MIRS Monday Podcast

Founder Cassy Jones-McBryde of the Michigan Chamber for Reproductive Justice and midwife Nicole Marie White – the director of the MI State Of Birth Justice – describe legislation introduced recently by some Senate Democrats to improve how the state investigates, combats and reports on racial disparities in pregnancy and maternal care (1:20). 

Pamela Pugh, a candidate in Michigan's 8th Congressional distric...

State Representatives Penelope Tsernoglou – an East Lansing Democrat – and Kristian Grant, a Grand Rapids Democrat, join MIRS for a legislative roundtable. They discuss why Democrats are continuing to focus on abortion and reproductive issues this election cycle, although former President Donald Trump has not endorsed a federal abortion ban proposal (1:22).

Should Michigan drop the state's gas tax in exchange for charging drivers a...

Director Dave Dulio of the Oakland University Center for Civic Engagement and reporter Russ McNamara of Detroit's public radio and NPR station describe the issues Democrats and Republicans are honing in on this spring (2:02).

The MIRS team was also joined by Republican commissioners Rhonda Lange and Erin Wagner of the state's citizens redistricting commission. The panel recently changed 15 state House districts in response to feder...

When it comes to the Republican primary for Michigan's U.S. Senate race, candidate Mike Rogers – a past chair of the U.S. House Intelligence Committee – says "this thing is done" (1:23). 

The share of likely GOP primary voters supporting Rogers grows from 27 percent to 67 percent after they learn he is backed by past President Donald Trump, according to one March survey. 

MIRS is also joined by Executive Director Cheryl Bergman of ...

Last week, a Senate committee moved bills requiring the Governor and state legislators to respond to public records requests through Michigan's Freedom of Information Act.

Meanwhile, some House Democrats introduced still more transparency bills involving 501(c)4 or 527 accounts not regulated by Michigan's campaign finance laws. 

Executive Director Nick Pigeon of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network and Lisa McGraw, the public affa...

Should staffers in the Michigan Senate and House have union representation? (starts at 1:10)

Former state Senator Wayne Schmidt, a Traverse City Republican, believes "the need for a union is really not there," and that being a legislative staffer is not a clock-in and clock-out type of job. 

Meanwhile, past state Representative LaMar Lemmons III, a Detroit Democrat, would be against staffers being represented by a union that's invo...

In a reporter roundtable, the team is joined by Michigan politics reporter Joey Cappelletti of the Associated Press to discuss the recent state GOP nominating convention, where past President Donald Trump won all of the available delegates. They also talk about what presidential primary stories they're still thinking about as the state and voters move on. 

Additionally, Democratic state Representatives Mike McFall and Jason Morgan ...

On this week's MIRS Monday Podcast: 

Matt Wilk – a Northville-based attorney and Republican 6th congressional precinct delegate – says "no one can guarantee" which delegates will move forward in the GOP presidential nominating process.

Most of Michigan's Republican delegates for deciding the presidential nominee will be determined through a party-run convention on Saturday. But there are dueling conventions, one run by the Pete Hoe...

Today, former Wisconsin congressman and Washington, D.C. lobbyist Scott Klug discusses his story-telling podcast, "Lost in the Middle: America's Political Orphans." 

He details how the present-day state of political polarization has left a lot of voters "floating around on icebergs."

Also, the team is joined by Tom George, a past state senator and Historical Society of Michigan board member. In honor of Presidents Day, he describes...

Last week, the Governor proposed a $80.7 billion state budget to lawmakers, including a suggestion to withhold $670 million in intended public school retirement debt payments to be spent on other things. 

The team is joined by Research Director Craig Thiel and Senior Research Associate Robert Schneider of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan to discuss the Governor's recommendations. 

...

Robert Morris Owens – an unofficial advisor to Kristina Karamo and her faction of the divided state GOP – doesn't imagine either the courts, the Republican National Committee or past President Donald Trump himself having much authority in resolving the current chair conflict. 

State Representative Alabas Farhat, a Dearborn Democrat, describes what it was like to read an opinion piece referring to his home ...

Executive Director Abby Mitch of Michigan Rising Action and Executive Director MoReno Taylor II of the Fund MI Future Coalition join for the show's inaugural conservative vs. progressive post-State of the State matchup but the two are surprised by how much they agreed in terms of disappointments and questions about funding. 

Abby highlights how, in 2024, Republicans and Democrats in Michigan will be compet...

President Matt Resch, the founder of issue management firm Resch Strategies, joins the team to discuss what they're putting on their 2024 State of the State bingo cards. What issue group is still waiting for a policy win from Michigan's Democratic leadership? What policy proposals are on life support this year? 

Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller explains why she's leading local opposit...

Executive Director Edward Woods III of the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission believes the commission deserves "a little bit more grace" as it prepares to redraw seven state House districts due to a federal court ruling that they were racially gerrymandered. He is joined by the commission's litigation counsel, Katherine McKnight.    

Former Detroit legislator LaMar Lemmons III entered t...

Elections attorney Mark Brewer and retired political action executive Bob LaBrant take a look at ongoing headlines surrounding Michigan's independent redistricting commission. After 13 legislative districts were ruled as racially gerrymandered, does the commission need to tidy up its operations? Also, can the districts be redrawn without impacting others?    

William Lawrence, coordinator of the 'Rent is T...

In this week's New Year's Day edition of MIRS Monday, John Walsh – president of the Michigan Manufacturers Association – describes his organization's biggest policy concerns and hopes for 2024. 

After weighing in on more than 250 bills this past year, Chief Executive Officer Monique Stanton of the Michigan League for Public Policy describes 2023 as a "marathon on a sprint pace." 

Additionally,...

In this week's Christmas edition of MIRS Monday, the team is joined by Crains' politics and policy reporter David Eggert to name MIRS' Senator of the Year. This will be the final installment of the Legislator of the Year series for 2023. 

Also, Mai Xiong, a candidate for Michigan's 13th Warren-based House district, explains her journey from being born in the Ban Vinai Refugee Camp in Thailand to becoming a...

The MIRS team gathers to make their nominations for the MIRS House Member of 2023, with assistance from guest reporter Ben Orner, a legislative and political journalist for MLive. 

Also, on December 6th, Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt dropped by the MIRS newsroom to share his own views on how the year went. Zooming in on Democrats' 100% "clean energy" by 2040 package, Nesbitt says it is "so much like ...

The MIRS team gathers to make their nominations for the MIRS Republican Legislator of 2023, with assistance from guest reporter Rachel Louise Just, a multimedia journalist previously with News Channel 3. 

In his first-ever interview on the subject, retired GOP political operative Steve Linder explains how he didn't do anything wrong while developing Michigan's medical marijuana law, detailing how he was be...