All 2025 Publications

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