The effort to raise the minimum wage in Michigan got another push yesterday. Community organizing, social justice and labor groups have formed the Raise Michigan coalition to explore a petition drive to put a minimum wage proposal on the November 4 statewide ballot. Michigan’s minimum wage is $7.40 per hour …
Read More »The Issue With Snow Days
With a number of Michigan schools shutting down on a regular basis because of this frigid winter weather, the question is what will Michigan lawmakers do about making sure students meet the 180 day requirement to be in school. Currently every school district gets six days off for bad weather …
Read More »Union Numbers Down Slightly
Figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed the percentage of Michigan’s union membership declined slightly in 2013, the first year that the state’s new right-to-work laws were in effect. But the numbers of people who were union members in Michigan in 2013 actually increased slightly, by some 4,000 …
Read More »Low Reading Scores for MI Children
According to a new report, most of Michigan’s fourth graders are not reading proficiently, which is a key predictor of a student’s future educational and economic success. In a new Kids Count data snapshot, the Annie E. Casey Foundation found that 81 percent of Michigan’s lower-income fourth-graders and 69 percent …
Read More »Another Bout of Bitter Cold Temps
With another round of arctic temperatures expected to impact the entire state until early next week, the Michigan State Police is encouraging Michigan citizens and visitors to be extra cautious when going out in the extreme cold. Captain Chris Kelenske, Deputy State Director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, says …
Read More »Car Usage Down in U.S.
A University of Michigan researcher says American households without a vehicle have increased nearly every year since 2007, providing further evidence that motorization may have peaked in the United States. Michael Sivak of the U-M Transportation Research Institute followed up his research from last year showing that Americans own fewer …
Read More »Discussion on Federal Budget Balancing Begins
Testimony began in a Michigan house committee Thursday to have Michigan join a call for a national constitutional convention, specifically to mandate that the federal government balance it’s budget. Governor Rick Snyder endorsed this proposed resolution during last week’s State of the State address and sponsors say the support will …
Read More »Numbers on Flu Cases
State health officials say more than 1,000 cases of flu have been recorded across Michigan since the beginning of the year. Figures from the Department of Community Health show physicians across the state have reported 1,071 cases of influenza so far in the first three weeks of 2014. In addition, …
Read More »MI Unemployment Down in December
Michigan’s unemployment rate in December declined over the month by four-tenths of a percentage point to 8.4 percent. The December jobless rate matched the lowest for the year in both April and May, which were the lowest monthly rates in the state since July 2008. According to the Michigan Department …
Read More »Michigan Gets Average Grade for Highway Laws
Michigan falls in the middle of the pack in a new report on highway safety laws from the group Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. In their 11th annual report, Michigan received a classification of “yellow” with the report saying Michigan needs to fill gaps in its laws. One reason …
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