A group that is demanding a face mask mandate in schools says it represents parents around the state, but is using a politically left-wing nonprofit’s online tool to publish and operate its petition.

The Michigan Parent Alliance for Safe Schools launched a petition on a site created by an organization calling itself the Action Network.

That group’s website invites users to “Join thousands of progressive organizations.” It links to the AFL-CIO union, the far-left Daily Kos news site, the Democratic National Committee and United We Dream, a nonprofit that defends undocumented immigrants.

“Action Network, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, trains and educates progressives about organizing and mobilizing with technology,” the website stated.

The website describes the organization’s goal as “forming deep partnerships with progressive organizations to build technology in true collaboration.”

The Michigan Parent Alliance for Safe Schools was described by many Michigan media outlets this week as a grass roots organization. A review found no example of a state media outlet whose coverage disclosed its apparent ties to progressive political interests.

For example, the Detroit Free Press reported, “The coalition has involved parent groups in counties across the state, including Macomb, Oakland, Genesee, Wayne, Ottawa and Kent.”

MLive and the Detroit Free Press quoted Emily Mellits extensively in their stories and identified Mellits as “a Macomb County parent.” Mellits led the pro-masking parent coalition meeting on Wednesday that sparked extensive media coverage.

Mellits is listed on the website of the newly formed Northern Macomb Branch of the NAACP as a member at large of its executive committee.

The Detroit News also reported Mellits was the lead organizer of the Macomb Accountability Project.

The Macomb Accountability Project’s website posts on only one topic and that is organizing an effort to get former Republican Sen. Peter Lucido to resign as Macomb County prosecutor.

A few weeks after Michigan’s new right-to-work policy was signed into law — but a little more than two months before it went into effect — the Detroit Free Press published this graphic, produced by cartoonist Mike Thompson, on Jan. 13, 2013.

In the eight years before Michigan adopted right-to-work, it had been dead last among the states for growth in its gross domestic product. In the eight years since, its growth rate rose from last place to to 32nd.

From 2005 to 2012, Michigan’s inflation-adjusted median household income fell 13.4%. From 2012 to 2019, it rose by 14.2%.

Michigan’s poverty rate increased from 13.2% to 17.4% from 2005 to 2012. The number living in poverty here fell from 17.4% to 13.0% in the eight years after right-to-work became the law.

Figures from the year 2020 are not included due to impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.