A bill under consideration in the Michigan Legislature offers a crucial opportunity to re-evaluate lengthy sentences and provide a pathway for rehabilitation and redemption.
Guest Commentary
At Bridge, we believe in listening to voices from all over our state. Got something to say? Contact us and join the conversation (details below)
How to submit a Guest Commentary
What to know:
Bridge welcomes a diversity of voices and perspectives from readers on issues important to Michigan. Guest commentaries reflect the views of the author(s), and are independent of the nonpartisan, fact-driven reporting of Bridge’s newsroom staff.
Commentaries must be the author’s original work and preferably will not have appeared first in other publications. Bridge reserves the right to decline submissions at our discretion.
We reserve the right to edit commentary for grammar, clarity, brevity or to address legal or factual concerns. We may offer editing suggestions, but in the service of making your work more accessible, not to alter your views.
We do not pay for guest commentary.
Here are some guidelines:
- Columns are usually 500-700 words
- They generally focus on a Michigan topic or policy and should avoid ad hominem attacks
- The more direct, distinct and/or intimate your perspective, the more effective your column will be
- The best columns do more than identify problems; they also offer solutions and facts to back them up
- Please include a one- or two-sentence bio, including the writer’s organization or relevant background.
- Authors must show their work, by backing up facts with links to reports or studies
- Bridge does not publish self-promotional columns or candidate endorsements
- Send a good quality, large headshot of the writer(s) as an attachment
- We also ask that, in return for publishing a guest commentary, the author(s) and their organizations generously promote the link to the published column through your Facebook, Twitter and other social or professional networks.
That’s about it. Keep the writing clear, conversational and free of jargon, and sell our smart and receptive readership on the argument you are trying to make.
Who to contact:
Email your submission or idea to guestcommentary@bridgemi.com. Please briefly describe who you are and what you would like to say and put the words “guest commentary” in the email subject line.
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Opinion | A strategy for electrification of transportation in Michigan
Key recommendations include improving long-term utility planning to enable grid investments to support charging infrastructure, passing a Clean Fuel Standard and providing more incentives for individuals and businesses seeking to purchase EVs and EV chargers.
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Opinion | Demand-reduction strategies can help tackle Michigan's opioid epidemic
Demand reduction strategies are vital for reducing the long-term incidence of substance use disorders, especially among our state’s vulnerable minority populations.
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Opinion | Understanding school safety in Michigan: How can we keep schools safe?
By listening to the needs of school-based personnel in our state, we can work collectively to develop strategies that support positive youth development and ensure students concentrate on learning.
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Opinion | Michigan cannot miss this moment to lead on criminal justice reform
Michigan has the chance to lead by example, demonstrating that it values justice and the rights of all its citizens.
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Opinion | Community solar would give families essential relief in hot summer months
The greatest strength of community solar is its ability to reach populations living in multifamily and rental housing, where ‘rooftop solar remains nearly inaccessible’ to these populations.
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Opinion | Right-to-die legislation must consider concerns of African Americans
Safeguards only put people at ease when they trust the entity creating them and that the people within those entities will enforce them.
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Opinion | Ending our state’s home care crisis is within reach
Home care workers deserve a liveable wage, essential benefits like health care, and the training they need to perform their jobs, the same as any American worker.
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Opinion | Education pork projects or fighting for scraps?
While we applaud the past two years of increased investments in schools, Michigan still has a long way to go.
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Opinion | Updating building energy codes will save Michigan families money
Our building energy codes haven’t been updated since 2015 — around the same time as the iPhone 6’s debut. While both were state-of-the-art at the time, our smartphone technology has improved by leaps and bounds while our energy code still has the equivalent of a manual home button.