Michigan still owes GM over $2 billion in tax credits from Great Recession
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING 鈥 An old tax credit program designed to stem massive job losses during the Great Recession continues to gouge the Michigan budget. But a new deal with General Motors Co. will provide some certainty in future years. The Detroit-based automaker agreed to cap the total value of its refundable Michigan […]
Liberal group launches ballot effort to change Michigan lobbying laws
by Riley Beggin (Bridge) LANSING 鈥撀 A liberal advocacy group on Thursday launched a constitutional amendment ballot initiative effort to change Michigan laws to ban lobbyists from giving gifts to public officials and require a 鈥渃ooling off鈥 period before former officials could become lobbyists. 鈥淔or years there been talk about the need for more transparency […]
Michigan county threatens to bulldoze Amish homes in poop dispute
by Ted Roelofs (Bridge) LENAWEE COUNTY鈥擜s late afternoon sun streamed into the home spare living area, an Amish couple recalled the day this past August when a Lenawee County health official came to their door to post a notice. 鈥淒o Not Enter,鈥 it warned. 鈥淯nfit For Human Habitation.鈥 And below that: 鈥淥rder to Vacate.鈥 An […]
Crashes, injuries spike after Michigan boosts freeway speed limits to 75 mph
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) ITHACA 鈥撀 For Connor Learman, Michigan’s 75 miles per hour speed limit on US-127 allows him to shave a few minutes off his weekend snowboarding trip up north and all but eliminates the risk he鈥檒l get pulled over by police. “I go 80 anyways, so it gets me closer,” the 22-year-old […]
Michigan the latest to roll out Medicaid work rules. Can it avoid pitfalls?
by Robin Erb (Bridge) Dreaded by some as a red-tape attack on the poor and lauded by others as a road to self-sufficiency, Michigan Medicaid work requirements are now in force. Since Jan. 1, more than 238,000 Michiganders ages 19 to 62 have been required to work at least 80 hours a month or produce […]
Five things to know about Michigan Medicaid work rules
by Robin Erb (Bridge) Thousands of Michigan residents enrolled in Healthy Michigan are now expected to work 80 hours a month 鈥 or tell the state why they can鈥檛 鈥 to continue receiving health insurance under Michigan expanded Medicaid program. Who affected? The work rules apply only to a portion of Michigan 662,000 people who […]
Michigan residents say they oppose uncertified teachers leading classrooms
by Alexandra Schmidt (Bridge) In an era where education policy can be divisive, Michigan residents overwhelmingly agree on one thing: They want trained, certified teachers leading school classrooms. A large majority say they are skeptical that long-term substitute teachers who currently are in charge of thousands of Michigan classrooms can provide a quality education for […]
The answer to swelling jails? Stop jailing so many folks, Michigan report says
by Riley Beggin (Bridge) LANSING 鈥 A coalition charged with shrinking聽Michigan county jail populations is recommending the state reduce license suspensions, shorten probation terms, cut fines for civil infractions and stop requiring inmates to pay for their own incarceration, among other things. The recommendations, unveiled Tuesday, are based on an unprecedented analysis of local jail […]
Michigan 鈥榞reen ooze鈥 may be 鈥榯ip of iceberg鈥 of state toxic sites
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING 鈥撀 The discovery of toxic PFAS chemicals at a contaminated site in Madison Heights could triple the cost of an already expensive cleanup effort,聽 a state official told lawmakers Wednesday. And taxpayers could get stuck with the bill to clean up the green ooze site, since it unclear if its […]
Five things to know as Michigan lawmakers kick-start state budget process
by Jonathan Oosting (Bridge) LANSING 鈥 Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Republican-led Legislature wrapped up a bitter nine-month budget fight in December, with a deal that restored more than half of her $1 billion in line-item vetoes but included no new money to fix the state roads. A month later, they鈥檙e getting ready […]
