Reasons to Celebrate in Michigan

We have a few more reasons to celebrate with passion and verve this holiday weekend. Michigan is a little bit freer, because the Snyder administration, the Legislature and other policymakers have adopted measures or taken steps long recommended by the Mackinac Center.

First, legislation prohibiting project labor agreements was sent to the governor yesterday. We’ve seen nothing to indicate that he won’t sign it, so this longtime Center recommendation will probably become law.

Second, the DEQ yesterday approved a permit for a Rogers City coal-fired power plant. This is significant, because the previous administration had unilaterally and arbitrarily placed a moratorium on such plants. We made the case that this policy was dangerous and economically destructive. The Snyder administration, with an assist from a principled judge, abandoned the moratorium.

Add these to the fact that a bogus government employee union was eliminated, the Michigan Business Tax was abolished, the economic development regime has had its wings clipped, an alleged rip-off using the Michigan film incentive was thwarted, emergency financial managers have more effective tools for dealing with recalcitrant unions, probably half of the school districts in the state have privatized at least one service, revenue sharing was reformed, the item pricing requirement was eliminated, and many other Center policy recommendations have been adopted, and you have to conclude that Michiganders are a bit more free this Independence Day than they were last July 4.

Make no mistake — Center supporters like many of you played a role in this. And while the day-to-day accomplishments and sacrifices of freedom fighters often go unheralded, you can take pride this weekend knowing that everyone you encounter at the beach, at the park or in northbound traffic has benefitted from our concerted dissemination of liberty-based ideas that helped birth a nation.