise?
by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) Car crash survivors critically injured before sweeping changes to Michigan’s auto no-fault insurance law took effect are not subject to the law’s limits on medical benefits, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled Monday. In a 5-2 ruling authored by Justice Elizabeth Welch, the court sided with a lower court’s decision determining legislative changes to […]
Michigan’s new anti-poverty effort: $7,500 for Flint moms, no strings attached
by Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer this week signed a budget giving $16.5 million to a program that attempts to fight poverty with cash payments to expectant and new mothers in the city of Flint. The program touted as the first-of-its-kind in the nation, Rx Kids is a $55 million experiment to test whether […]
What to know about Michigan’s universal free school meals program
by Isabel Lohman (Bridge Michigan) Lori Adkins is hearing that school districts in Oakland County are expecting to significantly increase how many school meals they serve a day. Why? The child nutrition consultant for Oakland Schools says the state’s new plan to provide free school meals for all public school students will reduce childhood hunger, […]
Trump indictment: How Michigan, Detroit factor into charges over 2020 election
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Former President Donald Trump is facing new criminal charges related to his failed efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss. And Michigan, which he lost by 154,188 votes, features prominently in the indictment. Here’s what you need to know. The charges A federal grand jury on Tuesday charged Trump with […]
Michigan libraries recruiting citizen army to aid book ban wars
by Ron French (Bridge Michigan) Michigan libraries are fighting back against growing calls to ban books by recruiting patrons to spot and spread the word about culture war battles in their communities. On Tuesday, the Michigan Library Association launched a six-month campaign to encourage residents to join Mi Right to Read, a website that offers […]
