All 2025 Publications

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1. Legislators should take more care before authorizing another $1.9 billion in developer subsidies
2. ‘I truly believe this will transform education’
3. The choice that will determine Gretchen Whitmer’s future — and Michigan’s
4. Did Dan Gilbert keep Detroit subsidy promises? The Freep is suing to find out
5. U.S. Supreme Court Receives Amicus Brief for Michigan Home Equity Case
6. High-tax California is the nation’s cigarette-smuggling capital
7. Enforce Michigan rule against pork-barrel spending
8. Michael Pung v. Isabella County, Michigan
9. ‘Real Jobs’ unlikely to bring real jobs
10. Michigan would benefit from independent nurse practitioners
11. Zoning is not the only tool local governments have
12. Union support for immigration protests proves workers need freedom
13. Testimony in opposition to Senate Bills 472 and 473
14. Whitmer for president?
15. What was Michigan’s budget fight about?
16. Entrepreneurs, not the MEDC, will lead Michigan’s recovery
17. ‘Film production is a stack of gigs’
18. Three policy reforms to be thankful for on Thanksgiving Day
19. The Buckeye Institute v. Internal Revenue Service
20. Lech Walesa jumped a fence and changed history
21. Indiana's 201% cigarette tax hike will fuel smuggling, not just revenue
22. Let nurse practitioners do their jobs
23. Union Township metrics point to stagnation, decline
24. Smarter rules and better schools could get Michigan back on its feet
25. Michigan can easily handle adding data centers
26. After 2,500 days, Whitmer ignores her open government promise
27. Freedom notes U.S.A.: South Carolina goes farther with charters
28. ‘Leadership of these unions has lost their way’
29. IMPACT September/October 2025
30. Mackinac Center’s Patrick J. Wright to Receive Federalist Society’s Grano Award
31. Michigan lawmakers tackle a difficult problem
32. Banks Township considers going back to how things once were
33. Mackinac Center Launches First Comprehensive Database of Michigan’s Constitutional History
34. Watch out for the ‘net trap’ when looking at job numbers
35. Rochester School Board Censures Trustee for Speaking Out
36. Struggling Bay City rolls out plenty of red tape
37. Traverse City borrows from Peter to pay Paul
38. Michigan budget deal: two steps forward, one step back
39. The Path to Abundant Travel: A conversation with Gary Leff of View from the Wing
40. Why does it cost so much to build? We’ve lost an abundance mindset
41. Michigan’s Licensing Laws Block Second Chances
42. With the budget complete, what should lawmakers do next?
43. Unlock Opportunity
44. Fifty-five bills that would free Michigan workers
45. ‘A lot of libertarianism feels like political science fiction’
46. Mackinac Center Mourns Passing of Nathan Martin
47. New legislation on short-term rentals make sense for communities
48. A look at governors’ track record on job growth
49. Right to Compute laws provide proper balance for AI oversight
50. Mackinac Center Promotes David Guenthner to Lead Workers for Opportunity Initiative
51. Protesting Trump? Reduce Michigan’s reliance on federal dollars
52. Halloween is a free-market treat
53. ‘Tax the Rich’ would hurt the rest of us
54. All schools win under new Michigan budget
55. Traverse City gets in the Zone
56. Michigan’s school meals program caters to the wealthy
57. MEDC Admits Failure of Gotion Project Mackinac Center Warned About
58. Let’s disagree more, and better
59. Free speech requires discomfort
60. States win in corporate welfare pact
61. Road funding is now at record levels
62. ‘We are failing in public education’
63. Farewell to a founding father of the liberty movement
64. Michigan bill would make it easier to be a school librarian
65. ‘Tax the Rich’ would hurt the rest of us
66. Michigan finally has a realistic internet plan
67. Mackinac Center Promotes Cami Pendell to Vice President for Government Affairs
68. Detroit tries making it easier to build, baby, build
69. ‘Millionaire’s tax’ ballot proposal would hurt all Michiganders
70. Mackinac Center Stands with Michigan Caregivers to Oppose SEIU’s New Dues Skim
71. A brief case for electricity choice
72. All schools win under new Michigan budget
73. How should state corruption be measured?
74. ‘These programs do not deliver what they say on the label’
75. Traverse City gets in the Zone
76. Why they want your money
77. Traverse City fiber network rolls out slowly and expensively
78. Cigarette Taxes and Smuggling Rates
79. Michigan to end its biggest business subsidy program
80. Violence is not persuasion
81. AI bills in Michigan House follow heavy-handed and punitive regulatory approach
82. Marquette housing earmark is a bad pork deal
83. Education blob orders more of the same after test scores collapse
84. School officials raise false alarm about House education budget
85. Freedom notes U.S.A.: Charter schools lead long post-COVID recovery
86. Mackinac Center Opposition to 340B Expansion
87. Are Unions Good For Workers?
88. 7 questions for Michigan’s new school superintendent
89. Rein in the federal 340B program
90. ‘What constitutes separation?’
91. Michigan’s environmental department cries wolf over budget
92. AI bills in Michigan House follow heavy-handed and punitive regulatory approach
93. An open letter to the Union Township Planning Commission
94. Director of Labor Policy
95. Mackinac Center sends second demand letter to jobs agency
96. Michigan Court to Hear Mackinac Center Challenge to Hidden Earmarks in State Budget
97. ‘Freedom, horrible freedom,’ districts cry as House budget raises school funding
98. Freedom notes U.S.A.: Trash business fights The Man in Arkansas court
99. President’s Council Breakfast featuring Joseph G. Lehman and Chris Koopman
100. After 76 years, ‘1984’ still resonates and informs
101. Planning for Life Workshop
102. Education blob orders more of the same after test scores collapse
103. Michigan education budget fight centers on local decision-making
104. ‘Everyone already agrees that tariffs are bad, and everyone agrees that we should do something about national debt’
105. Defund the MEDC. Period.
106. Marquette housing earmark is a bad pork deal
107. Internet Access in Michigan: Policy, Progress and Pitfalls
108. Courts side with colleges over students in lockdown fights
109. Summer Internships Every Year
110. Leaders have solutions; they just need problems
111. IMPACT July/August 2025
112. Michigan Economic Development Corp. is not developing Michigan’s economy
113. A citizen’s guide to smarter policy analysis
114. What cities are growing?
115. ‘It’s unlikely they’ll be able to stop tidal waves of cigarettes’
116. EVENT CANCELLATION: Energy Crisis or Opportunity: Navigating Net-Zero Mandates in Michigan
117. Housing Boom or Bust: The Issues Facing Michigan
118. Let the Line 5 Tunnel project go ahead
119. Trump artificial intelligence plan a good start
120. Ohio’s energy policy outshines Michigan’s
121. Repeal the EPA's Carbon Pollution Standards
122. Have legislators learned their lesson about selective subsidies?
123. ‘All of the above’ is the wrong answer
124. ‘All of the above’ is the wrong answer
125. EVENT CANCELLATION: Energy Crisis or Opportunity: Navigating Net-Zero Mandates in Michigan
126. EVENT CANCELLATION: Housing Boom or Bust: The Issues Facing Michigan
127. What Whitmer’s net zero mandate is hiding from you
128. Spoonful of sugar won’t make America healthy again
129. ‘When there’s a threat of failure, people innovate’
130. The incredible shrinking Department of Education
131. Jumping Through Hoops!
132. The Switch Is On!
133. The MEDC Hall of Shame
134. New Report: Michigan’s Green Energy Plan Means Higher Bills, More Blackouts
135. Public tools make state government more transparent
136. Michigan’s Expensive Net-Zero Gamble
137. Conservative lawmakers should resist unaccountable hospital slush fund
138. Will the end of the Sandisk deal bring Michigan back to basics?
139. Lower courts ignore Supreme Court precedent to force union payments
140. Lower courts ignore Supreme Court precedent to force union payments
141. Michigan Caregivers Sue to Block Forced Union Representation
142. What is the budget dispute about?
143. Paying people not to leave
144. Michigan Caregivers Sue to Block Forced Union Representation
145. Energy Crisis or Opportunity: Navigating Net-Zero Mandates in Michigan
146. 7 questions to ask about any policy proposal
147. Will the end of the Sandisk deal bring Michigan back to basics?
148. Michigan schools should go back to basics
149. ‘A functioning democracy requires healthy dissent’
150. Will Whitmer’s legacy include fixing the roads?
151. ‘Goldilocks’ compromise: Reform misuse of categorical grants
152. EVENT CANCELLATION: Planning for Life Workshop
153. FOIA Fight: Detroit Free Press, Mackinac Center Sue Treasury Over Subsidy Secrecy
154. Sneaky budget practice is costing Michigan billions
155. FOIA Fight: Detroit Free Press, Mackinac Center Sue Treasury Over Subsidy Secrecy
156. The real Independence Day
157. Are Schools Underfunded?
158. Tax hike proposal is bad business
159. Improve teacher quality to fix education system
160. The left loves its kings (and queens)
161. Which is growing faster: Core cities or their suburbs?
162. ‘I couldn’t stand by’
163. Freedom notes U.S.A.: No unemployment benefits for strikers
164. Mackinac ferry regulatory expansion is bad policy
165. President’s Council Luncheon featuring Joseph G. Lehman and Jarrett Skorup
166. Claims about Medicaid work requirements ignore facts, fuel fear
167. Claims about Medicaid work requirements ignore facts, fuel fear
168. Michigan underperforms on new worker mobility ranking
169. Don’t select digital service taxes
170. Don’t select digital service taxes
171. Show decent respect to the opinions of mankind
172. Why I fly a flag
173. Innovation revolutionized the movie industry. Could it do the same for education?
174. Schools need accountability, not a blank check
175. Short-term rentals have a big impact in Michigan
176. Lawmakers should change approach to funding higher education
177. Short-term rentals have a big impact in Michigan
178. California takes top spot in cigarette smuggling while Michigan clears some air
179. California is America’s cigarette smuggling king
180. IMPACT May/June 2025
181. ‘Politicians are myopic’
182. Did DOGE succeed or fail?
183. Coalition: Proposed Digital Advertising Tax Would Drive Up Costs for Small Businesses and Consumers
184. Trump’s (other) nuclear option
185. Legislators return to bad ideas for confronting housing costs
186. State House budget proposal respects school leaders
187. How to tame housing prices in Detroit
188. Michigan’s pandemic plan will cause legal fights
189. 2025 graduates, choose optimism
190. Michigan should stop pushing one-size-fits-all fiber
191. Rule of law requires limits on governors, presidents
192. Mackinac Center’s Lawsuit Brings Disclosure from Flint Community Schools
193. Juneteenth is a day to celebrate freedom and acknowledge unjust laws
194. The illegitimate pushback against Sheetz in Michigan
195. Planning for Life Workshop
196. Net zero just isn’t happening
197. ‘Make it in Michigan’ isn’t making it
198. EPA moves to repeal Biden’s costly power plant rules
199. The upcoming state budget battle
200. ‘Get off the floor, wipe your eyes, log off that computer and start homeschooling’
201. Tax debate should be a budget debate instead
202. Chippewa Valley Mom Asks 6th Circuit to Restore First Amendment Rights
203. The country needs skilled trades workers
204. Misread
205. Long live fake rock
206. The Real Costs of Red Tape: Rethinking Occupational Licensing in Michigan
207. States seek jobs from an industry that delivers few
208. ‘Shiny new schools’ won’t improve education
209. Voters say no to blank checks for schools
210. Michigan’s pandemic plan will cause legal fights
211. How to tame housing prices in Detroit
212. Traverse City municipal broadband still in the red
213. ‘Work never gets boring’
214. Bad policy, bad results: Michigan’s economic decline
215. Freedom notes U.S.A.
216. Five Years from Lockdown: Emergency Powers Still a Problem
217. Plan or Panic
218. The standard of success for the latest road proposals
219. New report shows road quality will decline further
220. Michigan needs better teachers, not smaller classes
221. American manufacturing defies the doubters
222. Michigan should stop pushing one-size-fits-all fiber
223. ‘We win, they lose’
224. Lawsuit Challenges Unconstitutional Pork Spending in Michigan
225. Mackinac Center Sues to End Unconstitutional Pork-Barrel Spending in Michigan
226. Nessel finds religion on emergency powers
227. Spain’s grid meltdown shouldn’t be a surprise
228. Michigan takes a step toward worker licensing mobility
229. Smaller class sizes are rarely worth the trade-offs
230. ‘A loss for the American economy’
231. Hands off Meta
232. American manufacturing defies the doubters
233. What’s really going on with young men?
234. Resolved, kids can still speak clearly about important topics
235. New report shows road quality will decline further
236. The high cost of price controls in health care
237. Mackinac Center Honors Edward Levy, Jr. and Terry Bowman with Freedom Awards
238. Disaster response begins with civil society
239. Education "Unconference:" Activating Parents for Change & Choice
240. Michigan needs better teachers, not smaller classes
241. Lessons from the COVID-19 Emergency Response
242. Canada trade is also a state issue
243. The True Costs of Drug Pricing Policy
244. Mackinac Center Sues Flint Community Schools Over Transparency Failures
245. Mackinac Center Sues Flint Schools for Ignoring Public Records Law
246. States, not D.C., should make spending decisions
247. What happens if our friendship with Canada ends?
248. ‘Welcome to the wild and wonderful’
249. An Evening with the Mackinac Center
250. SEIU Recycles Discredited Dues-Skim Scheme to Target Struggling Michigan Home Caregivers
251. It’s time to clear the bar for attorneys
252. The History of the Western Enlightenment – And Why It Matters Today
253. ‘The government never goes out of business’
254. Let’s Roll
255. How Michigan schools can thrive as U.S. Dept. of Ed. evolves
256. Lawmakers relieve Michigan of a millstone
257. When Michigan said No corporate welfare, not so long ago
258. What is the Overton Window?
259. President’s Council Luncheon featuring Joseph G. Lehman and Michael Van Beek
260. Federal workers shouldn’t have collective bargaining rights
261. Daniel Z. Crowe v. State Bar of Oregon
262. The cost of picking ‘winners’ in the steel industry
263. Mississippi surpasses Michigan in fourth grade reading after literacy reforms
264. ‘Darn good policy’
265. Michigan Wins as Army Corps Fast-Tracks Line 5 Tunnel Review
266. Federal scholarship program would help Michigan
267. Will Washington State become king of smuggled smokes?
268. ‘Not in my backyard,’ again
269. Whitmer’s reindustrialization plan, by the numbers
270. Dearborn Schools Top New Context and Performance Report Card
271. The Michigan Context and Performance Report Card: Public Elementary & Middle Schools, 2025
272. You can’t always cut what you want
273. ‘Decarbonization’ means submission to China
274. IMPACT March/April 2025
275. Let the real Detroit renaissance begin
276. If everything is a crisis, is anything?
277. Who else was wrong about COVID?
278. ‘The public can’t stop it’
279. Climate agenda is a regressive tax on consumers
280. Fix this flaw in Michigan’s teacher licensing system
281. Michigan’s conflicted view of school choice
282. Whitmer's plan for licensing deserves action
283. Open letter to Union Township Board of Trustees
284. Teslas are being burned and vandalized
285. Let’s Roll
286. My 2020 pandemic predictions, 5 years later
287. Cigarette Tax Evasion and Avoidance in the Treasure State
288. How Michigan schools can thrive as U.S. Dept. of Ed. evolves
289. Can we recover from the ‘most significant climate change law ever’?
290. Time for Michigan to walk the walk on licensing reform
291. The 340B drug discount program has lost its way
292. U.S. House pours cold water on Energy Dept.’s heater ban
293. Five years later: Why did the lockdown happen?
294. What does natural gas do for you?
295. ‘The government never goes out of business’
296. State Spent $670 Million on Business Subsidies and Delivered Zero Jobs Through SOAR Program
297. A square deal for the Little Guy!
298. Minimum wage hikes hurt vulnerable workers
299. Do as I say, not as I vote
300. Business taxes should raise money for government, not transfer cash to big business
301. How to live the good life in Michigan
302. Lawmakers should consider 5 principles for funding roads
303. Time for Michigan to walk the walk on licensing reform
304. Pharmacy benefit managers
305. The Brew Deal: How Beer Helped Save the Economy During the Great Depression
306. While you were sleeping, the law changed
307. Michigan Should Cut the Personal Income Tax Rate
308. The 340B Drug Discount Program has lost its way
309. No evidence that forcing drug discounts helps patients
310. Michigan’s plan for high-speed internet is slow, expensive and inefficient
311. In Defense of Dollar Stores
312. ‘The battle is not over’
313. Union contracts should not protect drunken teachers
314. U.S. House pours cold water on Energy Dept.’s heater ban
315. Michigan’s broadband spending program day late, dollar short
316. Renewables aren’t renewable
317. An Act to Establish a University of Maine Medical School and to Dedicate Funds from Raising the Cigarette Tax to the School
318. House votes to keep public business public
319. Accountability in Action
320. Michigan can rein in reckless spending
321. Statements From Mackinac Center Policy Experts On Gov. Whitmer’s 2025 State of the State Address
322. The empty promises of industrial policy
323. How to sell pork to both parties
324. Michigan close to last place in latest NAEP results
325. Overlapping broadband programs waste state and federal money
326. Why the hydrogen future is not imminent
327. How many millions did we spend on paid-leave compliance?
328. No one wants to read about fiscal federalism
329. ‘Make the case for reform’
330. Michigan Should Advance Government Transparency with a Ban on Non-Disclosure Agreements
331. Unwind the Green New Deal
332. Expedite the Approval Process for Line 5 Improvements
333. State courts are not the place to set climate policy
334. Federal Court Strikes Down Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness Plan
335. Fix roads without raising taxes
336. IMPACT January/February 2025
337. Where your tax dollars are going in 2025
338. Consumers’ Research v. Federal Communications Commission
339. Mackinac Center Joins Amicus Brief Challenging Private Delegation of Government Regulatory Authority
340. Testimony submitted to the Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health and Human Services
341. State stiffs online charter students
342. Tariffs are a bad idea
343. Sick leave mandate will hurt Michigan charities
344. Testimony Submitted to the Senate Committee on Finance, State of Rhode Island
345. Testimony to the Maine Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs
346. Universal Licensing Reciprocity Would Boost Michigan’s Workforce and Economy
347. ‘The people do have a voice — it's called the legislature’
348. Work Without Walls
349. Sustainable Michigan Budget Empowers Lawmakers, Strengthens Fiscal Future
350. Targeted public investments won’t make grass grow
351. Sustainable Michigan Budget would strengthen lawmakers’ hands
352. Michigan close to last place in latest NAEP results
353. Is employment exploitation?
354. Why housing is so expensive
355. Futures Reclaimed
356. Mackinac Center Announces 2025 Policy Priorities
357. Public Policy Recommendations 2025
358. Trump’s orders boost American energy
359. Overlapping broadband programs waste state and federal money
360. Michigan’s path to prosperity requires a plan
361. Wind and solar are at odds with growth
362. Michigan shouldn’t turbocharge hospital slush fund bills
363. Michigan Has Authorized $4.7 Billion in Taxpayer-Funded Business Subsidies
364. Corporate welfare goes one for eleven in job creation
365. Economic trends for Michigan in 2025
366. Michigan’s $50 million copper mine deal looks hard to justify
367. Take care before killing lame ducks
368. Further curtail state’s emergency powers
369. ‘You’ve got to get it in writing’
370. Why the hydrogen future is not imminent
371. Corporate welfare goes one for eleven in job creation
372. Michigan’s policy choices delay rollout of high-speed internet
373. Michigan legislators authorize new selective business subsidies
374. MEDC has a woeful record of failure
375. Meaningful work is key to finding happiness
376. How you can help the wildfire recovery
377. Can we reverse America’s epidemic of loneliness?
378. Build-build-build
379. Economic trends for Michigan in 2025
380. The Jobless bills
381. ‘Playing with taxpayer money’
382. Sixth Circuit strikes down new neutrality regulation
383. Michigan’s $50 million copper mine deal looks hard to justify
384. A very merry lame duck
385. Pension funding in worse shape after Michigan’s Democratic party trifecta