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Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
President Trump approval ratings in Michigan: What the latest polls say
Over two months into his second term, President Donald Trump is facing mixed approval ratings, according to recent polls nationally and in Michigan. Nationwide, some recent polls show more than half the country disapproving, while in others Trump maintains a majority approval rating or a split between views. A recent Michigan poll by Marketing Resource Group, a Lansing-based public relations firm, shows over half of Michigan residents disapprove of Trump and have a negative view of the president. This comes as Trump moves forward with tariffs, federal agency cuts through his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and billionaire Elon Musk continues to play a central role in his administration. One of just two presidents to serve non-consecutive terms, his first months have provided a unique opportunity to compare his approval ratings against himself at the same point in his first presidency. Out of the gate, Trump's net approval ratings this time were higher than his ratings in 2017, but still lower than any other president in history. The Michigan survey was conducted by live phone interviews with a random sample of all registered voters with a history of voting, stratified by city and township, Marketing Resource Group said. Here's what to know. Marketing Resource Group conducted a poll in Michigan March 24-28, 2025. The poll showed: 51% of Michiganders disapprove of President Trump's job performance, while 42% approve (602 likely voters; margin of error ± 4 percentage points.) 51% have negative feelings toward Trump, while 39% have positive feelings. The poll by Marketing Resource Group also asked Michiganders questions about the direction of Michigan and the country, along with their views on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Responses varied among political party affiliation and geographic areas within Michigan. In Michigan, 46% think the state is heading in the right direction, while 36% think Michigan is heading in the wrong direction. Per the poll, this is the first time in five years that more respondents felt the state is going in the right direction than not. More: Spring markets welcome the season to Michigan. Where to find arts, crafts, food Whitmer has 57% approval on her job performance, while 33% disapprove. This marks her highest approval rating in five years, according to the poll. Nationwide, 56% of respondents feel the U.S. is heading in the wrong direction, while 37% think the country is heading in the right direction. According to data agency Gallup, a presidential approval rating is a "simple measure, yet a very powerful one that has played a key role in politics for over 70 years." A president's approval rating reflects the percentage of Americans polled who approve of the president's performance. Anything can impact a president's rating, such as legislation passed, actions and elections. According to ABC News, an approval rating doesn't just represent how well the administration is doing for the general public, but could determine the outcome of an upcoming election for a politician or how much they get done during their time in office. Presidential approval ratings were first conducted by the founder of the American Institute of Public Opinion, George Gallup, around 1935 to gauge public support for the president of the United States during his term. While Gallup has tracked presidential approval for decades, other organization release their own polls as well, including Ipsos and Morning Consult. Project FiveThirtyEight also finds averages of these polls, highlighting the specific issues citizens are most concerned about. For example, Project FiveThirtyEight found Trump's most polled-on issue area was immigration. Recent approval ratings, according to different polling show: CBS News/YouGov: Respondents were equally split on whether they approve or disapprove of how Trump is handling his job. (Poll conducted March 27-28; 2,609 U.S. adults; margin of error ±2.3 percentage points.) The poll showed most Americans think Trump is focusing too much on tariffs and not enough on lowering prices, but the majority approve of his work on immigration, according to CBS News. Reuters/Ipsos: More respondents disapproved of Trump's job performance than approved by a 6 percentage point margin. (Poll conducted March 21-23; 1,030 U.S. adults; margin of error of ±3 percentage points.) 82% of respondents agreed with the statement that the "president of the United States should obey federal court rulings even if the president does not want to," according to Reuters. YouGov/TheEconomist: 49% of respondents view Trump unfavorably, while 48% view him favorably (Poll conducted March 22-25; 1,600 U.S. adults; ±3.5 percentage points). Democrats in Congress remain unpopular, with a minus 19 net favorability, and Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer at a minus 27 net favorability, according to YouGov. On immigration, 51% of respondents strongly or somewhat approve of Trump's handling of the matter, while 44% disapprove. On Trump's approach to immigration policy, 46% say it is too harsh, while 41% say it's about right. More: When is Real ID deadline? What to know in Michigan Napolitan News Service/RMG Research: More respondents approved of Trump's job at 52% approve compared to 45% disapprove. (Poll conducted March 17-28; 2,000 registered voters; margin of error ±1.8 percentage points.) RealClearPolitics aggregates polls from a number of sources on the president and issues. USA Today and the Detroit Free Press contributed. Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Trump approval ratings in Michigan: The latest polls
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How does Michigan rate President Trump? What to know about latest polls
Over two months into his second term, President Donald Trump is facing mixed approval ratings, according to recent polls nationally and in Michigan. Nationwide, some recent polls show more than half the country disapproving, while in others Trump maintains a majority approval rating or a split between views. A recent Michigan poll by Marketing Resource Group, a Lansing-based public relations firm, shows over half of Michigan residents disapprove of Trump and have a negative view of the president. This comes as Trump moves forward with tariffs, federal agency cuts through his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and billionaire Elon Musk continues to play a central role in his administration. One of just two presidents to serve non-consecutive terms, his first months have provided a unique opportunity to compare his approval ratings against himself at the same point in his first presidency. Out of the gate, Trump's net approval ratings this time were higher than his ratings in 2017, but still lower than any other president in history. The Michigan survey was conducted by live phone interviews with a random sample of all registered voters with a history of voting, stratified by city and township, Marketing Resource Group said. Here's what to know. Marketing Resource Group conducted a poll in Michigan March 24-28, 2025. The poll showed: 51% of Michiganders disapprove of President Trump's job performance, while 42% approve (602 likely voters; margin of error ± 4 percentage points.) 51% have negative feelings toward Trump, while 39% have positive feelings. The poll by Marketing Resource Group also asked Michiganders questions about the direction of Michigan and the country, along with their views on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Responses varied among political party affiliation and geographic areas within Michigan. In Michigan, 46% think the state is heading in the right direction, while 36% think Michigan is heading in the wrong direction. Per the poll, this is the first time in five years that more respondents felt the state is going in the right direction than not. More: Spring markets welcome the season to Michigan. Where to find arts, crafts, food Whitmer has 57% approval on her job performance, while 33% disapprove. This marks her highest approval rating in five years, according to the poll. Nationwide, 56% of respondents feel the U.S. is heading in the wrong direction, while 37% think the country is heading in the right direction. According to data agency Gallup, a presidential approval rating is a "simple measure, yet a very powerful one that has played a key role in politics for over 70 years." A president's approval rating reflects the percentage of Americans polled who approve of the president's performance. Anything can impact a president's rating, such as legislation passed, actions and elections. According to ABC News, an approval rating doesn't just represent how well the administration is doing for the general public, but could determine the outcome of an upcoming election for a politician or how much they get done during their time in office. Presidential approval ratings were first conducted by the founder of the American Institute of Public Opinion, George Gallup, around 1935 to gauge public support for the president of the United States during his term. While Gallup has tracked presidential approval for decades, other organization release their own polls as well, including Ipsos and Morning Consult. Project FiveThirtyEight also finds averages of these polls, highlighting the specific issues citizens are most concerned about. For example, Project FiveThirtyEight found Trump's most polled-on issue area was immigration. Recent approval ratings, according to different polling show: CBS News/YouGov: Respondents were equally split on whether they approve or disapprove of how Trump is handling his job. (Poll conducted March 27-28; 2,609 U.S. adults; margin of error ±2.3 percentage points.) The poll showed most Americans think Trump is focusing too much on tariffs and not enough on lowering prices, but the majority approve of his work on immigration, according to CBS News. Reuters/Ipsos: More respondents disapproved of Trump's job performance than approved by a 6 percentage point margin. (Poll conducted March 21-23; 1,030 U.S. adults; margin of error of ±3 percentage points.) 82% of respondents agreed with the statement that the "president of the United States should obey federal court rulings even if the president does not want to," according to Reuters. YouGov/TheEconomist: 49% of respondents view Trump unfavorably, while 48% view him favorably (Poll conducted March 22-25; 1,600 U.S. adults; ±3.5 percentage points). Democrats in Congress remain unpopular, with a minus 19 net favorability, and Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer at a minus 27 net favorability, according to YouGov. On immigration, 51% of respondents strongly or somewhat approve of Trump's handling of the matter, while 44% disapprove. On Trump's approach to immigration policy, 46% say it is too harsh, while 41% say it's about right. More: When is Real ID deadline? What to know in Michigan Napolitan News Service/RMG Research: More respondents approved of Trump's job at 52% approve compared to 45% disapprove. (Poll conducted March 17-28; 2,000 registered voters; margin of error ±1.8 percentage points.) RealClearPolitics aggregates polls from a number of sources on the president and issues. USA Today and the Detroit Free Press contributed. Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: President Trump's approval ratings: What to know in Michigan
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Study finds Michigan public schools need $22.8 billion for repairs. Where's the money?
School buildings in the state are aging and a new study of Michigan's public school infrastructure has found district buildings need $22.8 billion in repairs or renovations, with $5.3 billion in needs in the next one to three years. What do aging school district buildings look like? In Baldwin Community Schools in northern Michigan: a flooded band room. A collapsed ceiling in a school kitchen. Corroded pipes. In others? Inefficient or antiquated HVAC systems. Crumbling roofs. And the decision between hiring a teacher or fixing one of these problems, school leaders said in a news conference March 20. "We're not talking about trying to do things that are outlandish or expensive," said Jason Mellema, superintendent of the Ingham Intermediate School District. "We're talking about the basics. We're talking about safety. We're talking about infrastructure." The study conducted by the School Finance Research Foundation was commissioned by the state Legislature in 2022. It involved auditors assessing more than 2,500 school buildings across the state, with 93% of districts participating, excluding charter schools. District and state education leaders said the state desperately needs to create a sustained source of school infrastructure funding or risk student safety. "Physical spaces in which our students learn directly impacts their engagement, their health, their attendance and academic achievement," said Steven Ezikian, executive director of the School Finance Research Foundation. "In that way, these physical spaces also impact our economy, prepare kids for jobs in the future, and our entire state." Leaders said the high-level assessment of Michigan's school buildings was badly needed. But solutions — mainly the need for more funding — will likely not come quickly, as $22 billion is roughly equivalent to what the state spends on public schools annually. Michigan does not have a dedicated source of funding for school infrastructure, so districts often must turn to the local ballot to ask voters for the money to address building issues. The result is an uneven playing field for Michigan school districts, where public schools in areas with wealthier tax bases are more likely to have the funds to pay for repairs, according to studies from the School Finance Research Collaborative, a Lansing-based group that has conducted studies of school funding needs. Over 18 months, the School Finance Research Foundation worked with a team to analyze building conditions and determine repair costs for repairs and upgrades needed over nine years. The team aimed to choose the most cost-effective option to meet building needs, choosing between repairing a building issue or paying for a replacement. The study found: Districts would need $22.8 billion to be brought up "to a common standard of health, safety, and wellness through the year 2033." A need to repair the vast majority of school buildings. About 23% of the estimated spending is needed for repairs in the next three years, 31% is needed in four to six years and 46.2% is needed in seven to nine years. The most-needed repairs were to school HVAC systems, at about 33% of the study's total estimated cost, or $7.5 billion in needs, with roofing repairs being the second-highest need at 15.2% of the total estimated cost, or $3.4 billion in needs. In the news conference, education leaders hailed the effort to take stock of the state's school buildings and said investigators spent a collective 95,000 hours assessing buildings. "This was the first time we have taken a hard look at what it would cost to bring our school buildings up to standards that would support a safe, healthy learning environment," said Doug Leisenring, superintendent of the Delta-Schoolcraft Intermediate School District. It's a fraught question. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's proposed budget includes $155 million in a school district infrastructure fund for the purpose of improving school buildings. If the Legislature were to approve that deposit in the upcoming fiscal year's budget, about $430 million would be available in that fund, nearly 2% of the full $22.8 billion outlined in the study and nearly 9% of the $5 billion of the most-urgent needs. Education leaders for years have decried Michigan's way of funding education building needs, which lacks a dedicated stream funded on an annual basis, the way per-pupil funding is consistently funded. Turning to voters for local tax funding isn't a sure thing. For example, Hazel Park School District's 2024 $150 million bond proposal, which would have included building security upgrades, HVAC repairs, a new elementary school building and more, was met with opposition from community members. The bond failed on the May 2024 ballot, with 66% voting no. Nick Ceglarek, superintendent of Northwest Education Services in the northern part of the state, said the state funding model neglects to take into account regular maintenance costs and makes districts turn to voters to ask for bond money, funded through local taxes, to cover building costs. "It should be noted that there is a significant inequity statewide in an individual district's ability to meet ongoing capital needs through bonds," he said. Contact Lily Altavena: laltavena@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Study: Michigan schools need $22.8 billion in repairs. Where's funds?
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
As Michigan cannabis prices fall, business owners point to other threats to their survival
Michigan recreational marijuana business owners who gathered for a quarterly public meeting of the state's Cannabis Regulatory Agency on Wednesday said unfair fines, falling prices and the illicit products showing up in the market are threatening their economic survival. The business owners and other industry stakeholders who spoke during the 1½-hour-long meeting, held both in-person in Lansing and virtually, called for more effective enforcement and regulatory reform to stabilize the industry. Their comments come as the price of marijuana flower continues to decline — dropping to its lowest level of $65.21 for an ounce of recreational marijuana flower in February — making it hard for businesses to make a profit. Cannabis companies that use undisclosed substances in their products to save money can undercut the prices of other sellers, making it tougher for businesses to compete, industry stakeholders said. At the same time, a new tax on marijuana products, recently proposed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to fund Michigan roads, adds to obstacles for business owners. A cannabis attorney called that proposal a "very serious and existential threat" at the meeting. Some of the concerns raised at the meeting on Wednesday include: Lindsay Feehan, who spoke in person and identified herself as one of the owners of Lansing-based Emerald Transport, said the fact that the average retail price for an ounce of recreational marijuana flower has dropped to $65.21 is a bad thing for everyone in the industry, including transporters. "We are all losing," Feehan said. "I don't know who you could tell me is winning on that." Recreational marijuana prices drop again in Michigan: What it means for the industry A caller who identified himself as Eric Colandrea and an attorney for LaHaze Cannabis Co., a grower and processor in Cheboygan, said fines resulting from enforcement actions taken by the CRA are based on rules that are poorly written and are "arbitrary." "When you layer on the various licensing fees that we pay annually in the high $75,000 range, adding on an extra $9,000 in fines for something that really could have been a warning or could have been a $500 fine, it hurts," Colandrea said. "Right now, there's millions of dollars invested in our facility and given the pricing that we're getting for the product, we're not making money. We're losing money. So if we don't have some actions by the agency that make sense when it comes to fines, you're just going to drive these businesses like us out ... and blow up a lot of investments and put a lot of people out of work." A caller who identified as David Bye with the Michigan for Safe Cannabis Coalition said conversion oil (oil that's synthetically converted into THC, which is the psychoactive component of the marijuana plant), unregulated hemp-derived products and illegal cannabis "still undermine the integrity of our regulated market" in which companies are required to follow state rules. "Despite clear violations, a significant number of license holders caught with large quantities of illegal products still retain their licenses and are still doing business today," Bye said. "Obviously, we know that's very unsettling, and we're looking for ways to resolve that." The CRA has said that it intends to make clear in a new rule set proposed by the CRA in 2023 that CBD to THC conversion is prohibited in Michigan. More on these undisclosed substances: Michigan cannabis lab CEO says hidden substances could taint vape pens, edibles A few industry stakeholders brought up Whitmer's plan to raise $470 million per year for roads by imposing a 32% wholesale tax on marijuana, which they said would result in business closures because consumers wouldn't be willing to pay higher prices for cannabis products and would turn to the illicit market. Matt Imig, who spoke in person representing Lansing-based M&M Agriculture, described the proposed tax as dropping "a bombshell" on the industry. "What are people going to do," Imig asked at the meeting. "Where is it going to go? Are we starting to look at what the possible loopholes are for people? ... Maybe small growers are going to get stuck and then you could just kiss the small businesses goodbye. Maybe that's the goal: to just have 10 or 15 huge players and the rest of the small mom-and-pop shops just go away." Contact Adrienne Roberts: amroberts@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan cannabis businesses warn of real threats they face
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A year later, Whitmer silent on MSU board's request to remove 2 trustees for misconduct
EAST LANSING ― A year after she was asked to remove two Michigan State University trustees for misconduct that included accepting free flights and courtside tickets from donors and trying to change the findings of an investigation into the 2023 mass shooting on campus, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer hasn't taken any public action. In the meantime, the restrictions placed on March 3, 2024, on Trustees Rema Vassar, D-Detroit, and Dennis Denno, D-East Lansing, expired on Dec. 31. Both sought and were granted seats on the board committee for academic affairs and the board committee on budget and finance in January. They had been prohibited from serving on committees and stripped of liaison positions when they were censured by their fellow trustees in March. Despite their return to previously-held responsibilities, and board Chair Kelly Tebay telling the State Journal she felt the board wanted to move on and present a united front behind President Kevin Guskiewicz, the request to remove Vassar and Denno is still active. Guskiewicz started at MSU as president in March 2024. In October, Danny Wimmer, press secretary for Attorney General Dana Nessel, confirmed Whitmer's office reached out to Nessel's office to review the request. Stacey LaRouche, press secretary for Whitmer, didn't respond to multiple requests in recent weeks about the status of the board's request to the governor. Wimmer did not respond to an inquiry Wednesday about whether Nessel was still reviewing Whitmer's request. Whitmer and Nessel, like Vassar and Denno, are all members of the Democratic party. Asked about the pending board request to Whitmer, Denno said the referral was a "non-issue" and that "no one thinks about it anymore." He added that he was excited to be back on board committees. Vassar did not respond to a message left seeking comment. Former Faculty Senate Chair Jack Lipton has been advocating for the two to be removed, believing they encouraged students to attack him and label him a racist. He sued the board in October for retaliation, and the lawsuit is pending. "Since we haven't heard anything from the governor in so long, we were hoping a creative solution through the court system could put pressure on the university to make the right decisions," Liz Abdnour, Lipton's Lansing-based attorney, told the State Journal in October. In October 2023, now-Vice Chair Brianna Scott sent a letter to her fellow trustees and local media, detailing 10 allegations against then-Chair Vassar's misconduct and bullying. The letter sparked an investigation into Vassar's behavior, for which MSU hired Washington D.C.-based law firm Miller & Chevalier. That investigation later expanded to cover allegations of misconduct by Denno and other trustees. The investigation, which MSU has spent $2 million on, found evidence to support some, but not all, of Scott's original allegations. The law firm found evidence Denno tried to get the who analyzed MSU's response to the mass shooting to change their findings after the report criticized the trustees' response. Vassar also accepted courtside tickets and a private jet flight from a donor for her and her daughter to attend a basketball game. Both trustees acted outside the authority of their roles, investigators found, as well as evidence that both Vassar and Denno attempted to "embarrass and unsettle" former interim President Teresa Woodruff and attack Lipton. Miller & Chevalier concluded its report with several recommendations, including that the two trustees be referred to Whitmer so she could consider removing them. The board also censured Scott for making her allegations public. Vassar and Denno have maintained that Miller & Chevalier's investigation was incomplete and misleading. "I refute most of the allegations in the Miller & Chevalier (MC) report," Denno said in an email to the State Journal last year. "I will accept a censure but contest any other form of punishment. What has been proposed is overly-punitive in nature." Through her attorneys, paid for by MSU, Vassar released a statement calling the report 'profoundly flawed.' She is involved in a dispute with the university over legal fees for attorneys MSU hired on her behalf. Whitmer has used strong language previously to describe the turmoil. In October 2023, the governor called the allegations against Vassar "deeply concerning." "I'm taking it very seriously," Whitmer said during a news media scrum. "I think the allegations, if accurate, amount to a serious breach of conduct in what we expect of our board members and ... the oath that they took." Whitmer has the sole authority to remove the trustees as governor. MSU's trustees, along with the University of Michigan's Board of Regents and Wayne State University's Board of Governors, are the only college governing bodies whose members are elected in statewide elections in Michigan, and as elected officials the only person who can remove them is the governor. In 2020 Vassar was elected with over 2.3 million votes and in 2022, Denno was elected with 1.9 million votes, according to records from the Michigan Secretary of State. Eric Lupher, president of the Livonia-based nonprofit public affairs research organization Citizens Research Council, told the State Journal last year that a governor removing an elected official in Michigan was so rare there was no defined process. The last high-profile effort to remove an elected official by a Michigan governor was over a decade ago, Lupher said. And the elected official in question, former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, resigned before Gov. Jennifer Granholm could announce a decision. Contact Sarah Atwood at satwood@ Follow her on X @sarahmatwood. This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: A year later, Whitmer mum on MSU board's request to remove 2 trustees
