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Michael J. Reitz, Guest Writer 11:15 p.m. ET Feb. 25, 2017

The Michigan State Capitol building on Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, in Lansing.(Photo: Elaine Cromie/Detroit Free Press)Buy Photo

Donald Trumps election unsettled many people. Hundreds of thousands of people are protesting his presidency, appointees and policies. And here in Michigan, Republicans control the governors office and both chambers of the Michigan Legislature. If you find yourself in the political minority, take heart.

There are a number of proposals lawmakers may tackle that all voters could support ideas that would especially benefit Michigans neediest residents.

Here are five ideas to consider:

Eliminate barriers to jobs:The best anti-poverty program, by far, is a good job. Work provides resources, yes, but it also gives a person a greater sense of worth, dignity and purpose. Do you remember your first job? Chances are it was tough, low-paying and something you wouldnt want to do again. But I bet you are grateful for it and can recite many lessons you learned in the role. Giving people a clear path to a job is a noble and life-affirming task.

The State of Michigan requires a license for more than 200 occupations, which affects more than 20% of workers. (Compare that to the minimum wage, which applies to only 1% of workers.) Installing wood floors, laying concrete, painting a wall, siding a house these all require permission from a government agency. The states licenses are usually accompanied by high fees and costly training. The result? We prevent people from obtaining meaningful work.

Improve the states school-ranking system:In January, the Michigan School Reform Office announced that 38 academically struggling schools could face closure after three straight years of low achievement. This announcement understandably ignited concerns.

While accountability is critically important, the manner of evaluating schools could be improved. The states Top-to-Bottom ranking merely assesses schools based on average student test scores.It fails to take student poverty into account. As a result, schools that are demonstrating growth in spite of socioeconomic hurdles can be unfairly penalized.

Promote criminal justice reform:An effective criminal justice system achieves public safety while maximizing resources. Michigan incarcerates more than 43,000 people and spends $2 billion each year on corrections. Prison sentences and prison stays here, which exceed national averages in length, consume ever more money. The state could improve how it collects and manages data to help researchers and policymakers better understand rehabilitation, prisoner re-entry and recidivism; bills in the Senate will do this.

Michigan has 3,100 criminal statutes on the books. The Legislature could reduce the likelihood that you unwittingly commit a crime by repealing outdated or duplicative laws.

If you are suspected of a crime, the police can confiscate your cash and property without an arrest or conviction. Lawmakers should protect individual property rights by banning forfeiture without the conviction of a crime.

Give citizens a tax cut:Lawmakers should reconsider a bill that would roll back the personal income tax. This would let taxpayers keep their own money and do more to boost the economy than the states costly corporate-welfare giveaways. Families can make better decisions about how to spend their money than lawmakers and bureaucrats who try to lure companies through subsidies, credits and targeted tax cuts.

Shine the light on government actions:One of the lessons from the Flint water crisis is that open government is good government. Michigan is the only state with a law that specifically exempts the governor from its Freedom of Information Act. The Legislature is also exempt from FOIA. As a result, documents and communication within those branches of government are not available to the public.

Its time to extend FOIAs requirements to the governor and the Legislature. As the law explains: The people shall be informed so that they may fully participate in the democratic process.

Casting a vote in a presidential election is a great privilege and right, but one need not wait until 2020 to practice civic engagement. There are real opportunities in 2017 to promote and advance ideas to help the people of Michigan.

Michael Reitz is the executive vice president of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Midland.

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Excerpt from:
5 ideas liberals and conservatives could agree on - Detroit Free Press