Support from Republicans and Democrats. More than $8 million in spending. No organized opposition. Why is the public skeptical?
Michigan Government
Citizens cannot do their job of running their government if they don’t know what their public servants are doing.
Posted inMichigan Government
A Republican civil war plays out in Michigan
Michigan GOP primary foes wage a battle of ideas and tone, echoing similar struggles within the party in Washington and elsewhere.
Posted inMichigan Government
A primer for a primary with national themes
Close races, marijuana referendums, a southeast Michigan mass transit tax proposal and a statewide business tax issue highlight the Aug. 5 ballot.
Posted inMichigan Government
Obamacare giveth, but courts could taketh away
A federal court case could set the stage for the repeal of Obamacare tax credits, and drastically raise health-care costs for 250,000 Michigan residents. A final decision is likely a year away.
Posted inMichigan Government
Q&A: Home is what you make it
There are many cities that can be improved with planning that turns public spaces into the heart of those communities. Michigan’s “placemaking” chief explains how.
Posted inMichigan Government
Emergency manager or emperor? Why Michigan’s law stirs contempt
Michigan has one of the most aggressive receivership laws in the nation, giving emergency managers extraordinary power in distressed communities, but leaving hard feelings in their wake. Other states have had a smoother ride by involving elected leaders in turnaround plans, rather than shuttling them to the sideline.
Posted inMichigan Government
Politicos were out to get me, says emergency manager
Benton Harbor’s first emergency manager sidelined elected officials and a public war soon followed. EMs have authority to make the hard cuts that elected leaders won’t, but entrenched politics are harder to ax.
Posted inMichigan Government
Political reformers, with hardly a friend across the aisle, press on in Michigan
Redistricting reform, election reform and finance reform all have their supporters in Michigan, but most have Ds after their name.
Posted inMichigan Government
3 hot political reforms not heading Michigan’s way
Efforts aimed at making voting easier, races more competitive and political money easier to track are gaining steam elsewhere.
Posted inMichigan Government
Obamacare booms in Michigan, but wide differences in policy rates raise new questions
After a disastrous launch, Michigan residents are flocking to the Affordable Care Act. Yet the rates all those newly insured vary widely depending on where you live. A lack of competition in some local markets raises questions on why the same kinds of coverage have such different price tags across the state.