The Michigan Supreme Court says state workers can’t be forced to pay labor unions for negotiating contracts and providing other services. In a 4-3 decision, the court said the Michigan Civil Service Commission lacks the authority to impose mandatory fees on thousands of civil servants.
The second annual list of the 50 top swim cities in America has a similar look at the top. According to the study by USA Swimming and Speedo USA, Ann Arbor beat out San Jose-Santa Clara for a second year in a row, to claim the title of best swim city in the country. The study cites two key factors in Ann Arbor’s continued dominance — the city has the largest percentage of top USA Swimming athletes (60 Olympians) per population, and has the second highest number of pool facilities per population of any city in the country.
Consumer confidence in Michigan is approaching record levels, according to a quarterly survey released by Michigan State University. Sixty percent of residents rated their financial situation as good or excellent, the highest number since 2002, when the top mark of 66 percent was recorded. In addition, 69 percent believe they’ll be better off a year from now, off from a high of 72 percent in 1999.
Much more is highlighted in Michigan News.
