May 2, 2018: Pump the Brakes: Michigan Should Rethink Driver's License Suspensions
May 5, 2018: Detroit Children’s Business Fair
May 16, 2018: An Evening with the Mackinac Center
May 17, 2018: Why Prescription Drugs Are So Expensive and What the State Can Do About It
May 30, 2018: Beer Glut: The Overregulation of Alcohol in Michigan
Michigan’s rules about alcohol production, distribution and sales are complex. The state has restrictions on what can be produced, a strict monopoly system for distribution and imposes price controls on sellers. Many of these regulations were originally crafted some 80 years ago in the post-Prohibition era. … more
June 20, 2018: Smart Regs for Smart Tech: How Government Can Allow Next Gen Internet Networks to Flourish
April 20, 2018: A Politically Incorrect Guide to Communism
For decades after the end of the "Great War," communism was on the march. Bolshevik Russia expanded its territory into large segments of Eastern Europe, Chairman Mao took China, and one-party rule dominated in much of Asia, Latin America and Africa. Cuba, a close U.S. ally merely 100 miles from Florida, launched a communist dictatorship that is now nearly six decades old. … more
March 14, 2018: State-led Health Care Reforms
Facing seemingly endless paralysis on health care reform from the federal government, a growing number of states are starting to consider reforms that they could enact to improve the provision of health care for their residents. Although federal laws and rules dominate health care regulations, there are still several worthy reforms that states could pursue that would have the effect of lowering costs and expanding choices for patients. … more
Feb. 28, 2018: Raising the Age: Should 17-Year-Olds be Eligible for Juvenile Justice in Michigan?
Michigan is one of five states where 17-year-olds are prosecuted in the adult criminal justice system, rather than the juvenile justice system. Following a trend in several other states, some Michigan stakeholders have begun a “raise the age” campaign to adjust the age of adult criminal liability to 18, the age of majority for all other purposes. The Legislature introduced bills to that effect last year, but opponents of the campaign warn that shifting 17-year-olds into the juvenile system will be an expensive burden on resource-strapped counties. Reformers counter that the move will ensure better outcomes for teens in the long run. Join us to hear expert panelists discuss the costs and benefits of raising the age. … more
Feb. 1, 2018: Do Michigan Charter Schools Get More Bang for the Buck?
The past year’s rise of Betsy DeVos as U.S. Secretary of Education has brought more attention to the performance of charter schools, both nationally and in her native Michigan. Charter schools are tuition-free, state-funded schools of choice that tend to operate with fewer dollars than other public schools. How well are charter schools doing with the resources they have? … more