A three-judge panel is weighing whether Michigan’s independent redistricting commission discriminated against Black voters when drawing legislative political districts.
Detroit
Posted inTalent & Education
Detroit student who fought for ‘right to literacy’ is still in the fight
At age 16, Jamarria Hall joined a lawsuit that accused Michigan state officials of failing to provide Detroit students a basic reading education. He remains involved in the fight.
Posted inMichigan Government
Former Michigan redistricting chair: process 'became all about race'
A three-judge panel will decide if electoral maps drawn by the state’s Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission violate the rights of Black Detroit voters.
Posted inBusiness Watch
$273M in tax subsidies sought for Henry Ford, MSU, Pistons project
Henry Ford Health, Michigan State University and the Detroit Pistons are seeking $273 million in tax incentives largely to finance housing for the New Center development.
Posted inUrban Affairs
Detroit cancels contracts with firm tied to Kwame Kilpatrick scandal
The cancellation came to light after BridgeDetroit began asking questions about the contracts to a firm owned by the daughter of Bobby Ferguson, a contractor who went to prison for bribery and bid rigging. The firm shares an address with Ferguson’s company.
Posted inBusiness Watch
Detroit casino workers go on strike demanding better pay, benefits
MotorCity Casino, MGM Grand Detroit and Hollywood Casino at Greektown in Detroit remain open. But a prolonged strike could threaten revenues of both the city and the state.
Posted inTalent & Education
Chronic absenteeism in Michigan schools drops, but still higher since COVID
More than 3-in-10 Michigan students are chronically absent, missing 18 or more days of school during the year. See high absentee rates in your school district.
Posted inMichigan Government
Do Michigan’s political maps dilute power of Black voters? Trial will decide
An independent commission’s redraw of legislative maps following the 2020 Census faces scrutiny on claims it diluted representation for minority voters by extending Detroit districts into the suburbs.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
First came the floods. Then, the toxic mold. Get used to it with climate change
The majority of Detroit homes that flood face an equally insidious threat in the aftermath: black mold.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan lawmakers consider end to ‘prison gerrymandering'
A Detroit senator wants Michigan prison populations to be counted in the communities they’re from instead of prison locations. The change could make a big difference in how political districts are crafted, especially in rural areas.