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How a “BLT” of Republicans and Democrats Teamed Up to Reform Michigan’s School Finance System

Lynn Jondahl

One July day in 1993, Michigan had a system to pay for public schools across the state. The next day it was gone.

MIGG Stories Constructing a constructive constructing solution

Constructing a Constructive Construction Solution

Jeff Padden

Rewriting a complex and antiquated Michigan state law that had become almost unworkable would seem to be a logical task for the legislature and the affected groups to simply sit down and complete. Not so. The process was arduous, but after nearly two decades of failure, a bipartisan group formed to craft a solution.

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Using Compromise To Pass Charter School Legislation

Of all the legislative reforms adopted by the Michigan Legislature over the past 50 years, the complete revision of public education funding and financing, as reflected in voter approval of Proposal A in 1994, is probably the most significant.

How a “BLT” of Republicans and Democrats Teamed Up to Reform Michigan’s School Finance System

One July day in 1993, Michigan had a system to pay for public schools across the state. The next day it was gone.

Michigan’s Capital Press Corps: The Watchdogs of State Government

Covering Michigan politics has changed dramatically in recent years. For one thing, the level of vitriol aimed at political journalists today is more intense than it was “back in the day,” although hostility toward the media by politicians and even parts of the general public has always been with us.

When a Crisis of Michigan Government Demanded Political Courage

Leadership sometimes requires hard and unpopular decisions – particularly when the state is at a crossroads.

I Am Optimistic

The political landscape can look pretty depressing these days. A veteran of 40 years in Lansing, John Cherry looks at history and then the next generation to find some optimism.

The Milliken Wit

Too often in today’s politics we hear insults and harsh words – the kind that make comity difficult. A Republican executive with a Democrat-controlled Michigan Legislature, Bill Milliken took a different approach and found results.

Living in Interesting Times with Joe Schwarz

Introduction by Michael Ranville

I’m often asked how a liberal Democrat like me could for years play Sancho Panza to a Republican Don Quixote like Joe Schwarz? To some degree the answer is simple. We share a love of history, political history in particular. He’s fun to be around, has a great sense of humor that is complemented by a hearty, guttural laugh. He refuses to sacrifice good public policy on the altar of partisanship. He possesses a rare sense of loyalty not readily seen in political circles.

Michigan’s Role in Congress’s Bipartisan Defense of Title IX

Title IX was major civil rights legislation approved by the U.S. Congress that continues to have a significant impact on women and girls in the United States. But even years after the federal law passed, major challenges were still being pushed to limit Title IX’s effect. You might be surprised who worked together in the U.S. Congress to protect Title IX when some special interest groups wanted it abolished or weakened.

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Introduction by Michael Ranville

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