Left of Lansing Podcast–Episode 43: Derrell Slaughter with the NRDC on Historic Clean Energy & Climate Change Bills

Progressive changes continue in our state thanks to the Democratic majority in the state legislature as both the general and education budgets passed this week. These budgets provide significant funding boosts for K-12 spending, including more per-pupil funding and universal free breakfast and lunch. And the general budget provides more funding for roads, infrastructure, health…

Who could be against free meals for public school students?

The main reason the Right wants to prevent free meals is to avoid strengthening the community bond between #parents and #publicschools. The other reason is it’s a competitor to big anti-labor grocery chains. https://t.co/Aw6eeTlhnx — Josh Cowen (@joshcowenMSU) June 19, 2023 As I discussed with Democratic State Senator Stephanie Chang in this week’s podcast, Michigan…

Left of Lansing Podcast–Episode 42: Democratic State Senator Stephanie Chang

We’re officially in Summer, and I’m serving up the 42nd episode of the weekly podcast! My opening monologue deals with why I’m supporting the Michigan Multimedia Jobs proposal, which provides tax credits for companies wanting to make movies, shows, commercials, and other multimedia productions in the state. Michigan Democrats are busy helping people, including providing…

Judge Orders Line 5 Shut Down In Three Years

This is clearly not the end, but it’s a bit of good news. From Michigan Advance: Enbridge Inc. must shut down its Line 5 pipeline within three years and pay more than $5 million in profits to the Chippewa Indians Bad River Band, a federal judge in Madison ruled Friday. Judge William Conley reaffirmed his September…

Left of Lansing Short–Newsrooms must have freedom to report news

It’s time for a Left of Lansing “Short” for this Friday, June 16, 2023. Wood-TV in Grand Rapids became the news this week when a leaked internal memo showed how its assistant news director ordered reporters to do fewer LGBTQ+ stories during the rest of PRIDE month. But because those stories didn’t sit well with…

Closing Line 5 Won’t Lead To Higher Gas Prices

One of the major planks of Enbridge’s misinformation campaign is that closing the old pipeline will lead to skyrocketing gas prices. Chemical Engineer and researcher Gary Street says the evidence proves otherwise. Street, who worked at Dow for 30 years but now works pro bono for environmental groups, took note of when Enbridge closed both…

Left of Lansing Short–Michigan Is A Place Where Everyone Belongs

Since it’s Friday, it’s time for a Left of Lansing Short. In this week’s “short,” I take my cue from Greta VanZetten, who explained in a Detroit Free Press op-ed that while she loves her home state of Michigan, she suffers great apprehension and anxiety on coming back to her home on the west side…