The Drumbeat with Josie & Pete

Summary: The episode starts with a lively introduction reflecting on the new year 2025. Josie and Pete discuss their thoughts and musings about the year ahead, touching on popular culture references including Tommy by The Who and Taylor Swift. The focus shifts to the legislative landscape in Michigan, introducing the primary theme: navigating the complexities of legislative processes and understanding what the audience might not kn...

Title: Drumbeats and Holidays: From Lansing to Solitary Nights

Celebrate the holidays with Josie and Pete in this lively and unconventional episode of The Drumbeat. Recorded fireside with festive drinks (shoutout to the dill pickle martinis—never again), they share heartfelt laughs, personal stories, and unfiltered reflections. From the chaos of Lansing’s lame-duck session and the push for Second Look legislation to quirky holiday ...

In this episode of The Drumbeat with Josie and Pete, we take a deep dive into the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the challenges citizens face in accessing public records. Joined by legal experts Justin Long and James Cresta, we explore how FOIA is meant to promote transparency and accountability—but often falls short due to systemic barriers like vague legal definitions and misuse of fees.

• The role o...

Episode 3: Why Aren’t People Voting?

In this  of The Drum Beat, Josie and Pete take on a critical question: Why aren’t more people voting? Despite the importance of elections, millions of eligible voters stay home. Is it distrust in politicians, a lack of understanding about the process, or simply a belief that one vote doesn’t make a difference?

To get to the bottom of it, Josie and Pete are joined by expert guests. Celia Fan, a r...

Hosts Josie Ann Lee and Pete Martel discuss the Second Look legislation in Michigan, which would allow judges to revisit sentences for long-serving prisoners. Currently, Michigan has a high percentage of people serving sentences of 10+ years and an average sentence length three times the national average. Second Look would give judges the opportunity to reduce sentences, potentially saving the state billions of dollars and alleviat...

We are excited to launch The Drumbeat with Josie & Pete!

Welcome to Episode One where we start with the question: 

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

Josie and Pete's friendship goes all the way back to kindergarten in 1979. But after graduating high school in 1992, their paths diverged dramatically. Pete became involved in crime, while Josie prepared for college. By the summer of '94, a staggering 7% of their classmates were dead or incarce...

We are excited to launch The Drumbeat with Josie & Pete!

Welcome to Episode One where we start with the question: 

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

Josie and Pete's friendship goes all the way back to kindergarten in 1979. But after graduating high school in 1992, their paths diverged dramatically. Pete became involved in crime, while Josie prepared for college. By the summer of '94, a staggering 7% of their classmates were dead or incarce...