Progressive values. Smart policy. Stronger America.
The House Education Committee passed a bill today (HB4625) that would institute merit pay for new teachers or for those wanting to opt into the merit pay system. The bill would become law when the Michigan Council on Educator Effectiveness, whose members are all appointed by Republicans, put out their final teacher evaluation tool. That group has been meeting for 18 months [...]
Today we talk to State Rep Adam Zemke about his bill HB 4742. HB 4742 would repeal PA297 of 2011, which is the bill that bans benefits for the domestic partners of public sector employees. We discuss: The economic impact of PA297 when it takes effect on June 30 How PA297 impacts the employees at [...]
A recent town hall meeting on road funding in Wexford County revealed a lot about the condition of our roads. It also revealed the most likely scenario for funding ongoing road repairs. County Road Association of Michigan Deputy Director Ed Noyola set the tone for the meeting by saying “your roads stink.” Kelly Bartlett from the Department of [...]
Ted O’Dell, a former MEA employee, is sending out fundraising letters in his run for Lansing City Council. With that kind of background, you’d think he’d have plenty of lefty support. He’ll get none from me. After Ted left the MEA, he worked to get a Lansing casino approved, and then landed with DFER. Like [...]
In this special audio segment we talk to State Rep Rudy Hobbs about his legislation, HB4706 (Hobbs press release here) Today we discuss: The stats on how many people cannot take a sick day This bill makes sense from economic security and public health perspectives How the GOP will react to this bill This is [...]
This week Republicans are frothing at the mouth over a number of government “scandals.” Well, welcome to the party. Democrats have been outraged over these very same issues for years. First there was Benghazi where four U.S. citizens were killed as a result of a terrorist attack. While most would consider the lapse in security [...]
Today we have our old pal Lonnie Scott back with us to discuss education funding. Today we discuss: Why Snyder must have known about Skunk Works The student as a product Education as a one-time transfer of skills The hypocrisy of Snyder on education The many reasons why education is important for our state Value [...]
Lee Fang joins us in this podcast to talk about the issues he addresses in his new book, The Machine: A Field Guide to the Resurgent Right. My take on the book When you evaluate a book about politics, sometimes the best way to reach a conclusion is to look at what the “other side” [...]
Today Emily Dievendorf of Equality Michigan joins us to talk about the recent Glengariff poll (pdf) showing unprecedented support for equality across 30 demographics in Michigan. Here’s the Equality Michigan press release on the poll. We discuss: The glengariff poll and its usefulness in policy discussions The comfort number for the ballot initiative The twitter [...]
George W. Bush and school privatization advocate Dick DeVos teamed up to raise over $400,000 for the West Michigan Aviation Academy this week. West Michigan Aviation Academy (WMAA) is a public charter high school that already receives more money per pupil from the state than 511 of Michigan’s 826 school districts. WMAA’s enrollment is expected to be around 400 students next year. If you figure [...]
Today we are back with labor activist Mike Karl to talk about Solidarity, the fast food strikes, and more. We also skip headlines today to do our summary of Congressional activity. We discuss: The resurgence in solidarity Fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay Labor movement as a social justice movement The role of [...]
Once again the House Dems are leading from the minority. This week they’ve introduced four bills and three resolutions to address health care issues specific to women. From the press release: “We have all heard from women and their families across Michigan that they need better access to women’s health care services,” said Greimel. “This [...]
