All 2025 Publications

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