Republicans are rethinking the wisdom of “tough-on-crime” formulas of the past, as they eye alternatives to incarceration.
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
Are Michigan’s restrictions on gay and abortion rights holding state back?
Recent restrictions on gay rights and abortion coverage in Michigan raise questions about whether these laws are stunting the state’s economic recovery, and making it more difficult to attract talent.
Posted inMichigan Government
Gay and abortion rights laws at issue in Michigan
Debate over gay and abortion rights has been percolating in the Michigan Legislature and courts for years. Here are some key issues and legislation that have framed the debate
Posted inMichigan Government
What Michigan women want
New restrictions on abortion ignite debate over state’s ability to attract women to Michigan jobs
Posted inMichigan Government
Tom McMillin: Tea Party conservative, ACLU sympathizer
Anti-tax. Anti-gay. Anti-Obamacare. That’s all you need to know about brash Tea Party favorite Tom McMillin. Or is it? A growing chorus of progressives are finding common bond with the Rochester Hills Republican.
Posted inMichigan Government
What Tom McMillin wants
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.
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 […]