“Mr. Lyon failed in his responsibilities to protect the health and safety of the citizens of Flint.” So said Michigan’s Attorney General Bill Schuette as he brought involuntary manslaughter charges against the state’s health chief and several others for their failure to warn Flint residents of the dangers associated with their tainted water.

+ Detroit Free Press: “Experts on state governments nationwide say that the criminal charges against cabinet-level officials related to the death of state residents may have few forebears if any.” I don’t know about the legal case for manslaughter, but the Flint water disaster is certainly an example of an epic failure by lawmakers at every level. It’s unthinkable that the problem got this bad and even more upsetting that it’s gone on this long.