Republicans sue redistricting commission over congressional map
by Sergio Martínez-Beltrán (Bridge Michigan) A group of Republicans has sued the Michigan redistricting commission over its recently-approved congressional map, claiming the panel failed to draw districts with equal populations. The lawsuit, filed Thursday with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, also names Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson as a […]
Michigan legislation would help homeowners pay for failing septic systems
By Lester Graham, Michigan Radio (for Bridge Michigan) This article is part of The Great Lakes News Collaborative, which includes Bridge Michigan, Circle of Blue, Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television, and Michigan Radio. It unites newsroom resources to report on the most pressing threats to the Great Lakes and drinking water supplies, including pollution, climate change, and […]
Michigan schools running short on COVID tests, imperiling in-class learning
By Ron French, Robin Erb (Bridge Michigan) As Michigan buckles under the omicron surge, the state is running low on COVID test kits for schools, with state officials “triaging” its limited supply. Some districts may run out as soon as next week, said one school official, hobbling efforts to test possibly infected students. Linda Vail, […]
Worst yet to come with omicron in Michigan, officials warn
by Mike Wilkinson (Bridge Michigan) COVID-19 hospitalizations could rise 60 percent in the next few weeks, further pressuring hospitals already at a breaking point amid the omicron wave, the state’s chief medical executive said Tuesday. Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian said models predict as many as 8,000 COVID-19 patients could be hospitalized by late January or early February, well […]
Michigan troopers vow reforms after study finds racial disparities in stops
by Mike Wilkinson (Bridge Michigan) The Michigan State Police’s director vowed immediate reforms Wednesday after a report found that troopers were more likely to stop, search, and arrest African-American drivers than whites. State Police Director Col. Joseph Gasper said all troopers will have body cameras by the end of the year, and the agency will […]
Michigan defies expectations, bringing in $1.7B more revenue than expected
By Sergio Martínez-Beltrán (Bridge Michigan) LANSING — Michigan’s revenues continue to defy predictions and remain on a historic rise, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, lawmakers heard Friday. State officials announced that Michigan has $1.7 billion more than expected for the current 2022 fiscal year. That trend will likely continue in 2023 with revenues increasing by over […]
Michigan unemployment fraud now at $8.5B. Legislators have more questions.
By Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) With pandemic-related unemployment fraud now estimated to reach at least $8.5 billion, Michigan officials and legislators continue to spar over whether the state agency in charge of payments is fixing longstanding mismanagement. Also unclear is whether more fraudulent payments will be uncovered, how much of the reported fraud is criminal […]
Michigan to end most contact tracing as COVID overwhelms effort
by Robin Erb(Bridge Michigan) Broad community contract tracing for COVID in Michigan is coming to an end in most cases — a dramatic signal of the overwhelming spread of omicron and the diminishing returns of an effort launched nearly two years ago across the state. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, which began […]
For Michigan parents, a “hellscape” of nasal swabs, missed work, and fury
By Ron French (Bridge Magazine) Betsy Beaudoin panicked for a moment when she and her son got to the bus stop near their Novi home Thursday morning. Was this the no-bus-service day for her fifth-grader in Novi Community School District, which runs buses just four days a week due to a driver shortage? Or was […]
Much of Michigan is rural. What will it take for small towns to thrive?
by Paula Gardner (Bridge Michigan) Gary McDowell recalls his small hometown of Rudyard as a vibrant community in Michigan’s Chippewa County. The town’s population has held steady over the years, even as residents left surrounding areas and the Upper Peninsula, whose population fell over the last decade by about 10,000 to 300,000. Still, the damage […]
