In May, Gov. Rick Snyder rolled out his priorities to create a smart justice system in Michigan by proposing a series of reforms that have been successful in other states. Georgia and Texas, for instance, have seen significant savings through innovative justice reforms while crime and repeat offender rates dropped.

It’s not really a secret that Detroit isn’t doing well.

I attend Hillsdale College in southern Michigan. It’s a pleasant place, the people are friendly, the landscape of the college is beautiful, and the academic rigor is intellectually stimulating. Some of the things that I’ve learned since becoming a temporary Michigander are that  the weather is utterly and truly unpredictable, that Ohio State fans are worst people on earth (their words, not mine), and that native Michiganders insist that “soda” is something you bake with and “pop” is the thing you drink. (They’re wrong.) 

In Michigan, Proposition Two is one of the most buzzed about topics on the ballot. Proposal Two would add the right to collective bargaining to Michigan’s Constitution and is hotly contested in the state. The proposal gives Michiganders “the rights to organize together to form, join, or assist labor organizations, and to bargain collectively with a public or private employer.”