‘Pure chaos’ in Michigan as FBI arrest, forgeries rock GOP governor primary
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Already rocked by a signature forgery scandal, Michigan’s Republican gubernatorial primary was upended again this week by the arrest of candidate Ryan Kelley, the promise of a write-in campaign by James Craig and new conspiracy claims about the upcoming election. It’s “pure chaos,” said Andrea Bitely, a Lansing-based strategist […]
Abortion isn’t ‘black and white’ for Michigan voters. But it is for lawmakers.
by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — When it comes to abortion, the political debate is binary in Michigan: Democratic lawmakers support access unequivocally, while Republican ones favor an all-out-ban with exceptions only for life-threatening pregnancies. Bridge Michigan reviewed statewide and legislative candidates’ publicly available statements on abortion and found almost no middle ground. A […]
House rejects tutoring bill. What’s next for Michigan’s struggling students?
by Isabel Lohman (Bridge Michigan) A Republican bill that would have given parents up to $1,500 a child to use for tutoring and other education expenses failed to get enough votes in the House on Tuesday. Five Republicans joined Democrats, who have been opposed to the bill since it was in committee, to defeat the bill. Struggling […]
As youth mental health crisis rages, Michigan schools work to bolster students’ sense of connection
by Eleanore Catolico (Bridge Michigan) This story was reported and published in partnership with MindSite News, a new nonprofit digital publication that reports on mental health. The bell rang a little after a gloomy dawn. As a trickle of A.P. Spanish students settled into their wooden desks, teacher Zachary Daniels powered up his smartboard. Behind him, […]
Facing teacher shortage, Michigan may ease path for out-of-state educators
by Tracie Mauriello (Bridge Michigan) Experienced educators from other states could soon teach in Michigan without having to pass the state certification exam. Under proposed reciprocity legislation, people with three years classroom experience elsewhere would no longer have to take the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification in order to start teaching in the state. And […]
Allergies are bad this year in Michigan. Climate change is making them worse
by Zahra Ahmad (Bridge Michigan) Spring is nearly over, but there’s still plenty of life left in allergy season in Michigan. Blame climate change, experts say. Warmer temperatures are prompting trees and plants to produce more pollen — sticky particles that make eyes itch and noses run — sooner and longer. “More people are complaining […]
Q&A: Michigan Teacher of the Year advocates for mental health, retention resources
Nanette Hanson had returned home from a day of teaching May 24 when she first heard the news of the elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Nineteen children and two teachers had died. As an elementary teacher herself, leading a first-grade class in Lemmer Elementary in Escanaba, in the Upper Peninsula, reports of another school shooting left […]
Ford’s $2B investment in Michigan ‘solidifies’ state’s auto production
by Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) MACKINAC ISLAND — Michigan scored a win last week in its drive to preserve automotive production here amid massive changes coming to the industry from the shift to electric vehicles. Ford Motor Co. rolled out its plans to add 3,260 jobs in the state as part of a $2 billion investment […]
Republicans: More guns — not more laws — will keep Michigan schools safe
by Jonathan Oosting and Yue Stella Yu (Bridge Michigan) MACKINAC ISLAND — Michigan can improve school safety without gun regulations, Republican gubernatorial candidates argued Thursday, proposing a series of alternatives during a debate. “We don’t have a gun problem; we have a mental health crisis,” Mattawan chiropractor Garrett Soldano said on outdoor stage at the […]
Bipartisan support grows to add millions to Michigan’s $1B tax incentive fund
by Jonathan Oosting, Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) MACKINAC ISLAND — The state continues to celebrate its so-called “transformative” job growth, but the gains also are depleting Michigan’s new $1 billion business attraction fund. Now both Democrats and Republicans say they expect to approve an addition to the SOAR Fund in the coming year’s budget. Bipartisan support is not […]
