The Mackinac Center for Public Policy recently highlighted a union contract by the in Michigan's Bay City Public Schools has sparked outrage over its disciplinary provisions for teachers involved in illegal activities, including drug and alcohol offenses. Critics argue that the contract exemplifies the excessive power of teachers' unions, shielding educators from termination even in serious cases of misconduct.

According to the collective bargaining agreement, a teacher who is found manufacturing, selling, or distributing illegal drugs on school property can face as little as a three-day unpaid suspension paired with mandatory counseling. The policy applies to other offenses as well, including being under the influence of drugs or alcohol during school activities.

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Alcohol Offenses: Five Chances Before Termination

The contract specifies a progressive disciplinary system for alcohol-related misconduct. A teacher under the influence of alcohol at school receives the following penalties:

• First offense: Written reprimand and mandatory counseling.

• Second offense: Three-day unpaid suspension with mandatory counseling.

• Third offense: Five-day unpaid suspension with mandatory counseling.

• Fourth offense: Ten-day unpaid suspension with mandatory counseling.

• Fifth offense: Termination.

  

   

This provision has raised concerns among parents and critics who question whether it adequately prioritizes student safety and the integrity of the educational environment.

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Drug Offenses: Three Strikes for Illegal Substances

The disciplinary system for drug-related offenses is similarly lenient:

• First offense: Written reprimand with mandatory counseling.

• Second offense (if classified as a misdemeanor under state law): Three-day unpaid suspension with mandatory counseling.

• Third offense (or second, if classified as a felony): Termination.

Even more contentious is the contract’s handling of teachers who engage in the sale or manufacture of illegal drugs. The first offense in such cases is treated similarly to lesser infractions, with a three-day unpaid suspension and mandatory counseling.

 

Broader Implications and Criticism

Steve Delie, a labor policy director at the Mackinac Center Legal Foundation, criticized the contract, calling it an example of "how out of hand collective bargaining in Michigan has become."

“Instead of focusing on improving educational outcomes for Michigan’s children, unions have negotiated for collective bargaining provisions that are irrelevant," Delie said. "The state Legislature should take a close look at these terms and consider whether these are the types of subjects that schools should be forced to negotiate.”

The contract, which remains active until 2025, has drawn attention from Michigan Capitol Confidential, which first reported on the issue in April 2024.

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Public Reaction

Parents and local community members have expressed outrage over the leniency of the disciplinary measures, arguing that such policies undermine trust in the education system. Many have called for stricter regulations to ensure that schools maintain a safe and productive environment for students.

As debate continues, the controversy over Bay City Public Schools’ union contract underscores the broader discussion on the role and power of teachers' unions in shaping education policy.

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HOUSTON, TX – In a disturbing surge of violence against law enforcement, nine police officers have been shot across the United States in the last 48 hours, highlighting an alarming trend of attacks on those sworn to protect and serve. This series of events underscores not just the inherent dangers of the job but also the broader societal issues surrounding law enforcement and public safety.

This is a story the mainstream media is ignoring. Not putting it near the top of their newscasts.

he most recent incidents took place in Houston, where three officers were hospitalized after a suspect opened fire during an encounter. The officers sustained injuries to the foot, leg, and arm, and are reported to be in stable condition. This incident is part of a worrying pattern where officers are increasingly becoming targets, even as they respond to routine calls for service. Click here to read more.

 

LANSING, Mich - Legislation before the Michigan House will fix imminent harmful change to the state’s paid sick leave and tipped wage law, supporters say, and lawmakers of both parties claim they have a solution to changes that could devastate restaurants, stores, nonprofits and others.

The Republican-controlled House could vote on House bills 4001 and 4002 as early as today.

Voter-initiated laws passed in 2018 force all businesses to provide paid sick leave and a higher minimum wage starting Feb. 21, though current legislative activities could modify those requirements. Click here to read more.

 

WASHINGTON D.C. - President Donald Trump signed an order on Thursday to declassify the assassination files of former President John F. Kennedy, former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

As he signed the order, Trump said, “A lot of people have been waiting for this for years, for decades. And everything will be revealed.” The president then instructed his aide to give the pen he signed the order with to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., his nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary and the son of RFK and nephew of JFK.

When more JFK files were made public in 2022, the National Archives and Records Administration said 97% of the roughly 5 million pages were public, but around 3,000 documents remained classified and another 30,000 had redactions. Click here to read more.

 

LANSING, Mich - Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson bungled the launch of her gubernatorial campaign on Tuesday, prompting online ridicule from her constituents and others.

“Secretary of State Benson appears to have accidentally announced a run for Governor on Twitter,” the Michigan Information and Research Services news organization posted to X shortly after 7 p.m. Tuesday. “The post was taken down moments after posting.”

The MIRS post included a snapshot of Benson’s online announcement.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson bungled the launch of her gubernatorial campaign on Tuesday, prompting online ridicule from her constituents and others.

“Secretary of State Benson appears to have accidentally announced a run for Governor on Twitter,” the Michigan Information and Research Services news organization posted to X shortly after 7 p.m. Tuesday. “The post was taken down moments after posting.”

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - The man indicted in one of the most violent cases in Birmingham in recent memory was arraigned Wednesday.

Damien McDaniel is indicted on 37 felony counts spanning five different shootings over the course of three months in 2024. Most notably, McDaniel is one of several defendants charged in the mass shooting in Five Points South and the mass shooting at Trendsetters Lounge. Specifically, he’s charged with killing 11 and shooting 29 people.

McDaniel’s attorney, John Robbins acknowledges the historic nature of this case.

“You don’t see cases like this very often,” Robbins admitted after court.

Wednesday was a procedural day in court, a prosecutor read McDaniel his indictments and he pleaded not guilty to two counts of capital murder of two or more people, capital murder-robbery, capital murder-burglary and murder. McDaniel waived arraignment on the other 32 counts.

Robbins says McDaniel’s mindset is that he’s not guilty, although Robbins is new to the case and hasn’t seen any of the evidence so far. Click here to read more.

This email is free weekdays, but the in-depth investigations and shows I produce rely on your support.

I left a high-paying media job to bring you real, independent journalism.

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WASHINGTON D.C. - President Donald Trump made a sweeping move against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) by issuing executive orders aimed at eliminating racialized policies within the federal government and other American institutions.

Specifically, Trump signed an order revoking a 1965 executive order by President Lyndon B. Johnson, which established race-based hiring requirements, known as affirmative action, for federal contractors. This action was accompanied by a directive from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) that placed DEI personnel on leave and shut down DEI-related programs and offices.

“President Trump campaigned on removing DEI from the federal government and restoring a merit-based system where individuals are hired based on their skills rather than their race or background,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated. “This is another win for Americans of all races, religions, and creeds. Promises made, promises kept.” Click here to read more.

 

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — When NewsNation affiliate WAVY first met Jaime Duzz, WAVY asked her the question that was begging to be asked.

“Jaime Duzz, are you dead?”

It seems like a silly question, but the fact is, it is a really serious question for her — with complex answers still unanswered on how she is considered in some public records, including Social Security Administration, as dead.

Duzz answers the question in one of three interviews WAVY conducted with her to help her correct a system that sees her as dead.

“My situation is absolute hell,” she said. “I feel like I am nonexistent on this planet. I am literally nonexistent. I can’t get a credit report. I can’t get health insurance,” she told WAVY at her Virginia Beach home. Click here to read more.

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Indigenous activist Leonard Peltier will return home nearly half a century after he was imprisoned for the 1975 killings of two FBI agents. President Joe Biden commuted Peltier’s sentence Monday following decades of community-led advocacy calling his imprisonment an example of the U.S. government’s mistreatment of Native Americans.

The White House said Peltier, who is now 80 and of declining health, will transition to home confinement. The commutation is not a pardon for crimes committed, a decision some of Peltier’s advocates welcomed since he has always maintained his innocence. But the last-minute move as Biden left office angered law enforcement officers who believe he is guilty.

The National Congress of American Indians celebrated the “historic” decision in a statement saying the case “has long symbolized the systemic injustices faced by Indigenous Peoples.” Click here to read more.

 

CARRIBEAN - For all their charm, the pristine beaches of the Caribbean have always been slightly at odds with the reality of life in the region. This situation is helped by the fact that tourism remains the lifeblood of local economies – and is typically insulated from the high crime rates, civil unrest and political instability.

Could that be about to change? Over the past year, a rising tide of experts and law enforcement agencies have been sounding their alarms about a surge in violent crime across the Caribbean, including in countries usually regarded as tourist paradises.

In response to the violence, some governments are resorting to dramatic moves to restore order. Just last week, the government in Trinidad and Tobago extended its “state of emergency” which grants extra powers to police in order to stem gang violence.

This isn’t the first time the region has seen instability, with previous waves doing little to dent tourism. So are tourists at risk? Here’s our guide to what you need to know. Click here to read more.

 

NASHVILLE, TN - A new bill seeking to prohibit the addition of fluoride to public water systems in Tennessee passed its first consideration in the state Senate last week. This marks the initial step in what is expected to be a lengthy process of votes and debates over water fluoridation in the state.

Senate Bill 162, introduced by State Senator Joey Hensley on January 16, proposes an amendment to Tennessee law that would prohibit water suppliers from adding fluoride to public water systems.

The concise legislation aims to end the practice of water fluoridation, which currently impacts the majority of the state. According to the Tennessee Department of Health, about 88% of residents served by community water systems receive fluoridated water.

Opposition to water fluoridation has grown in recent years, fueled by concerns about its potential health risks. Critics, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., former President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, have raised questions about fluoride’s safety. Click here to read more.