All 2025 Publications

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