Voters in 41 school districts across the state will decide whether to raise property taxes to pay for new and renovated K-12 school buildings on the May 7 ballot.

The total of 43 school bond proposals are the highlight of a relatively light May ballot that features just 14 other proposed tax increases, six of those from school districts seeking new sinking funds that allow them to raise funds for maintenance, technology, transportation and security, according to a Gongwer News Service review of ballots across the state.

There's also one proposal each for library services and parks and recreation plus two for public safety, three for school operations and one for seniors.

Millage renewals number 35.

May elections in the even-numbered year usually have fewer local proposals because jurisdictions seeking them must pay for the cost of the election. Jurisdictions seeking tax increases and other local items this August or November will pay nothing because the state pays for the cost of running a statewide election.

Among the larger school bond proposals:

$361.3 million in the Huron Valley Schools in Oakland and Livingston counties

$330 million in the L'Anse Creuse Public Schools in Macomb County

$250.1 million in the Walled Lake Consolidated Schools in Oakland County

$150 million in the Hazel Park Schools in Oakland County

$104.15 million in the Lowell Area Schools in Ionia and Kent counties

$98.5 million for the St. Joseph Public Schools in Berrien County

$92 million in the Mattawan Consolidated Schools in Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties

$92 million in the St. Johns Public Schools in Clinton and Gratiot counties

$90 million in the Marshall Public Schools in Calhoun and Jackson counties

Use Gongwer's exclusive Millage Monitor to review the proposals. Subscribers can use the monitor to see how many proposals are on the ballot by category as well as sort them by jurisdiction, county and type of proposal. Use export tools to create a spreadsheet. Or use the archive to review past local proposals back to 2018.

The night of the May 7 elections, Gongwer will tag each proposal as having passed or failed, and the monitor will update to show those results.

It's part of Gongwer's commitment to provide subscribers with the most advanced services and unavailable anywhere else.

– By Zach Gorchow

Gongwer News Service, Michigan's leader in state government news and information, is pleased to unveil a groundbreaking legislation comparison tool that will revolutionize the way subscribers monitor legislative activities and follow legislative changes.

With the new service, subscribers can now easily compare different versions of legislation in a side-by-side setting. [Sample] This allows for a clear, immediate understanding of amendments and substitutes and makes it easier to track key developments at the Capitol.

Whether it's tracking subtle changes in language or analyzing major shifts in policy direction, the new service offers unparalleled vision into the legislative process.

Key features of the tool include:

As soon as new versions of legislation are published, the tool allows subscribers to easily review changes in a side-by-side setting.

By default, the system highlights removed language in red, new language in green and moved language in blue.

The comparison tool is included on every bill history page on the Gongwer platform and is also available for bills from previous legislative sessions.

Additional enhancements to this service are under development.

In addition to the comparison feature, Gongwer bill history pages now also include all versions of legislation and analyses. [Sample] With this change, subscribers will now be able to view bill and analysis text without having to leave the Gongwer website.

Gongwer News Service announced Tuesday it has formed a groundbreaking partnership with WDET Detroit Public Radio with Gongwer becoming co-host of WDET's long-running weekly state politics podcast, "MichMash."

Starting on Friday, January 12, 2024, Zach Gorchow and Alethia Kasben of Gongwer will join award-winning podcaster and journalist Cheyna Roth as co-hosts of "MichMash," marking an exciting new chapter for the podcast. This partnership signifies a union of WDET's commitment to providing accurate, accessible news with Gongwer's unparalleled Capitol reporting and expertise.

"MichMash" has a reputation for unraveling the intricacies of the state's political landscape. Since its inception in 2017, "MichMash" has become an essential source of information for engaged citizens across Michigan, from Detroit to Marquette.

"MichMash" has garnered its well-deserved reputation by offering a unique blend of casual, informative and timely discussions on Michigan's political developments and democratic processes. The podcast boasts a wide range of interviews with elected officials, policymakers, and fellow journalists, providing listeners with an insider's view of the state's political landscape.

Zach Gorchow, Gongwer Michigan executive editor and publisher, said the new partnership is a natural fit for Gongwer's focus on state policy and politics.

"We're excited to join forces with WDET and Cheyna Roth on 'MichMash,'" he said. "Michigan politics is rich and dynamic, and we look forward to contributing our expertise to this outstanding podcast that will serve our subscribers and all of Michigan well."

WDET General Manager Mary Zatina said the station is thrilled to embark on the new partnership with Gongwer.

"We believe this collaboration will bring even more depth and insight to 'MichMash,' making it an indispensable resource for anyone interested in the complexities of Michigan's political arena," she said.

Gongwer has set up a new podcast studio in its downtown Lansing offices at 101 S. Washington Sq, Suite 540, to allow for in-person interviews with people working on key state policy matters.

"MichMash" is available on all major podcast platforms and is also broadcast on several public radio stations throughout Michigan, including WDET. The podcast is published every Friday, making it a go-to resource for staying informed about the latest developments in Michigan politics.

A promo episode is now live at gongwer.com/michmash with the co-hosts discussing the new partnership. Gongwer will alert its subscribers on Friday mornings via email once the new podcast is available. This will link to gongwer.com/michmash with a podcast player containing the latest episode though anyone can access the podcast through any major platform.

Listeners can look forward to a fresh and enriched MichMash experience as Cheyna Roth, Zach Gorchow, and Alethia Kasben combine their talents to explore the intricacies of Michigan politics in the coming episodes. Together, they aim to provide in-depth analysis, engaging discussions, and unique insights into the state's ever-evolving political landscape.

About Gongwer News Service:

Gongwer News Service is a renowned and respected source of political news and analysis in Michigan. With a team of experienced journalists, Gongwer has been delivering comprehensive coverage of Michigan politics, policy and government since 1961.

About WDET Detroit Public Radio:

WDET Detroit Public Radio, an NPR affiliate station, is dedicated to providing reliable news and engaging content to the people of Detroit and the surrounding areas. With a focus on promoting informed citizenship and civic engagement, WDET has been a trusted source of news and information for over 70 years.

MichMash is produced by WDET, Detroit Public Radio, in collaboration with Gongwer News Service.

Gongwer News Service has improved its feature for monitoring statewide ballot proposals.

Subscribers can now review all active initiative petitions for the current election cycle at Gongwer's Ballot Proposals page.

The new feature provides a landing page for all active statewide initiative petitions and shows their current status, whether that's collecting signatures, pending before the Board of State Canvassers , in court and more.

Additionally, with many initiative petitions ending up the subject of a court challenge, the upgraded service also provides a log of court cases involving the petition.

Each initiative petition page also contains additional information, like links to the full text of the proposal and dates of signatures submitted where appropriate. The upgraded service also will allow for handling voter-initiated acts enacted by the Legislature instead of going to the ballot.

Each initiative petition page will still contain information about the supporters and opponents of the proposal and links to all stories about the measure.

The Ballot Proposals page is housed on Gongwer's Elections page.

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Gongwer News Service unveiled Wednesday a new feature with information on the state's political parties and their elected officials.

Located under Other Resources on Gongwer's Directories page, subscribers can find information on all political parties with current ballot access in Michigan.

For the Democratic and Republican parties, the pages include:

• The current party chair and links to party contact information
• A biographical page for the party chair
• The party's current elected state executive officers and members of the Michigan Senate, Michigan House and the state's congressional delegation

All elected officials listed are linked to their bio pages on the Gongwer platform.

Soon-to-be deployed enhancements to these pages include social media buttons for each party as well as rosters of former major party state chairs going back to the 1990s.

Additional service enhancements are under development.