Spartan Newsroom (https://news.jrn.msu.edu/category/elections-politics/michigan/)
After Roe v. Wade was overturned in June, states like Michigan put abortion rights on their 2022 ballots. Over four million Michiganders lined up to vote Tuesday to make an important decision whether to make abortions a constitutional right. Prop 3 was the name of the abortion rights proposition on the ballot which passed overwhelmingly. Many communities had different views on Proposition 3 prior to the election. Grand Ledge resident Ryan Dahl thought his community was divided over Prop 3.
E-BIKES: Officials are considering a controversial proposal to allow increasingly popular electric bicycles to use more state trails. We hear from the League of Michigan Bicyclists and the DNR. By Gabrielle Nelson. FOR ALL POINTS.
LAKE SUPERIOR PRESIDENCY: Yes, Lake Superior is a declared candidate for president of the United States and is in search of a running mate. The self-proclaimed #GLOAT (Greatest Lake Of All Time) is running on a “Water First Agenda,” is active on the social media platform X and maintains a campaign website. We hear from the campaign’s account manager, an MSU science communication expert and the Great Lakes Indian Fisheries and Wildlife Commission. By Elinor Epperson. FOR ALL POINTS.
SOLAR DISPUTE: Large-scale solar projects are a hotly disputed topic in Livingston County and elsewhere in the state, especially in rural areas with lots of farmland that could become project sites. Complex, interconnected questions about local government authority, private property rights and renewable energy sources. We talk to a Conway Township farmer, Consumers Energy, Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association and Michigan Environmental Council. By Ruth Thornton. FOR ALL POINTS.
CHILD LABOR: Federal and state agencies have been taking action against employers who hire underage workers following news reports of child labor abuses at a Kentwood company and elsewhere. Pending legislation is intended to crack down on illegal child labor and protect whistleblowers. We hear from the lead sponsor from East Grand Rapids, Michigan Immigration Rights Center in Grand Rapids and federal and state labor agencies. The other sponsor is from Muskegon. For business and news sections. By Alex Walters. FOR CORP! GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, WKTV, LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS.
BANKRUPTCIES: Michigan bankruptcy filings are up, a trend attributed at least in part to higher interest rates and an end to pandemic-era stimulus payments. Even some high-income people are drowning in debt. A Wayne State law professor, a credit counselor at a Farmington Hills-based firm and a Lansing bankruptcy lawyer discuss. By Owen McCarthy. FOR CORP! GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, DETROIT AND ALL POINTS.
OSCEOLA COUNTY PROFILE: Working-class, lower-income Osceola County can’t afford to ignore politics and presidential election in a local economy dominated by two major employers, a hospital and a yogurt plant, and a long tradition of voting Republican. By Archer Guanco, Daniel Schoenherr, Anna Barnes and Lauretta Sha. FOR BIG RAPIDS, CLARE, LUDINGTON, CADILLAC AND ALL POINTS.
COLLEGE LOANS: Five Michigan colleges have taken advantage of a USDA loan program for rural and agricultural areas to finance new buildings and facilities. Alma College’s president says the $39.4 million it borrowed has paid off in rising enrollment. Others are Adrian University of Olivet, Glen Oaks Community College and Bay Mills Community College. The Michigan Association of Independent Colleges and Universities says the benefits are visible on participating campuses. Some rural borrowers nationally haven’t seen the expected benefits, however. By Elijah Taub. FOR ADRIAN, BAY MILLS, MARQUETTE, STURGIS, THREE RIVERS AND ALL POINTS.
SALINITY: Rising salt levels in some Michigan groundwater is killing crops and tainting drinking water. The problem is especially severe in Ottawa County, which is closely monitoring the situation, and also of concern in Southwest Michigan and the Thumb. We talk to a Grand Valley State University researcher, Ottawa County’s director of strategic impact and a Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy expert. By Alex Walters. FOR HOLLAND, MICHIGAN FARM NEWS, MIDLAND AND ALL POINTS.
POSTPARTUM: There’s a push to extend Medicaid coverage for undocumented immigrants from two months to 12 months after giving birth. The change in policy for the Maternity Outpatient Medical Services program would cost $6 to $10 million a year, says the Michigan League for Public Policy. The Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, with offices in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Ypsilanti and Detroit, and an NYU expert explain. By Theo Scheer. FOR DETROIT, WKTV, LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS.
NEWCOMERS: State grants will help nonprofits serve immigrants, refugees and asylum-seekers integrate into their communities. The money comes from the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity and the federal government. Farmworker Legal Services in Grand Rapids will use its grant to expand its education and oversight activities to the Upper Peninsula. Les Clays, also based in Grand Rapids, will provide “second step” support for immigrants coming from Africa to West Michigan. Other grants recipients include support for Burmese immigrants in Calhoun County and, Islamic Americans in Detroit, partnerships between Catholic churches and local immigrants in Northern Michigan, and Latin American immigrants in Allegan, Kent, Ottawa, and Van Buren counties. By Alex Walters. FOR MARQUETTE, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, SAULT STE. MARIE, IRON MOUNTAIN, WKTV, MICHIGAN FARM NEWS, DETROIT, LANSING CITY PULSE, HOLLAND AND ALL POINTS.
