Listening to the partisan political debate, some people may think that the only way for government policies to change is to elect the right people. While elections are important, they are not the only way that policies get changed. Another possibility is that the Overton Window shifts when some ideas become more popular, and the change can make previously unthinkable policies possible. I spoke with the Mackinac Center’s director of research, Michael Van Beek, to talk about how the Overton Window changes. We looked at the new ways policymakers thought about taxi regulations and what caused them to rethink their approach.
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Detroit Free Press
Michigan needs to do and spend much more to avoid further disasters like the two dam failures that caused catastrophic flooding in Midland and Gladwin counties in May 2020, the Michigan Dam Safety Task Force states in its final report submitted this week to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
The 19-member task force, including state department heads, engineers, dam safety officials and others, was convened by Whitmer following the Edenville and Sanford dam failures on the Tittabawassee River amid record rains last May. The dam failures drained the Wixom Lake and Sanford Lake impoundments, causing devastating flooding downriver in Midland, with more than $250 million in damages. Whitmer asked the task force to take a comprehensive look at the state s 2,500 dams, about 1,100 of which are regulated by the state, and whether their regulation was adequate.
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Credit steve carmody / Michigan Radio
It will be a few more days before a task force set up to study Michigan’s dam safety regulations will finish its final report.
The delay is because of concerns about the “tone” of the document.
The Dam Safety Task Force was created after last May’s failures of the Edenville and Sanford dams. The twin dam failures contributed to a 500-year flood event which caused tens of millions of dollars in damage. Rising floodwaters forced thousands in Midland and Gladwin counties to evacuate their homes.
The task force has come up with a wide spectrum of recommendations for modifying and updating Michigan’s regulations for publicly and privately owned dams. The recommendations would expand the number of dams regulated by the state.