Michigan in Focus

Addressing chemical contamination in Michigan waterways, farmland and military bases remains a critical and complicated issue for legislators going into a new administration, Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said on a telephone town hall Monday night. PFAS, or Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of industrial chemicals, commonly used in manufacturing to make heat resistant, water repellent, and non-stick products. Dubbed “forever chemicals” because of their long half-life in the human body and environment, effects of prolonged exposure include cancer, high blood pressure, and pregnancy complications.

Michigan lawmakers are launching bipartisan efforts to increase police recruitment and benefits as the number of law enforcement officers trends downward in the state. U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., introduced legislation Friday that would provide $50 million annually to state and local law enforcement agencies to create “Pathways to Policing” programs aimed at boosting recruitment in the field. The programs would specifically target candidates from underrepresented communities or with non-traditional educational and career backgrounds. The number of law enforcement officers in Michigan has decreased by more than 4,000 since 2001, according to statistics from the state’s Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.

Michigan House lawmakers are taking steps to increase online child safety by introducing a bill that would impact minors, their parents and social media companies. The Social Media Regulation Act, introduced by State Rep. Mark Tisdel, R-Rochester Hills, would require social media companies to verify the ages of new and existing users, restrict companies from collecting data or sharing minors’ personal information, and provide extensive parental controls. Among other requirements, social media companies would have to obtain express parental consent if the user is a minor and automatically prohibit minors from accessing their accounts between the hours of 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m.

Seven Michigan public school districts, the recipients of the first electric school buses in the state, reported mixed but mostly positive experiences about the vehicles since adopting them five years ago. The Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy released summaries of feedback on electric buses’ real-world performance, coming from public school districts in Ann Arbor, Gaylord, Kalamazoo, Oxford, Roseville, Three Rivers and Zeeland. Within the past two years alone, Michigan has directed more than $239 million in federal and state taxpayer dollars to electric school bus infrastructure.

Following a Michigan Department of Education report showing drops in reading and math proficiency in some grades, Michigan House Republicans have unveiled a multi-step plan to boost student achievement and teacher support. The plan would provide extra funding for school safety and mental health resources, waive state fees for teachers and modernize the standard curriculum, State Reps. Jaime Greene, R-Richmond, and Nancy DeBoer, R-Holland, announced Monday.