Rep. Kara Hope, D-Holt, is sponsoring legislation to tighten state oversight of labor contractors.

Advocates call for more protection of migrant farmworkers

FARMWORKERS: Advocates are calling for more protection for foreign temporary farmworkers with H-2A visas, who are essential to agriculture in the state. The Farm Bureau reports a jump in their numbers in Michigan. An Ottawa County blueberry farm is involved in a lawsuit accusing it of migrant labor law violations. We talk to the Farm Bureau, a Holt legislator and the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, which has offices in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Detroit and Ann Arbor. By Owen McCarthy. FOR MICHIGAN FARM NEWS, HOLLAND, GREENVILLE, OCEANA, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, CORP!, DETROIT, AND ALL POINTS.

Mike Yoder, founder of Drone Deer Recovery, flies a drone used to recover deer carcasses.

Lawsuit could complicate drone laws for hunters and anglers.

DRONES, DEER & FISH: Do drones mesh or clash with hunting and fishing ethics and regulations. A company that uses drones to locate deer carcasses is suing to challenge Michigan’s ban on the practice. Meanwhile, wildlife officials, anglers and hunters debate the ethics and implications of drone use. We hear from the head of the company, the Natural Resources Commission chair, the DNR and a Holland angler. For news and outdoors sections. By Ben Eiler. FOR HOLLAND, WKTV AND ALL POINTS.

Bills moving to expand definition of hate crimes

HATE CRIMES: There’s a call to strengthen Michigan’s hate crime laws at a time when such incidents are increasingly common. We hear from the executive director of the Department of Civil Rights, lawmakers from Northville, Canton Township and West Bloomfield and a national Muslim rights advocacy group. By Liz Nass. FOR DETROIT, LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS.

East Lansing poll workers note large turnout; surpasses primaries

“I voted”  stickers dot the shirts of people around East Lansing as in-person voting for the Michigan midterm elections occurred. Voters and precinct captains noticed a good turnout, though still lower than that of general elections.

Margie Ring, 3rd Precinct captain, said, “We’ve had 288 voters in person so far and at a better pace than we were for the primary elections.”

Voters line up at Brody Hall at Michigan State University to cast their ballot in the 2022 midterm elections on Tuesday. The ballot included races for overnor, attorney general, secretary of state, the state’s 13 congressional seats, and the 148 members of the Michigan Legislature. There also were three statewide ballot proposals up for vote.

Abortion motivates, divides East Lansing voters

Abortion was a key issue driving many East Lansing voters to the polls Tuesday.

The ballot includes a proposal to amend Michigan’s constitution to protect reproductive rights, including abortion. The measure, which appears as Proposal 3, would overturn a 1931 Michigan law banning abortion and offer state protections in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Courts overturning of Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that legalized abortion nationwide.

Q&A with Delta Charter Township Clerk Mary Clark

With the Nov. 3 election on the horizon, clerks across the state of Michigan are preparing to make the voting process as smooth as possible. On top of executing her regular duties, Delta Charter Township Clerk Mary Clark has been raising awareness about the election process and the disinformation often surrounding it.