In 2000, Michigan had 580,000 people on food stamps. By 2011, that number had grown to 1.9 million people as nearly 1 in 5 Michigan residents were on the Food Assistance Program.

But after 11 consecutive years of increases, Michigan has seen the number of people on food stamps decrease the past two years, according to the state’s annual reports.

After reaching the high-water mark of 1,928,478 in 2011, the number of people on food stamps dropped to 1,828,384 in 2012 and then to 1,775,646 in 2013.

Don Grimes, an economist for the University of Michigan, said the recent decrease looks to be driven by the improving economy.

"There is a very strong negative correlation (-0.61) between the change in the number of people collecting food stamps and the number of people holding jobs (measured on either the household or establishment basis),” Grimes said. “Food stamp usage grew faster than expected given the growth in employment in 2010 and 2011 when eligibility criteria were loosened."

Bob Wheaton, spokesman for the Michigan Department of Human Services, said the state is reviewing what could be behind the drop in food stamps recipients and would have a response by mid-September.

The Food Assistance Program offers temporary food assistance for eligible low-income families. The state issues Bridge Cards for recipients. 

This paper examines how public school districts responded to Michigan's 2012 “right-to-work” law. It describes the key findings from reviews of more than 500 teacher collective bargaining agreements. It also raises several questions about the legality of some union contracts with regard to this new law.

Approximately 75 percent of districts with contracts subject to the right-to-work law removed language that would require employees to financially support a union as a condition of employment. Both legal and policy questions are raised by the remaining 25 percent of districts, which kept mandatory dues language in one way or another, despite having a contract that took effect or was modified after the law's effective date.

The study describes five issues with these contracts. Twenty-three contracts made no apparent changes and kept mandatory dues language. Eight districts created a separate agreement to require mandatory dues payment. Fifteen contracts were ratified before they would be subject to the right-to-work law, but then didn’t take effect until much later. Five contracts made only the mandatory dues language immediately effective, while delaying the rest of the contract. Finally, at least six districts have modified parts of their contract without making the rest of it compliant with the right-to-work law.