Elections & Politics
Rep. Kara Hope, a Democrat from Holt, is a sponsor of legislation to ease women’s access to contraceptives

Proposal would ease access to hormonal contraceptives

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ACCESS TO CONTRACEPTIVES: Some lawmakers, including ones from Livonia and Holt, are again pushing legislation to allow pharmacists to sell hormonal contraceptives without a prescription. Advocates say that would expand women’s access to reproductive health care. The Michigan Health & Hospital Association expresses concerns about how the bill is worded. By Sophia Ceru. FOR DETROIT, CORP! GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS.

Agriculture

Some want Michigan to regulate septic tanks to protect water quality 

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SEPTIC: Environmental groups are again pushing the Legislature to adopt a statewide sanitary code that would include mandatory inspections of septic systems. Leaking systems can contaminate groundwater, lakes and rivers, causing health problems and deterring water-related recreation. Sponsors include lawmakers from East Grand Rapids, Troy, Detroit, Holt, Walker, St. Joseph and Livonia. We talk to the Michigan Environmental Council, Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council and a Montmorency County homeowner with a septic tank. By Elijah Taub. FOR MICHIGAN FARM NEWS, MONTMORENCY, ALPENA, PETOSKEY, HARBOR SPRINGS, CHEBOYGAN, DETROIT, GREENVILLE, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, FOWLERVILLE, STURGIS, THREE RIVERS AND ALL POINTS.

Diversity Issues
Rep. William Bruck, R-Erie.

Lawmaker wants baby boxes at fire stations to protect unwanted newborns

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A lawmaker from Erie wants to allow baby drop boxes at fire stations to speed the process of adoption of unwanted newborns who are left there anonymously. Neighboring Ohio and Indiana already have baby drop box laws. Cosponsors include lawmakers from Osseo, Milford, Lake Odessa, Clare and Shelby Township. The Michigan Health and Hospital Association opposes the bill. By Sophia Ceru. FOR MONROE, ADRIAN, BLISSFIELD, HILLSDALE, DETROIT, CLARE COUNTY, IONIA, GREENVILLE, STURGIS, THREE RIVERS, LUDINGTON, LAKE COUNTY, COLDWATER AND ALL POINTS.

Agriculture

Feds warn Michigan to improve speed, accuracy of food assistance program

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SNAP DELAYS: USDA has criticized Michigan for delays and errors in handling applications for SNAP food benefits for low-income residents. One result is increased demand on already-stressed food banks. Whitmer and the governors of neighboring Ohio and Indiana have received warning letters from Washington. We talk to the Food Bank Council of Michigan and the National Center for Budget and Policy. By Alex Walters. FOR DETROIT, MICHIGAN FARM NEWS, HILLSDALE, COLDWATER, STURGIS, THREE RIVERS, MONROE, BLISSFIELD, ADRIAN, LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS.

Business & Economy
Alcona County Prosecutor Thomas Weichel.

Prosecutors say low salaries, staff shortages, contribute to delays, backlogs

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PROSECUTOR SHORTAGE: Some counties are facing a shortage of prosecutors, resulting in delayed trials and a backlog of cases. Low salaries are a major factor. Prosecutors from Leelanau, Alcona, Kalkaska and Houghton counties and a national expert who has studied the Michigan situation explain. By Anish Topowala. FOR IRON MOUNTAIN, MARQUETTE, SAULT STE. MARIE, LEELANAU, TRAVERSE CITY, ALCONA, ALPENA, CADILLAC, CRAWFORD COUNTY AND ALL POINTS.

Business & Economy

Michigan has 43 stores on ATF list for selling the most guns used in crimes

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CRIME GUNS: Dozens of Michigan businesses are on a national list of stores that sell the most guns used in crimes, highlighting what gun control advocates say is an unaddressed part of violence prevention. Many are in Metro Detroit and the Grand Rapids and Flint areas, including one in Wyoming. We talk to an ex-ATF agent affiliated with a Crimestoppers group in Genesee County and with two gun control advocacy groups. By Theo Scheer. FOR DETROIT, GREENVILLE, WKTV AND ALL POINTS.

Business & Economy

Michigan lags in preventing tobacco use but more funds, new laws could change that

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TOBACCO MONEY: Michigan isn’t doing well in its anti-tobacco initiatives and spending, the American Lung Association says. The governor wants to boost spending, and some lawmakers want tighter controls over the sale of tobacco products. We talked to Health & Human Services, the Michigan unit of the American Cancer Society and an East Lansing lawmaker. Includes references to anti-tobacco programs by groups in Detroit and Grand Rapids and legislators from Metro Detroit and Flint. By Liz Nass. FOR DETROIT, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, GREENVILLE, LANSING CITY PULSE, WKTV AND ALL POINTS.

Elections & Politics
Republican Sen. Jonathan Lindsey of Allen.

Some lawmakers eye ban on gender-affirming medical care

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TRANSGENDER HEALTH: Some Michigan lawmakers would like the state to follow Ohio in restricting gender-affirming medical care. Among them are legislators from Clare, Oxford, Allen, Brighton and Niles. The ACLU calls such a proposal cynical and political and argues that it would interfere with the right of individuals and families to make their own medical decisions. By Sophia Ceru. FOR LANSING CITY PULSE, CLARE, DETROIT, FOWLERVILLE, STURGIS, THREE RIVERS, HILLSDALE AND ALL POINTS.

Business & Economy
Danielle Atkinson is the founding director of the advocacy group Mothering Justice

Supreme Court to rule soon on case about minimum wage for tipped workers

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TIPPED WAGES: A looming state Supreme Court decision could reinvigorate efforts to raise Michigan’s minimum wage and equalize it for restaurant and bar employees who receive tips. The issue is whether the Legislature acted unconstitutionally when it used an adopt-and-amend strategy to keep a citizen initiative off the ballot. We hear from Mothering Justice, a Detroit group that favors a higher minimum wage, and Save MI Tips and the Small Business Association of Michigan, which oppose it. For news and business sections. By Owen McCarthy. FOR GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, CORP! LANSING CITY PULSE, DETROIT, TRAVERSE CITY, PETOSKEY, HOLLAND, MANISTEE, CADILLAC AND ALL POINTS.

Elections & Politics
Aaron Kinzel is a lecturer in criminal justice studies at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and the co-founder of the nonprofit Second Chance Battalion.

Programs help convicts clear their records, find jobs

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CLEAN SLATE: Michigan’s Clean Slate initiative has automatically set aside 1,394,000 convictions for around 907,000 ex-offenders, State Police figures show. An upcoming expungement fair is scheduled for Detroit. We talk to the co-founder, from Monroe County, of a nonprofit group, the executive director of Safe & Just Michigan and a criminal justice professor at Northern Michigan University. Includes reference to U-M. By Anish Topiwala. FOR MONROE, DETROIT, MARQUETTE, SAULT STE. MARIE, BAY MILLS, IRON MOUNTAIN AND ALL POINTS.