Spartan Newsroom (https://news.jrn.msu.edu/category/news/government/page/2/)
INGHAM COUNTY PROFILE: Ingham County leans heavily Democratic and supported Biden over Trump 65% to 33% in 2020. But it’s also a mix of rural, urban and college communities, cutting through a unique cross-section of voters in a state expected to play a pivotal role in this year’s elections. By Viet Anh Phan, Donte Smith, Jada Vasser and Campbell Berg. FOR ALL POINTS.
IMMIGRANT LICENSES: Legislation to allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses and state ID cards has been stalled in committees for a year. Sponsors include lawmakers from Hamtramck and Taylor. Advocates like the Michigan League for Public Policy and Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, which has offices in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Ypsilanti and Detroit, say that would be a major benefit to Michigan’s economy. The Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police opposes the proposal on the grounds of public safety. By Owen McCarthy. FOR DETROIT, LANSING CITY PULSE, GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS AND ALL POINTS.
LIVINGSTON COUNTY PROFILE: Political differences are deeper than they appear in GOP-leaning Livingston County, especially as the demographics of its residents change. We hear a variety of views on the liberal-conservative spectrum. By Ruth Thornton and Victor Woodell. FOR FOWLERVILLE, LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS.
VETERANS SUPPORT: Twenty-eight veterans courts across the state are helping military veterans struggling with drug and alcohol-related legal problems. Another state program helps incarcerated veterans find jobs and services as they transition to outside society. We talk to an East Lansing judge, the state Labor and Economic Opportunity Department and lawyers from Norton Shores and Grand Rapids who represent veterans. By Anish Topowala. FOR LANSING CITY PULSE, WKTV, DETROIT AND ALL POINTS.
TOBACCO LEGISLATION: Pending legislation would toughen restrictions on flavored tobacco products and vapes, including allowing counties to adopt restrictions that are tougher than the state’s. We talk to a sponsor from Northville Township and the Michigan Municipal League. By Sophia Ceru. FOR DETROIT AND ALL POINTS.
PRISON VISITS: A Corrections Department policy that cancels visitation rights for disciplinary violations such as substance abuse and inappropriate touching can be overly harsh and punishes inmates’ families as well as the inmates, critics say. A report says 1,312 prisoners received visit restrictions in 2023. We talk to a mother from Oakland County, the Corrections Department, a former prisoner and Citizens for Prison Reform. By Owen McCarthy. FOR DETROIT, LANSING CITY PULSE, MARQUETTE, IONIA, GREENVILLE, COLDWATER, FOWLERVILLE,, SAULT STE. MARIE AND ALL POINTS.
PARENTAL RIGHTS: Members of the conservative “parental rights” movement have their eye on the November election for two seats on the state Board of Education and local school boards. References to Moms for Liberty chapters in Midland and Walled Lake. We hear from a White Lake senator who supports the movement, the Michigan Association of School Boards and Michigan Education Association. By Owen McCarthy. FOR DETROIT, MIDLAND, LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS.
It is a brisk March day, and Azaadiika park is finally waking up for spring – birds are flitting through the trees, joggers and dog-walkers are making their way through the winding trails, and a myriad of plant life is starting its journey towards blooming for the season. But there is something there that doesn’t quite belong – a pervasive and ever-growing army of buckthorn trees, an invasive species that has long been a disruptive force in the park’s ecosystem.
“The tree itself takes a few years to grow, but it sends little seeds, and then it sprouts little trees, and those little trees can completely cover a landscape,” says Heather Majano. “So much so, that you could actually take a weed whipper out and just weed whip tiny little buckthorn trees and not have to worry about removing any other plant because that’s all there is.”
Three large piles of buckthorn branches line a trail in East Lansing’s Azaadiika Park on Saturday, March 9. The branch piles, which have been cut down and placed there by Stewardship Program volunteers, will serve as habitats for some of the park’s smaller animal inhabitants. Majano, who graduated from MSU with her master’s degree in forestry in 2015, has spent the majority of the past 12 years working as the coordinator for East Lansing’s Environmental Stewardship Program, an initiative focused on reducing the negative impact that invasive species have on East Lansing’s natural environments.
The program, initially founded in 2009 by former Parks and Recreation Commissioner Mike Vasievich, devotes most of its energy towards on-the-ground conservation efforts, inviting community volunteers to meet at designated locations on the second Saturday of every month –both to learn more about the impacts of invasive species, and to help remove or repurpose as many invasive plants as possible.
“I’ve talked to some people who are not as familiar with plant identification, and when they look out in the woods or in a field, they see green, [and think] green is beautiful.
COMMENTARY DEMOCRACY: The former mayor of Detroit and the State Bar of Michigan president opine on the role of lawyer and the community in protecting democracy and public confidence in the election system. Exclusive to Capital News Service. By Dennis Archer and Daniel D. Quick. FOR ALL POINTS.
EARLY VOTING: Michigan’s new law allowing early in-person voting may smooth Election Day for the local clerks who run elections. The clerks of Ottawa and Kent counties and a national expert explain. By Theo Scheer. FOR ALL POINTS.