Tens of thousands of young people across Michigan will walk proudly across ceremonial stages this spring to receive their hard-earned college diplomas. But in light…
Although it’s been said that April showers bring May flowers, not everything is coming up roses for Michigan’s economy. Our economic garden, if you will,…
The health of our economy is critical to helping all Michigan families prosper. Unfortunately, we continue to see economic fallout resulting from anti-business decisions being…
Small business owners, legislators and economic development officials throughout Michigan - it’s time to register for the West Michigan Policy Forum’s biennial conference in Grand…
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivered her sixth annual State of the State address this week. While we agree with the governor about the policy areas…
Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently announced with great fanfare that 700,000 Michigan households were getting a new tax break. It was good news because any reduction…
People enjoy making New Year’s resolutions. And the media loves to write about them. We’ve determined eight much-needed 2024 resolutions from actual recent news articles…
For the first time since 1978, the Michigan Legislature decided to stop working before Thanksgiving and took the rest of the year off. The legislature’s…
Michigan is moving further away from being a top 10 state, as shown by the West Michigan Policy Forum’s “Michigan Economic Scorecard.” This continuously updated…
Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s “Growing Michigan Together Council” has become the “Growing Michigan Taxes Council.” According to a media report, it plans to recommend tax hikes…
Michigan has a new powerhouse group advocating for workers, families, and job creators: The Great Lakes Growth Coalition. The coalition brings together a diversity of…
Mandatory paid leave ultimately hurts everyone by making it more difficult for companies to make on-time deliveries of needed products and services. That’s the message…
Michigan has a bad track record of government-run programs. That’s worth remembering now that Governor Whitmer and the Michigan Legislature are trying to pass a…
For small businesses, few things matter more than a level playing field and a strong workforce. The West Michigan Policy Forum agrees with Gov. Gretchen…
Michigan’s education system is heading in the wrong direction. Thankfully, a new group is fighting for education that actually works for students and families: Talent…
When it comes to making Michigan a top-10 state and economy, we can’t overlook criminal justice reform. The simple fact is that 32,186 Michigan residents…
Michigan’s former Right-to-work law has always been about jobs. And at Southwest Michigan First, we believe the greatest force for change is a job. With…
Students across Michigan celebrated the official end of the 2022-23 school year recently, but it’s important to note that school doesn’t necessarily have to be…
Although our elected leaders in Lansing eliminated the state’s A-F grading system for Michigan public schools, they thankfully cannot escape accountability from the American Society…
Despite increased funding, Michigan’s K-12 public schools have been performing worse every year. That’s because it’s not a funding issue, it’s a public policy issue.…
Our elected leaders are getting ready to meet and clink beers at next week’s Mackinac Policy Conference, but they certainly don’t deserve “cheers” from Michigan…
Michigan’s K-12 education system is sliding backward and moving in a direction that will hold our students back. Our children deserve data-based interventions that will…
Taxpayers are paying more than $680,000 for every single job created at the planned electric vehicle battery plant in Marshall, Michigan. With state incentives that…
Michigan employers continue to face a severe labor shortage, slowing down business growth. Unfortunately, these challenges are compounded by a declining state population and the…
Financial Literacy Month in April is a great opportunity to illustrate why a financially literate population is so important for a healthy state economy. In…
Our state Legislature is taking troubling steps to make Michigan public schools less accountable and transparent to parents and taxpayers. The state House has approved…
The West Michigan Policy Forum today thanked state business coalition members for taking a brave stand against repealing the state’s landmark right-to-work law. WMPF Policy…
State business climate rankings are immensely important because companies use them to help determine where to locate new facilities, which in turn helps create good-paying…
Although right-to-work continues to be strongly supported by a majority of Michigan residents, the state House recently approved bills to repeal our state’s RTW law. …
Ford Motor Company recently made headlines for selecting Marshall, Michigan, in the southwestern part of our state for a $2.5B electric-vehicle battery plant. We applaud…
Every March, educators, elected officials and communities celebrate National Reading Month. The goal is to encourage reading every day across generations. Unfortunately in Michigan, we…
Nearly 50,000 people have fled Michigan over the last three years, moving to states like Florida, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Arizona.…
The Great Lakes Education Project (GLEP) is preparing to tackle the heaviest challenges facing Michigan students this year through programs and policies that prioritize quality,…
Last November, Tennessee joined eight other states in recognizing worker freedom as a fundamental right by constitutionalizing right-to-work - the law that protects workers from…
As Michigan’s Right-to-work (RTW) law celebrates 10 years as a statute, it also faces the possibility of repeal from the incoming Democratic majority. In this…
In 2018, at the urging of the National Federation of Independent Business in Michigan (NFIB) and the business community, the Michigan legislature adopted the minimum…
New data released by the Michigan Department of Education shows 112 of Michigan’s K-12 schools received low-achieving marks. This is a dramatic increase from 2018,…
As the legislative session winds down, investors and leaders of the West Michigan Policy Forum heard from Michigan Representative Matt Hall of Comstock Township about…
I run a Kalamazoo-based organization called KPEP, a private, nonprofit community corrections organization that has facilities in Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Battle Creek, Benton Harbor and Paw…
In 2018, our state made a commitment to improve our education system when legislators approved a bill that holds schools accountable for their performance and…
This summer, Michigan legislators agreed on a $76 billion budget, which included fulfilling pension promises. The West Michigan Policy Forum is proud of our lawmakers…
Michigan’s K-12 education system ranks 32 in the nation according to U.S. News. And according to data from the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress…
There’s $7 billion that remains available on Michigan’s balance sheet, half of which is leftover one-time federal stimulus dollars. Michigan’s fiscal year 2023 budget signed…
The hospitality industry is filled with incredible servers, who, for the most part, intentionally chose this business because of the perks of tipping. In an…
This month, The West Michigan Policy Forum (WMPF) hosted a conversation with Michigan State Senator and Senate President Pro Tempore Aric Nesbitt. Senator Nesbitt lives…
The West Michigan Policy Forum recently kicked off bi-monthly legislative chats to provide an intimate opportunity to have our members listen to, glean from, and…
Michigan legislators have unprecedented sums of money to spend. Some might call them “generational” dollars – not just because this much money only comes along…
The West Michigan Policy Forum would like to recognize and congratulate John and Nancy Kennedy and Mike VanGessel, who were recently honored at The Economic…
The ability to read is a strong predictor of future success, and Michigan’s kids are behind after multiple years of distance learning. The 2021 Michigan…
The West Michigan Policy Forum took communicating messaging and actions very seriously from the early onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our goal first and foremost…
