A recent story in Bridge Michigan makes it abundantly clear that outdoor recreation is big business in Michigan. But to keep it that way, the state needs to fully commit to this burgeoning industry by…
Posts published in “Guest Column”
This week’s release of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), commonly referred to as the Nation’s Report Card, has unfortunately shown that Michigan students continue to struggle academically relative to their national peers. This…
Amid all the concern over children in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems forced to endure makeshift placements — some even shipped more than a thousand miles away — Michigan has lost sight of…
In 2013, Michigan leaders realized the state’s military veterans were not getting connected to the benefits they earned for their service and created the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) to act as a central coordinating…
The first week of October is National Newspaper Week. While this isn’t the typical holiday that most families celebrate, it does provide a good opportunity to take a moment and recognize all the ways that…
As Lansing prepares itself for yet another turnover in legislators to run state government, allow me to offer some unsolicited advice. Above all, new legislators should break out of their party paradigms and focus on…
As Michigan’s state budget director, I am proud to see that the 2022-23 fiscal year state budget, passed by the Legislature and recently signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, benefits all Michiganders. Working together,…
Skyrocketing rents, out-of-control prices for purchasing homes and increasing utility bills are threatening Michiganders’ ability to keep a roof over our heads. We are paying more to rent, buy and live in our homes than…
Back-to-school season is a time of new beginnings. A restart. A fresh chance at a better year with better outcomes. And I would venture to say those are all things that would be especially welcomed…
The $237 million set aside in the new state budget for school district consolidations has revived a discussion as old as Michigan’s schools. If Michigan’s state and local leaders are intent on yet another foray…