The brash Republican hasn’t had much legislation signed into law, but it’s not for lack of effort. McMillin’s nearly 200 bills and resolutions span the political spectrum, from deeply conservative efforts to restrict abortion and gay rights, to strange-bedfellows alliances with the ACLU and progressive Democrats on civil liberties issues.
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
What business wants from Detroit’s next mayor
Doug Rothwell is president and CEO of Business Leaders for Michigan. Bridge contributor Amy Lane talked to Business Leaders for Michigan CEO Doug Rothwell about the results of a new Detroit mayoral election poll, commissioned by BLM and The Center for Michigan. Bridge: What is the business community looking for in a new Detroit mayor? […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Why ‘dark money’ matters when you stand before a Michigan judge
The State Bar of Michigan this month urged Secretary of State Ruth Johnson to require everyone who contributes money to Michigan judicial campaigns to be publicly identified. It said a 2004 decision by then-Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land allowing those who bankroll so-called judicial “issue ads” to remain anonymous undermines the integrity of the […]
Posted inMichigan Government
New Michigan Scorecard: Five years later, state still stuck in neutral
Despite a rebounding auto industry and real estate prices beginning to turn around, Michigan is barely moving the needle in many other quality of life rankings against other states. That’s the somewhat humbling message of this year’s Michigan Scorecard, compiled through a partnership of The Center for Michigan and Kurt Metzger, Director Emeritus of Data Driven […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan Scorecard solutions elude policymakers
This year’s Michigan Scorecard shows the state needs to boost educational performance, reduce poverty, repair crumbling roads and trim the percentage of residents without health insurance. Fortunately, there are proposals in Lansing that would address those issues that affect the quality of life in Michigan. Unfortunately, Gov. Rick Snyder and the Republican-controlled legislature have not […]
Posted inMichigan Government
The Tea Party’s tepid relations with Michigan business groups
As the Tea Party has gained political profile and headlines, it has crossed swords with business groups that would seem to be natural allies in the push for conservative policies. “Long before the Tea Party, the business community was the voice of fiscal responsibility and limited, rational government, and the business community will still be […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Tea Party teamwork: money and foot soldiers
Scott Hagerstrom, executive director of the Americans for Prosperity Michigan chapter, addresses a group of Tea Party members at a recent meeting in the state capitol. The room was reserved by State Senator Patrick Colbeck, a Tea Party favorite. (Bridge photo by Pat Shellenbarger) A Tea Party member had a question for the moderator of […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan’s Tea Party battles for GOP's soul
It’s the second Saturday of August, as a group of political newcomers gathers in a classroom of a Baptist school near Lansing. They are plotting a political coup. Among their many goals, they want to dump Republican Lt. Gov. Brian Calley and replace him with one of their own. They’d like to repeal or at […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Kitchen table politics: Tea Party leverages social media to advance causes
Joan Fabiano, founder of Grassroots in Michigan, at her home computer. “I wanted to show that an ordinary person doesn’t need to have an organization in order to change public policy,” she said. (Bridge photo by Pat Shellenbarger) From a corner of her dining room, Joan Fabiano directs a Tea Party group she founded called […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan draws thin in new, high-stakes Indian casino tax negotiations
After 20 years of legalized Indian casino gambling in Michigan, the state is trying to claw back a piece of the action from six tribes as high-stakes talks to extend gaming compacts proceed. At stake: A share of a multi-billion-dollar industry and upwards of $40 million in potential annual revenue for the state. The tribes […]
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