Michigan

Michigan to automatically register people to vote when exiting prison

The law signed this week is the first in the nation and expands the state's Department of Corrections’ current effort to restore voting rights to returning citizens.

  • By Oralandar Brand-Williams, Votebeat

Should public officials be allowed to block constituents on social media?

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to answer that question as a new term gets underway. The justices will hear two cases on the issue out of California and Michigan in which lower courts ruled differently.

  • By Chris Teale

With New Power in 4 States, Democrats Prepare to Push for Previously Blocked Priorities

After key midterm wins, the party will gain additional “trifectas” in 2023, holding both legislative chambers and the governor’s office. The change will unlock new policymaking possibilities.

  • By Daniel C. Vock

Michigan Test Drives Country’s First Mobility Officer

Trevor Pawl hopes transformations in the automotive industry will also help state government replace “Depression Era departmental structures” with more nimble organizations.

  • By Daniel C. Vock

Republican Election Deniers Rack Up State Level Primary Wins

Former President Trump's clout in state elections was on display this week. In Arizona, his picks for governor and five seats in the legislature won their primaries. In Michigan, five of 10 Trump-endorsed legislative candidates on the ballot prevailed.

  • By Daniela Altimari

How to Run for Reelection With a Blocked Agenda

After Democratic governors in Kansas, Michigan and Wisconsin rode a blue wave into office four years ago, their priorities hit a red wall in their GOP-controlled legislatures. But experts say they still have a shot at winning second terms. Here’s why.

  • By Daniel C. Vock

Pandemic Prompts Officials to Relax Rules on Home Businesses

Americans filed more than 4.3 million new business applications in 2020.

  • By Caitlin Dewey, Stateline

5 Midwest States Form Electric Vehicle Pact

They plan to work together building out charging infrastructure and on other issues. The agreement comes after Ford unveiled plans for big electric vehicle investments in another region.

  • By Bill Lucia

A State’s Plan for the Nation’s First Section of Wireless Charging Road

Michigan hopes to test out a short segment of roadway that will allow electric cars to recharge as they drive, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Behind Detroit’s Homegrown Campaign to Close the Digital Divide

To educate residents about the FCC’s broadband subsidy program, the city launched a hotline and a marketing campaign with TV ads featuring the city’s distinct neighborhoods and flyers to hand out at churches.

  • By Andrea Noble

Now Available at the Local Library: Basketballs, Air Fryers and Taxidermied Animals

Libraries across the country are diversifying their collections with objects, a growing trend known as the “Library of Things” that aims to help residents learn in new and different ways.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Post-Insurrection, States Balance Capitol Security, Openness

Dissatisfaction with democracy could lead to further attacks at state capitols.

  • By Elaine S. Povich, Stateline
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Pandemic Prompts Some States to Pass Struggling Third Graders

Citing mental health concerns, some states are delaying third-grade retention.

  • By Aallyah Wright, Stateline

Vaccination Outreach Shifts as Demand Drops in Some States

Nationwide, state and local health agencies are coming up with a variety of new strategies to persuade people to get vaccinated against Covid-19

  • By Christine Vestal, Stateline

Local Corrections Costs Rose by $25 Billion in Last 40 Years

But the coronavirus has ushered in creative lower-cost alternative jail programs that could last long after the pandemic, local leaders say.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

No Extra Vaccines for Hot Spot States, White House Says

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had requested a boost in Covid-19 vaccines to help combat a rising number of infections in her state.

  • By Andrea Noble

Nearly 29,000 Residents Apply for Free Community College Tuition in State Program's First Week

The Michigan Reconnect Program provides residents 25 and older with free community college tuition and scholarships for skilled trades training, part of a larger initiative to increase the number of working-age residents with degrees.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

The Unfinished Business of Flint’s Water Crisis

Criminal charges and a class-action settlement may seem like the last chapter in Flint’s story, but many of the most important reforms at the root of the city’s water crisis remain undone.

  • By Anna Clark, ProPublica

Reports: Former Michigan Governor to Be Charged in Flint Water Crisis

Rick Snyder and other former officials could face unspecified charges later this week.

  • By Bill Lucia

Michigan Commission Bans Firearm Open Carry Inside State Capitol

The decision comes in the wake of the siege of the U.S. Capitol and as statehouses across the country are on heightened alert for security threats.

  • By Andrea Noble

One State is Reforming Its Sex Offender Registry. Criminal Justice Advocates Aren’t Happy.

Michigan legislators passed legislation to revamp the sex offender registry, which courts have concluded is unconstitutional. Advocates say the new policies miss the mark.

  • By Emma Coleman