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Q&A: The head of Michigan’s Mothering Justice on what’s to come with Trump’s cuts to Medicaid, SNAP

DETROIT — For Detroit-based organization Mothering Justice, whose mission is rooted in advocating for mothers of color and low-income families, President Donald Trump signing of the Republican megabill that extends tax breaks and cuts spending marks a moment of renewed urgency. In a wide-ranging conversation, Michigan Advance Editor-in-Chief Jon King spoke with Mothering Justice Executive Director Danielle Atkinson to explore what implementing the new law will actually mean. From the cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, to the cascading effects on mental health care and family stability, ...

DETROIT — Attorneys committed to ensuring low-income Americans receive legal assistance gathered in Detroit to underscore the importance of providing counsel to those who need it and examine how programs like eviction diversion can help communities both inside and outside the courtroom. The Legal Services Corporation focused its Tuesday forum on efforts to expand legal services in Michigan, with a particular emphasis on local housing initiatives including eviction diversion efforts. Legal Services Board Chair John G. Levi opened the forum by emphasizing the critical role civil legal ...

Critics say Michigan’s plan to open mental health contracts to bidding will outsource local care

LANSING — The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is looking to open mental health services to a competitive procurement process, a move that has drawn criticism from mental health advocates and organizations across the state. Maribeth Leonard, CEO of LifeWays– a community mental health services program that serves Hillsdale and Jackson counties– outlined how this proposal could upend Michigan’s existing system of regionally governed behavioral health oversight. In a letter to the community. Leonard said the change in the funding model would “move decisions ...

Beydoun grant scandal could lead to needed state economic development reforms

LANSING — An embarrassing, politically fraught grant could lead to major reforms at the Michigan Economic Development Corp., or possibly even its demise. State Attorney General Dana Nessel is investigating the state’s quasi-public economic development agency in a larger probe of a $20 million state grant, administered by the MEDC, to a Southeast Michigan businesswoman who is a prominent figure in Democratic circles. Senate Republican leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Township) is calling for a federal investigation of the matter. Nesbitt is running for governor in next year’s ...

As Ann Arbor officials craft future city plan, some residents call foul on opportunities for input

ANN ARBOR — Members of the Ann Arbor planning commission are forging ahead on a new vision for development and housing in the city, intent on taking steps towards offering more housing options. However, the current plan has some residents crying foul, arguing the proposal will create more development, but not more affordable housing. The city first began crafting the new plan in the Summer of 2023. Under state law, Michigan communities must have a master plan on file to serve as a guide for development and ensure any developments meet certain criteria. While the plan is still in ...

Many Michigan voters could benefit from a ballot in Arabic, but the law isn’t on their side

LANSING — When Lama Ali Ahmad became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2021, she was eager to become a voter, too. In Lebanon, where she’s from, elections were often derailed by crises. But here, she had faith in the process. She registered and voted in a municipal election the same day. That night, she gathered her family at her Dearborn home for a special dinner of steak, chicken, and tabbouleh, and told them how good it felt to finally be heard. “That was the moment where I really felt that I am an American citizen,” she said. Last year, she celebrated another civic triumph: ...