Articles by Ryan McLain

After much debate, division, and uncertainty, the U.S. House, Senate, and President Obama all agreed to pass legislation to allow the Highway Trust Fund to continue operating in the short term. However, this new bill of $10.8 billion does not actually put more money into the highway fund. Instead, it takes from pension tax changes, customs fees, and money previously allocated to repair other programs. Direct funding for the Highway Trust Fund relies on the federal gas tax. This tax has not been...

WikiMediaCommons In 2010, Michigan was one of the many states to go red in the mid-term elections. This 96th Congress of Michigan was a hotbed of disagreement that created a plethora of national spotlight worthy laws: the "Right-to-Work" legislation that emerged during the lame duck session, the Emergency Financial Manager program, and the 4-year welfare limit, just to name a few. Following these controversies, the state has felt more divided than ever. In the November elections, the Republica...

The developments between the Oklahoma City-based craft store chain Hobby Lobby and the United States Government the past few months have been interesting to watch, to say the least. After the Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act this summer, all private for-profit companies are required to cover birth control and the morning-after pill as part of their healthcare plans beginning January 1st, 2013. Hobby Lobby does not want to comply. Founder and CEO David Green claims covering the morni...

Friday, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed into law House Bill 5711, imposing new restrictions on abortion clinics and doctors which further tighten abortion regulation in the state. The bill requires clinics that perform more than 120 abortions a year be licensed and screening patients to ensure they aren't being forced into the abortion. The bill also includes an outline for the disposal of fetal remains and prohibits "telemedicine," such as a webcam consultation with another doctor. While ...

The following is an e-mail interview with Michigan Libertarian Senate Candidate Scotty Boman that occurred over a period of several weeks. If you wish to learn more about him, visit his official website. Ryan: Thank you for taking the time to speak with me Mr. Boman. Your name is not as well known in Michigan as Debbie Stabenow's, yet. What is the main thing you are trying to do to change that? Boman: I have done some common things such as creating a website and sending out press releases, but...

The popularity of GMOs (Genetically modified organisms, also know as genetically engineered organisms) has been growing in the food industry since their first entrance to the market in 1996. And with their growth in popularity, so grows their criticism. Currently, the fact something is a GMO does not have to be labeled unless, according to FDA guidelines: * If a bioengineered food is significantly different from its traditional counterpart such that the common or usual name no longer adequate...

On Tuesday, the city Santa Monica, California, ended an almost fifty year tradition of allowing nativity scenes along 14 pieces of public property overlooking the ocean. The ban occurs after eleven of the locations went to atheist organizations through their lottery system, while only two went to churches and one went to a synagogue this past December. The atheist spaces proceeded to post mock nativity scenes like the one below: After the ban was announced, The Freedom From Religion leader Laur...

The hardest part for a candidate when selecting their vice presidential candidate is finding the right balance. You want to select someone who adds new demographics of supporters and increases your odds of winning the general election without overshadowing yourself. The nominee doesn't want to select a candidate who is not noteworthy enough to make a difference (think William E. Miller in 1964), different or controversial enough to cause a loss of focus on the candidate's platform (think Sarah P...

With the recent retiring of the Atlantis, Discovery, and Endeavour Space Shuttles, many questions about the future and necessity of NASA have been raised. Now, with the first successful private space flight by the SpaceX Dragon capsule, those questions are only becoming more frequent. The budget of NASA is near an all time low and is projected to only get lower and I don't see a good argument against why we should increase the funding for the program. The primary argument against NASA is always...