*Perception and reality in our society: “A Gallup poll reported nearly nine out of ten people think LGBT people are already protected. They are not. And, according to the pollsters, three out of four people believe they should be protected,” reports Lester Graham of Michigan Radio. Michigan’s civil rights law, the Elliott-Larsen Act, does not […]
Derek Melot
Derek Melot is a former assistant editorial page editor, columnist and reporter at the Lansing State Journal, where he covered state and local issues extensively, earning awards from the Associated Press and Michigan Press Association. The Oklahoma native moved to Michigan in 1999, and served as Bridge editor through mid-2013.
Posted inMichigan Government
Bridge survey finds big support for easier absentee voting, yet legislation lags
Michigan has plenty of people who commit a crime come election time. They aren’t trying to vote twice, or do anything to improperly tilt the results of an election. They simply want to vote at their convenience. But in Michigan, convenience is something meant for only a select group of voters: the elderly, the disabled, […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
*Uh-oh: “Asian carp are reproducing in more places and under more varied conditions than experts had believed they could, yet another reason to worry about the greedy invader’s potential to infest waterways and crowd out native species, scientists said.” *Meanwhile, legislation is moving to bar the state Department of Natural Resources from using biodiversity in […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
*Home-court advantage is a perennial topic of conversation in college basketball, but Michigan Republicans have to be congratulated – or pilloried – in how they have created a huge advantage for themselves in congressional elections. As this Bloomberg visual details, Michigan Republicans win by losing. Even though they gained only just under 46 percent of […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
* A dose of “good news, bad news”: “The average hourly wage (of the fastest-growing job category in America) is just $9.70 an hour, according to the Labor Department. For those in the industry who work full-time, this amounts to roughly $20,000 a year. Many health care aides only work part-time though — and they […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
* The complaint that lawmakers don’t even read all the bills that pass over their desks is as hoary as it is true. Well, the Tennessee House of Representatives has taken action to perhaps ease the problem. No member can file more than 15 bills. “Figures compiled by Harwell’s office show that the 132-member Tennessee […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
* The Michigan Virtual University has some ideas on how to reform K-12 education. In microcosm, the description of said report reveals just how difficult it is to get education professionals and parents and citizens into an earnest discussion of the topic. For example: “Teachers: Michigan must create a statewide system of support for teachers as […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
* States, including Michigan, have been reducing their financial commitment to higher education. The result: “Tuition revenues are up substantially due to higher prices and more enrollments, but not enough to offset losses of public funding,” said Paul Lingenfelter, the president of the higher education group, based in Boulder, Colo. “Students are paying more, while public […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
* An Iowa legislator wants to move his state away from “no-fault” divorce. The no-fault system is the dominant one in the United States, including in Michigan. The state’s divorce (and marriage) rates have been on a consistent decline since at least 1990, according to the Census Bureau. However, Iowa’s marriage rate is higher and its […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
* The Kalamazoo Promise (which offers college scholarships) is paying dividends: “We find positive effects of the Kalamazoo Promise on Promise eligible students large enough to be deemed important—about a 9 percent increase in the probability of earning any credits and one less suspension day per year. We also find large increases in GPA among African-American students.” […]