Michigan Policy Wonk

Problems

• Michigan sees third straight jump of more than 600 coronavirus cases – A News Herald article includes Michigan Political Leadership Program alum Mark Hackel, county executive in Macomb. He called for people who’d been out and about in the community to seek COVID-19 testing.
• Michigan clerks: What we need to count absentee ballots in November – Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Michigan Political Leadership Program alumni, and other clerks around the state say they need more resources to keep up with flow of absentee ballots caused by the novel coronavirus during this election year.
• Michigan's wealthy counties are increasing their reliance on government assistance at a faster pace – MSU Economics Professor Charles Ballard is quoted in this M-Live story about communities with the largest percentages of their population in unemployment, Healthy Michigan and food stamp plans as the pandemic coronavirus continues. Ballard is director of IPPSR’s State of the State Survey.
• Michigan businesses want cut of millions from uncollected pop returnables – State Rep. Sean McCann, a Michigan Political Leadership Program alum, would expand Michigan's deposit to water bottles and other non-carbonated beverages. Consumers are swamping collection centers with returnables held during early days of pandemic coronavirus.

Policy

• Secretary Of State Seeks Election Law Reforms – Ten thousand ballots came in after election deadlines in Michigan’s August primary, too late to be counted under state law. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson says simple changes could make resolve that issue.
• Michigan introduces COVID-19 presumption legislation – State Rep. Brian Elder, a Michigan Political Leadership Program alum, introduced legislation presuming that if essential workers contracted Covid-19 they would have done so on the job.
• Traverse City Business Groups React to President Trump’s Executive Actions – Kirstie Sieloff, director of government relations with Traverse Connect who also represents the Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance, said up-north businesses are continuing to monitor gubernatorial orders and congressional action regarding the pandemic coronavirus. She is a Michigan Political Leadership Program alum.
• Ex-Fed Chair Yellen advises Biden on virus economic fallout – In this piece and other publications around the country comes word that an MSU economics professor Lisa Cook, an IPPSR faculty affiliate,along with other top economics leaders is advising presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on economic fallout from the pandemic coronavirus.

Politics

• Michigan health adviser tied to contact-tracing contract hasn't cooperated in probe – In this Detroit News story, state Rep. Ann Bolin, a Michigan Political Leadership Program alum, posed  questions in asking for an auditor general probe.
• Is Gov. Whitmer The Dark Horse Candidate In The Veepstakes Race? – “I think what the national team recognizes is that it’s awfully hard for a Democrat to become president if they can’t carry Michigan,” said state Rep. Brian Elder, chair of the Michigan Legislative Labor Caucus and a Michigan Political Leadership Program alum. He was quoted in this hotair.com report. The piece mentions Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s decisions related to the pandemic coronavirus.
• Tax proposal to fight coronavirus and other health concerns to appear on Saginaw County ballots – A motion to approve the wording and to place the millage proposal on the November 2020 ballot passed 11 -3. Commissioner Kyle Harris, a Michigan Political Leadership Program alum, was one of the dissenting votes.