Michigan’s Income Tax: Where Does the Money Go? - Citizens Research Council of Michigan In a Nutshell Yesterday was April 15th – Tax Day. That means hundreds of thousands of Michigan taxpayers were putting the finishing touches on tax returns and sending them in to federal, state, and – ...

💸 💰Several Michigan gubernatorial candidates have pledged to significantly cut or even eliminate the income tax, with few, if any, details on how they would replace the lost revenue. Before voting, people should understand which public services are funded by income taxes.
crcmich.org/michigans-in...

We hope you appreciate and use our work. We make it freely available to all. Please take a moment to help us be around another 110 years! crcmich.org/april-appeal

"In Lansing, it’s hard to find a major policy debate that hasn’t at some point been touched by the Citizens Research Council of MI. For 110 years, they’ve been doing work behind the scenes, digging into the data that shapes how decisions are made." wzmq19.com/news/360672/...

This month, @crcmich.bsky.social turns 110. With your support, we can continue to provide trusted, non-biased research and analysis - and our #FactsMatter podcast! - available to everyone who cares. Please support us here: crcmich.org/April-appeal

Celebrating fact-checking around the globe Every year, fact-checkers celebrate and highlight their work on April 2.

Happy International Fact-chacking Day to all those who celebrate.

apnews.com/article/fact...

For 110 years, Citizens Research Council - MI has helped Michiganders make informed decisions through trusted, nonpartisan research. Today, we launch our 110th Anniversary Campaign to support policy research that MI communities rely on. We appreciate any amount you can give. crcmich.org/April-appeal

"Dig Once" to Save on Infrastructure Costs - Citizens Research Council of Michigan Michigan infrastructure policy should encourage "dig once" practices to decrease costs and disruptions.

The original research: crcmich.org/dennis-dig-o...

The northern Michigan ice storm battered the electric grid. Is burying power lines the solution? It's been a year since the devastating ice storm. Poles and wires have since been replaced, but some residents wonder whether it makes more sense to bury them out of the reach of increasingly damaging...

Our paper by @ericpauldennis.bsky.social covered this in 2022: “No one thinks that the best option is to operate outdated unreliable infrastructure and just fix it when it goes down...But there are trade-offs. Investments must be recovered in rates..." www.interlochenpublicradio.org/ipr-news/202...

Michigan's Constitution and Potential Changes from a Constitutional Convention YouTube video by Citizens Research Council of Michigan (crcmich)

Research Council President Eric Lupher and host Guy Gordan discuss Michigan’s upcoming ballot question asking voters whether to hold a constitutional convention.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk7K...

Law to clean Michigan air now costs billions with little oversight A 1965 law exempts facilities that install air pollution control equipment from property taxes.

Eric W. Lupher, president of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, questioned whether we’re “giving something away when we don’t have to.”

@bridgedet313.bsky.social

www.bridgedetroit.com/michigan-pol...

Michigan Needs a Watershed-based Approach to Address Water Pollution and Urban Flooding - Citizens Research Council of Michigan Without fundamental reform to water resources management, Michigan will fail the next generation of Michiganders.

As ‘The Great Lakes State,’ the health of Michigan’s waters directly impacts Michigan’s economy and the wellbeing of its residents. Yet the current governance of Michigan’s water resources is overly complicated, fragmented, and inefficient.
crcmich.org/dennis_water...

Karley's recent piece on sports betting/online gaming: crcmich.org/policy-optio...

The Worsening Human Costs of Online Sports Betting - Citizens Research Council of Michigan With March Madness just around the corner, Guy sits down with Karley Abramson to talk about her recent report: Policy Options to Hedge the Worsening Human Costs of Online Sports Betting.  Karley is th...

Our latest #FactsMatter podcast features Karley Abramson, the health research associate at @crcmich.bsky.social, and Guy Gordon as they dig into the worsening human toll of online sports betting on #Michiganders. crcmich.org/podcast/the-...

Policy Options to Hedge the Worsening Human Costs of Online Sports Betting  - Citizens Research Council of Michigan In a Nutshell:  Many states, including Michigan, have legalized online gambling and sports betting in the last decade, which has led to a proliferation of the industry and significant economic impact,...

💵📱Six years in, the impact of online gaming & sports betting at the individual level is worth evaluating, given some of the negative effects arising from their proliferation. Michigan should consider policies to mitigate some of the harmful consequences. #Michigan crcmich.org/policy-optio...

Policy Options to Hedge the Worsening Human Costs of Online Sports Betting  - Citizens Research Council of Michigan In a Nutshell:  Many states, including Michigan, have legalized online gambling and sports betting in the last decade, which has led to a proliferation of the industry and significant economic impact,...

"The state has a variety of policy options to blunt some of the negative consequences of online sports betting without abolishing the market."

crcmich.org/policy-optio...

Analysis of Governor Whitmer’s FY2027 Executive Budget - Citizens Research Council of Michigan Several federal and state policy changes over the past year set the stage for an interesting budget cycle this year. For FY2027, GF/GP revenue is expected to down by more than $1.2 billion from the Ma...

It's not too late! If you want to listen to analysis that goes a little deeper into Governor Whitmer's last executive budget recommendation, tune in today at noon! Register below. #MichiganBudget #MichiganTaxes #FactsMatter

crcmich.org/webinars/ana...

Analysis of Governor Whitmer’s FY2027 Executive Budget - Citizens Research Council of Michigan Several federal and state policy changes over the past year set the stage for an interesting budget cycle this year. For FY2027, GF/GP revenue is expected to down by more than $1.2 billion from the Ma...

🤑 There's still time! You won't want to miss this deep dive into the Governor's Executive Budget proposal. Register here:
crcmich.org/webinars/ana...

How Michigan's New Road Package Accidentally Cut Current Year Road Funding - Citizens Research Council of Michigan Guy and Eric pick up where their conversation left off in late 2025 — at the start of fiscal year (FY) 2026 — when the Michigan Legislature passed, and Governor Whitmer signed Michigan’s 2025 transpor...

Oops! The results of doing too much, too fast? "How the 2025 Transportation Funding Package Accidentally Cut Road Funding in FY2026." Our latest #FactsMatter podcast with Guy Gordon and CRC's research associate @ericpauldennis.bsky.social.
Find the paper at crcmich.org
crcmich.org/podcast/how-...

How the 2025 Transportation Funding Package Accidentally Cut Road Funding in FY2026 - Citizens Research Council of Michigan Despite a promised $1 billion increase in road funding in FY2026, Michigan's road agencies are experiencing a temproary funding cut.

The new funding is available to road agencies on a delayed and uncertain schedule. Road agencies are now experiencing an unexpected decrease in funding that will proceed through March 2026.

crcmich.org/fy2026_road_...

Spotlight on the News: Should Michigan hold a constitutional convention? BHM and The Wright Museum On Sunday, February 15, Spotlight will interview Eric Lupher, President of the CRC of Michigan, and we'll visit with Lance Wheeler of The Wright Museum.

📃🏴󠁵󠁳󠁭󠁩󠁿ICYMI yesterday: we met with Chuck Stokes/@wxyzdetroit.bsky.social to talk about all things Michigan Constitutional Convention (Con-Con), the most important yet least understood ballot question voters will face this Nov. Less than 11 min! #Michigan #MichiganElections www.wxyz.com/news/politic...

Michigan’s School Aid/General Fund Budget “Swap” is a Two-way Street, Despite What Some May Think - Citizens Research Council of Michigan In a Nutshell Another Michigan state budget season is upon us. A perennial, and often contentious, issue has been the use of School Aid Fund (SAF) dollars to finance appropriations for Michigan’s comm...

🔁In advance of MI's FY2027 exec. budget recs being released, we released a paper on understanding the two-way funding flow between the School Aid Fund and the General Fund. There is a growing tendency to view the swap solely through the lens of SAF funding for higher ed. crcmich.org/michigans-sc...

The use of digesters is an emerging complition in the regulation of large livestock farms, which we addressed last October.

crcmich.org/cafopermitti...

Michigan Constitutional Issues - Citizens Research Council of Michigan At the November 3, 2026, general election, Proposal 2026-01 will ask voters whether a constitutional convention should be convened for the purpose of a general revision of the 1963 Michigan Constituti...

Just dropped! The 1st in a 15-paper series to inform voters ahead of the November vote on whether Michigan should hold a Constitutional Convention ("Con-Con"). Voters will decide Prop. 2026-01: whether to convene a convention to review and revise the 1963 MI Constitution. crcmich.org/publications...

Time for reform Momentum is building behind tax reform ideas in Detroit. But do they address the underlying troubles?

Time for reform
open.substack.com/pub/shdetroi...

Detroit’s Taxing Quandary Could Lead to Reforms - Citizens Research Council of Michigan In a Nutshell: Increasing Local Revenues and Revenue Diversity The City of Detroit is gaining momentum. Its appeal as a destination city is growing. It is hosting more visitors, sports and cultural ev...

We concluded (following two previous reports) that efforts to initiate two new local tax options for Detroit may not be worth the reward (especially a local sales tax), but Detroit’s tax quandary could be a catalyst for statewide municipal finance reform. #MichiganCities
crcmich.org/detroits-tax...

It might be dense, but we spill it! 😜

Michigan Matters: A new entertainment and sales tax for Detroit? Could a new entertainment tax and a new sales tax be ahead for the Motor City?

ICYMI, we sat down with @carolcain.bsky.social on @cbsdetroit.bsky.social to discuss an analysis we published for the Detroit City Council, who are looking at ways to help the city benefit from destination tourism, diversify its revenue and help reduce property taxes. www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news...

Crime in the City - Identifying Detroit’s Peer Cities - Citizens Research Council of Michigan This initial report presents a method for comparing Detroit to peer cities based on factors associated with crime, such as population, poverty, and income This method will allow for a data-informed co...

@Detroiters say public safety should be a top priority for the new Mayor, which will play a large role in the city's budget. Given this, we will be producing a multi-part, inter-city comparative research effort to examine public safety/crime in 6 peer cities. Report #1: crcmich.org/crime-in-the...

"Ironically, the warming of the arctic region might result in cold arctic air intruding farther south than has been historically typical, due to weakening of the arctic jet stream (“the polar vortex”)."

crcmich.org/PUBLICAT/202...

Hudson-Webber Gives $900K to Detroit Orgs to Strengthen Housing, Public Safety in Detroit Hudson-Webber Gives $900K to Detroit Orgs to Strengthen Housing, Public Safety in Detroit

The #Hudson-Webber Foundation is an amazing organization doing incredible things for Michigan. We are so grateful for their support of our work! #FactsMatter #MichiganFoundations #MichiganNonprofits michiganchronicle.com/hudson-webbe...