All 2025 Publications

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1. Federalist Society honors a guardian of liberty
2. When fighting Trump, take union claims with a grain of salt
3. Cigarette Taxes and Smuggling: A 2025 Update
4. Zoning is not the only tool local governments have
5. Michigan lawmakers tackle a difficult problem
6. Let nurse practitioners do their jobs
7. Legislature approves no new business subsidies in 2025
8. Michigan’s 2019 auto insurance reforms worked, most recent evidence says
9. Christmas movies with the Mackinac Center
10. Unions don’t deliver for workers
11. Plan to close J.H. Campbell power plant is misguided
12. New bills would fix corporate welfare problems
13. How tourism could help revitalize Midwest factory towns
14. Lawmakers Seek Bipartisan Reform for MI Economic Development Programs
15. Bond proposal results show taxpayers are skeptical
16. Whitmer says Covid lockdowns were based on bad information
17. Michigan Parent Petitions U.S. Supreme Court After School Board Reports Her to DOJ
18. The inappropriate business pushback toward Sheetz coming into Michigan
19. Legislators should take more care before authorizing another $1.9 billion in developer subsidies
20. ‘I truly believe this will transform education’
21. The choice that will determine Gretchen Whitmer’s future — and Michigan’s
22. Did Dan Gilbert keep Detroit subsidy promises? The Freep is suing to find out
23. U.S. Supreme Court Receives Amicus Brief for Michigan Home Equity Case
24. High-tax California is the nation’s cigarette-smuggling capital
25. Enforce Michigan rule against pork-barrel spending
26. Michael Pung v. Isabella County, Michigan
27. ‘Real Jobs’ unlikely to bring real jobs
28. Michigan would benefit from independent nurse practitioners
29. Zoning is not the only tool local governments have
30. Union support for immigration protests proves workers need freedom
31. Testimony in opposition to Senate Bills 472 and 473
32. Whitmer for president?
33. What was Michigan’s budget fight about?
34. Entrepreneurs, not the MEDC, will lead Michigan’s recovery
35. ‘Film production is a stack of gigs’
36. Three policy reforms to be thankful for on Thanksgiving Day
37. The Buckeye Institute v. Internal Revenue Service
38. Lech Walesa jumped a fence and changed history
39. Indiana's 201% cigarette tax hike will fuel smuggling, not just revenue
40. Fifty-five bills that would free Michigan workers
41. Michigan’s school meals program caters to the wealthy
42. Watch out for the ‘net trap’ when looking at job numbers
43. Let nurse practitioners do their jobs
44. Union Township metrics point to stagnation, decline
45. Smarter rules and better schools could get Michigan back on its feet
46. Michigan can easily handle adding data centers
47. After 2,500 days, Whitmer ignores her open government promise
48. Freedom notes U.S.A.: South Carolina goes farther with charters
49. ‘Leadership of these unions has lost their way’
50. IMPACT September/October 2025
51. Mackinac Center’s Patrick J. Wright to Receive Federalist Society’s Grano Award
52. Michigan lawmakers tackle a difficult problem
53. Banks Township considers going back to how things once were
54. Mackinac Center Launches First Comprehensive Database of Michigan’s Constitutional History
55. Watch out for the ‘net trap’ when looking at job numbers
56. Rochester School Board Censures Trustee for Speaking Out
57. Struggling Bay City rolls out plenty of red tape
58. Traverse City borrows from Peter to pay Paul
59. Michigan budget deal: two steps forward, one step back
60. The Path to Abundant Travel: A conversation with Gary Leff of View from the Wing
61. Why does it cost so much to build? We’ve lost an abundance mindset
62. Michigan’s Licensing Laws Block Second Chances
63. With the budget complete, what should lawmakers do next?
64. Unlock Opportunity
65. Fifty-five bills that would free Michigan workers
66. ‘A lot of libertarianism feels like political science fiction’
67. Mackinac Center Mourns Passing of Nathan Martin
68. New legislation on short-term rentals make sense for communities
69. A look at governors’ track record on job growth
70. Right to Compute laws provide proper balance for AI oversight
71. Mackinac Center Promotes David Guenthner to Lead Workers for Opportunity Initiative
72. Protesting Trump? Reduce Michigan’s reliance on federal dollars
73. Halloween is a free-market treat
74. ‘Tax the Rich’ would hurt the rest of us
75. All schools win under new Michigan budget
76. Traverse City gets in the Zone
77. Michigan’s school meals program caters to the wealthy
78. MEDC Admits Failure of Gotion Project Mackinac Center Warned About
79. Let’s disagree more, and better
80. Free speech requires discomfort
81. States win in corporate welfare pact
82. Road funding is now at record levels
83. ‘We are failing in public education’
84. Farewell to a founding father of the liberty movement
85. Michigan bill would make it easier to be a school librarian
86. ‘Tax the Rich’ would hurt the rest of us
87. Michigan finally has a realistic internet plan
88. Mackinac Center Promotes Cami Pendell to Vice President for Government Affairs
89. Detroit tries making it easier to build, baby, build
90. ‘Millionaire’s tax’ ballot proposal would hurt all Michiganders
91. Mackinac Center Stands with Michigan Caregivers to Oppose SEIU’s New Dues Skim
92. A brief case for electricity choice
93. All schools win under new Michigan budget
94. How should state corruption be measured?
95. ‘These programs do not deliver what they say on the label’
96. Traverse City gets in the Zone
97. Why they want your money
98. Traverse City fiber network rolls out slowly and expensively
99. Cigarette Taxes and Smuggling Rates
100. Michigan to end its biggest business subsidy program
101. Violence is not persuasion
102. AI bills in Michigan House follow heavy-handed and punitive regulatory approach
103. Marquette housing earmark is a bad pork deal
104. Education blob orders more of the same after test scores collapse
105. School officials raise false alarm about House education budget
106. Freedom notes U.S.A.: Charter schools lead long post-COVID recovery
107. Mackinac Center Opposition to 340B Expansion
108. Are Unions Good For Workers?
109. 7 questions for Michigan’s new school superintendent
110. Rein in the federal 340B program
111. ‘What constitutes separation?’
112. Michigan’s environmental department cries wolf over budget
113. AI bills in Michigan House follow heavy-handed and punitive regulatory approach
114. An open letter to the Union Township Planning Commission
115. Director of Labor Policy
116. Mackinac Center sends second demand letter to jobs agency
117. Michigan Court to Hear Mackinac Center Challenge to Hidden Earmarks in State Budget
118. ‘Freedom, horrible freedom,’ districts cry as House budget raises school funding
119. Freedom notes U.S.A.: Trash business fights The Man in Arkansas court
120. President’s Council Breakfast featuring Joseph G. Lehman and Chris Koopman
121. After 76 years, ‘1984’ still resonates and informs
122. Planning for Life Workshop
123. Education blob orders more of the same after test scores collapse
124. Michigan education budget fight centers on local decision-making
125. ‘Everyone already agrees that tariffs are bad, and everyone agrees that we should do something about national debt’
126. Defund the MEDC. Period.
127. Marquette housing earmark is a bad pork deal
128. Internet Access in Michigan: Policy, Progress and Pitfalls
129. Courts side with colleges over students in lockdown fights
130. Leaders have solutions; they just need problems
131. IMPACT July/August 2025
132. Michigan Economic Development Corp. is not developing Michigan’s economy
133. A citizen’s guide to smarter policy analysis
134. What cities are growing?
135. ‘It’s unlikely they’ll be able to stop tidal waves of cigarettes’
136. EVENT CANCELLATION: Energy Crisis or Opportunity: Navigating Net-Zero Mandates in Michigan
137. Housing Boom or Bust: The Issues Facing Michigan
138. Let the Line 5 Tunnel project go ahead
139. Trump artificial intelligence plan a good start
140. Ohio’s energy policy outshines Michigan’s
141. Repeal the EPA's Carbon Pollution Standards
142. Have legislators learned their lesson about selective subsidies?
143. ‘All of the above’ is the wrong answer
144. ‘All of the above’ is the wrong answer
145. EVENT CANCELLATION: Energy Crisis or Opportunity: Navigating Net-Zero Mandates in Michigan
146. EVENT CANCELLATION: Housing Boom or Bust: The Issues Facing Michigan
147. What Whitmer’s net zero mandate is hiding from you
148. Spoonful of sugar won’t make America healthy again
149. ‘When there’s a threat of failure, people innovate’
150. The incredible shrinking Department of Education
151. Jumping Through Hoops!
152. The Switch Is On!
153. The MEDC Hall of Shame
154. New Report: Michigan’s Green Energy Plan Means Higher Bills, More Blackouts
155. Public tools make state government more transparent
156. Michigan’s Expensive Net-Zero Gamble
157. Conservative lawmakers should resist unaccountable hospital slush fund
158. Will the end of the Sandisk deal bring Michigan back to basics?
159. Lower courts ignore Supreme Court precedent to force union payments
160. Lower courts ignore Supreme Court precedent to force union payments
161. Michigan Caregivers Sue to Block Forced Union Representation
162. What is the budget dispute about?
163. Paying people not to leave
164. Michigan Caregivers Sue to Block Forced Union Representation
165. Energy Crisis or Opportunity: Navigating Net-Zero Mandates in Michigan
166. 7 questions to ask about any policy proposal
167. Will the end of the Sandisk deal bring Michigan back to basics?
168. Michigan schools should go back to basics
169. ‘A functioning democracy requires healthy dissent’
170. Will Whitmer’s legacy include fixing the roads?
171. ‘Goldilocks’ compromise: Reform misuse of categorical grants
172. EVENT CANCELLATION: Planning for Life Workshop
173. FOIA Fight: Detroit Free Press, Mackinac Center Sue Treasury Over Subsidy Secrecy
174. Sneaky budget practice is costing Michigan billions
175. FOIA Fight: Detroit Free Press, Mackinac Center Sue Treasury Over Subsidy Secrecy
176. The real Independence Day
177. Are Schools Underfunded?
178. Tax hike proposal is bad business
179. Improve teacher quality to fix education system
180. The left loves its kings (and queens)
181. Which is growing faster: Core cities or their suburbs?
182. ‘I couldn’t stand by’
183. Freedom notes U.S.A.: No unemployment benefits for strikers
184. Mackinac ferry regulatory expansion is bad policy
185. President’s Council Luncheon featuring Joseph G. Lehman and Jarrett Skorup
186. Claims about Medicaid work requirements ignore facts, fuel fear
187. Claims about Medicaid work requirements ignore facts, fuel fear
188. Michigan underperforms on new worker mobility ranking
189. Don’t select digital service taxes
190. Don’t select digital service taxes
191. Show decent respect to the opinions of mankind
192. Why I fly a flag
193. Innovation revolutionized the movie industry. Could it do the same for education?
194. Schools need accountability, not a blank check
195. Short-term rentals have a big impact in Michigan
196. Lawmakers should change approach to funding higher education
197. Short-term rentals have a big impact in Michigan
198. California takes top spot in cigarette smuggling while Michigan clears some air
199. California is America’s cigarette smuggling king
200. IMPACT May/June 2025
201. ‘Politicians are myopic’
202. Did DOGE succeed or fail?
203. Coalition: Proposed Digital Advertising Tax Would Drive Up Costs for Small Businesses and Consumers
204. Trump’s (other) nuclear option
205. Legislators return to bad ideas for confronting housing costs
206. State House budget proposal respects school leaders
207. How to tame housing prices in Detroit
208. Michigan’s pandemic plan will cause legal fights
209. 2025 graduates, choose optimism
210. Michigan should stop pushing one-size-fits-all fiber
211. Rule of law requires limits on governors, presidents
212. Mackinac Center’s Lawsuit Brings Disclosure from Flint Community Schools
213. Juneteenth is a day to celebrate freedom and acknowledge unjust laws
214. The illegitimate pushback against Sheetz in Michigan
215. Planning for Life Workshop
216. Net zero just isn’t happening
217. ‘Make it in Michigan’ isn’t making it
218. EPA moves to repeal Biden’s costly power plant rules
219. The upcoming state budget battle
220. ‘Get off the floor, wipe your eyes, log off that computer and start homeschooling’
221. Tax debate should be a budget debate instead
222. Chippewa Valley Mom Asks 6th Circuit to Restore First Amendment Rights
223. The country needs skilled trades workers
224. Misread
225. Long live fake rock
226. The Real Costs of Red Tape: Rethinking Occupational Licensing in Michigan
227. States seek jobs from an industry that delivers few
228. ‘Shiny new schools’ won’t improve education
229. Voters say no to blank checks for schools
230. Michigan’s pandemic plan will cause legal fights
231. How to tame housing prices in Detroit
232. Traverse City municipal broadband still in the red
233. ‘Work never gets boring’
234. Bad policy, bad results: Michigan’s economic decline
235. Freedom notes U.S.A.
236. Five Years from Lockdown: Emergency Powers Still a Problem
237. Plan or Panic
238. The standard of success for the latest road proposals
239. New report shows road quality will decline further
240. Michigan needs better teachers, not smaller classes
241. American manufacturing defies the doubters
242. Michigan should stop pushing one-size-fits-all fiber
243. ‘We win, they lose’
244. Lawsuit Challenges Unconstitutional Pork Spending in Michigan
245. Mackinac Center Sues to End Unconstitutional Pork-Barrel Spending in Michigan
246. Nessel finds religion on emergency powers
247. Spain’s grid meltdown shouldn’t be a surprise
248. Michigan takes a step toward worker licensing mobility
249. Smaller class sizes are rarely worth the trade-offs
250. ‘A loss for the American economy’
251. Hands off Meta
252. American manufacturing defies the doubters
253. What’s really going on with young men?
254. Resolved, kids can still speak clearly about important topics
255. New report shows road quality will decline further
256. The high cost of price controls in health care
257. Mackinac Center Honors Edward Levy, Jr. and Terry Bowman with Freedom Awards
258. Disaster response begins with civil society
259. Education "Unconference:" Activating Parents for Change & Choice
260. Michigan needs better teachers, not smaller classes
261. Lessons from the COVID-19 Emergency Response
262. Canada trade is also a state issue
263. The True Costs of Drug Pricing Policy
264. Mackinac Center Sues Flint Community Schools Over Transparency Failures
265. Mackinac Center Sues Flint Schools for Ignoring Public Records Law
266. States, not D.C., should make spending decisions
267. What happens if our friendship with Canada ends?
268. ‘Welcome to the wild and wonderful’
269. An Evening with the Mackinac Center
270. SEIU Recycles Discredited Dues-Skim Scheme to Target Struggling Michigan Home Caregivers
271. It’s time to clear the bar for attorneys
272. The History of the Western Enlightenment – And Why It Matters Today
273. ‘The government never goes out of business’
274. Let’s Roll
275. How Michigan schools can thrive as U.S. Dept. of Ed. evolves
276. Lawmakers relieve Michigan of a millstone
277. When Michigan said No corporate welfare, not so long ago
278. What is the Overton Window?
279. President’s Council Luncheon featuring Joseph G. Lehman and Michael Van Beek
280. Federal workers shouldn’t have collective bargaining rights
281. Daniel Z. Crowe v. State Bar of Oregon
282. The cost of picking ‘winners’ in the steel industry
283. Mississippi surpasses Michigan in fourth grade reading after literacy reforms
284. ‘Darn good policy’
285. Michigan Wins as Army Corps Fast-Tracks Line 5 Tunnel Review
286. Federal scholarship program would help Michigan
287. Will Washington State become king of smuggled smokes?
288. ‘Not in my backyard,’ again
289. Whitmer’s reindustrialization plan, by the numbers
290. Dearborn Schools Top New Context and Performance Report Card
291. The Michigan Context and Performance Report Card: Public Elementary & Middle Schools, 2025
292. You can’t always cut what you want
293. ‘Decarbonization’ means submission to China
294. IMPACT March/April 2025
295. Let the real Detroit renaissance begin
296. If everything is a crisis, is anything?
297. Who else was wrong about COVID?
298. ‘The public can’t stop it’
299. Climate agenda is a regressive tax on consumers
300. Fix this flaw in Michigan’s teacher licensing system
301. Michigan’s conflicted view of school choice
302. Whitmer's plan for licensing deserves action
303. Open letter to Union Township Board of Trustees
304. Teslas are being burned and vandalized
305. Let’s Roll
306. My 2020 pandemic predictions, 5 years later
307. Cigarette Tax Evasion and Avoidance in the Treasure State
308. How Michigan schools can thrive as U.S. Dept. of Ed. evolves
309. Can we recover from the ‘most significant climate change law ever’?
310. Time for Michigan to walk the walk on licensing reform
311. The 340B drug discount program has lost its way
312. U.S. House pours cold water on Energy Dept.’s heater ban
313. Five years later: Why did the lockdown happen?
314. What does natural gas do for you?
315. ‘The government never goes out of business’
316. State Spent $670 Million on Business Subsidies and Delivered Zero Jobs Through SOAR Program
317. A square deal for the Little Guy!
318. Minimum wage hikes hurt vulnerable workers
319. Do as I say, not as I vote
320. Business taxes should raise money for government, not transfer cash to big business
321. How to live the good life in Michigan
322. Lawmakers should consider 5 principles for funding roads
323. Time for Michigan to walk the walk on licensing reform
324. Pharmacy benefit managers
325. The Brew Deal: How Beer Helped Save the Economy During the Great Depression
326. While you were sleeping, the law changed
327. Michigan Should Cut the Personal Income Tax Rate
328. The 340B Drug Discount Program has lost its way
329. No evidence that forcing drug discounts helps patients
330. Michigan’s plan for high-speed internet is slow, expensive and inefficient
331. In Defense of Dollar Stores
332. ‘The battle is not over’
333. Union contracts should not protect drunken teachers
334. U.S. House pours cold water on Energy Dept.’s heater ban
335. Michigan’s broadband spending program day late, dollar short
336. Renewables aren’t renewable
337. An Act to Establish a University of Maine Medical School and to Dedicate Funds from Raising the Cigarette Tax to the School
338. House votes to keep public business public
339. Accountability in Action
340. Michigan can rein in reckless spending
341. Statements From Mackinac Center Policy Experts On Gov. Whitmer’s 2025 State of the State Address
342. The empty promises of industrial policy
343. How to sell pork to both parties
344. Michigan close to last place in latest NAEP results
345. Overlapping broadband programs waste state and federal money
346. Why the hydrogen future is not imminent
347. How many millions did we spend on paid-leave compliance?
348. No one wants to read about fiscal federalism
349. ‘Make the case for reform’
350. Michigan Should Advance Government Transparency with a Ban on Non-Disclosure Agreements
351. Unwind the Green New Deal
352. Expedite the Approval Process for Line 5 Improvements
353. State courts are not the place to set climate policy
354. Federal Court Strikes Down Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness Plan
355. Fix roads without raising taxes
356. IMPACT January/February 2025
357. Where your tax dollars are going in 2025
358. Consumers’ Research v. Federal Communications Commission
359. Mackinac Center Joins Amicus Brief Challenging Private Delegation of Government Regulatory Authority
360. Testimony submitted to the Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health and Human Services
361. State stiffs online charter students
362. Tariffs are a bad idea
363. Sick leave mandate will hurt Michigan charities
364. Testimony Submitted to the Senate Committee on Finance, State of Rhode Island
365. Testimony to the Maine Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs
366. Universal Licensing Reciprocity Would Boost Michigan’s Workforce and Economy
367. ‘The people do have a voice — it's called the legislature’
368. Work Without Walls
369. Sustainable Michigan Budget Empowers Lawmakers, Strengthens Fiscal Future
370. Targeted public investments won’t make grass grow
371. Sustainable Michigan Budget would strengthen lawmakers’ hands
372. Michigan close to last place in latest NAEP results
373. Is employment exploitation?
374. Why housing is so expensive
375. Futures Reclaimed
376. Mackinac Center Announces 2025 Policy Priorities
377. Public Policy Recommendations 2025
378. Trump’s orders boost American energy
379. Overlapping broadband programs waste state and federal money
380. Michigan’s path to prosperity requires a plan
381. Wind and solar are at odds with growth
382. Michigan shouldn’t turbocharge hospital slush fund bills
383. Michigan Has Authorized $4.7 Billion in Taxpayer-Funded Business Subsidies
384. Corporate welfare goes one for eleven in job creation
385. Economic trends for Michigan in 2025
386. Michigan’s $50 million copper mine deal looks hard to justify
387. Take care before killing lame ducks
388. Further curtail state’s emergency powers
389. ‘You’ve got to get it in writing’
390. Why the hydrogen future is not imminent
391. Corporate welfare goes one for eleven in job creation
392. Michigan’s policy choices delay rollout of high-speed internet
393. Michigan legislators authorize new selective business subsidies
394. MEDC has a woeful record of failure
395. Meaningful work is key to finding happiness
396. How you can help the wildfire recovery
397. Can we reverse America’s epidemic of loneliness?
398. Build-build-build
399. Economic trends for Michigan in 2025
400. The Jobless bills
401. ‘Playing with taxpayer money’
402. Sixth Circuit strikes down new neutrality regulation
403. Michigan’s $50 million copper mine deal looks hard to justify
404. A very merry lame duck
405. Pension funding in worse shape after Michigan’s Democratic party trifecta