December 10, 2018
If House Minority Leader Sam Singh had the chance, he would adjourn the lame duck session for the year. Why would he sacrifice his four bills in the pipeline or millions of dollars he'd like to see put into PFAS-in-the-water testing and cleanup? Singh talks about the questions surrounding Sen. Dave Robertson's former staffer and other lame duck-related issues.
Also, MIRS questions whether Michigan's lame duck fits nice and tidy into the national narrative about sore-loser Republicans using these last few weeks of 2018 as nothing more than stripping away power from incoming Democratic executive office officials. And what is the real point of the proposed Elections Commission? These topics and more in this week's edition.
December 3, 2018
In her 15 years with the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, Wendy Block said today she's received more member feedback on the paid sick leave proposal than any other issue. She flagged 10 to 15 high-level issues with the legislatively passed citizens initiative and believes the recently passed Senate amendments "get it right." What does she say about those who disagree?
Also, the MIRS team is still on the lookout for Michigan state House and Senate maps that would have given the Democrats control of the House and Senate without creating more county and municipal line breaks than what currently exists. And, why does every lame duck seem like an inflated duck? This and more on this week's podcast.
November 26, 2018
If Gov. Rick Snyder and Republicans think Democrats are automatic "yes" votes on a tipping fee increase, think again. Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich said regular residents shouldn't be paying more on their garbage bills to clean up businesses' pollution unless more protections are put into the mix. Ananich gives other thoughts pre-Lame Duck session in this week's edition.
Also, MIRS Editor Kyle Melinn declares the last couple debates this fall "garbage." He calls for a formal debate commission to allow the media to take control of the process so candidates are no longer dictating time, place and format to produce sterile, poorly watched talking-point sessions at strange times of the week.
November 19, 2018
Who was the only Republican on the ballot in 2018 to lose traditionally Republican Clinton County? Believe it or not, it was gubernatorial nominee Bill Schuette. The MIRS team explores the "incredibly bad" campaign, why no-fault insurance reform won't be taken up in Lame Duck and why Republican lawmakers are pushing for a legislation regarding the Line 5 tunnel.
Rep.-Elect Matt Hall of the 63rd House District joins MIRS to talk about his deep background in Republican politics and how he made the motion to stop the "Never Trumpers" at the 2016 National Republican conference, among other subjects.
November 12, 2018
If a Blue Wave hit Michigan on Nov. 6, why is the state House and Senate still boasting Republican majorities? Adrian Hemond of Grassroots Midwest answers that question with MIRS Editor Kyle Melinn. The UAW takes another political loss and is California billionaire Tom Steyer laying the groundwork for a presidential run? His political activity in Michigan and elsewhere would seem to indicate that's the case.
For Our Future spokesperson Josh Pugh says his progressive-minded grassroots effort isn't going away now that the election is over. What is that group of door-to-door canvassers working on now?
November 5, 2018
It's Election Day Eve and three statewide pollsters -- Tom Shields of the Marketing Resource Group, Mark Grebner of Practical Political Consultants and Steve Mitchell of the Mitchell Research and Communications -- talk about what they've seen. The variations in the polls. The three ballot proposals. The sharp divisions between Republicans and Democrats. The shrinking number of people willing to participate in polling. Republicans bleeding support at the statewide level. The three talk about all these various dynamics and more in this week's edition.
October 29, 2018
Republican candidates like Bill Schuette have gone from actively campaigning against LGBT issues to passively accepting an expansion of the state's civil rights law to include nondiscrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Stephanie White of Equality Michigan talks about this attitude change, the Williamston School Board recall and other election issues in this week's podcast.
Also, Democratic candidates tend to be out-fundraising their Republican opponents . . . except in the state Senate, where traditional GOP supporters are doubling down on some key races. Why is this happening and why is the sudden influx of money in Proposals 1 and 2?
October 22, 2018
Is Proposal 3 a Trojan horse for partisan politics? That's the argument of former Speaker Jase Bolger from Tusker Strategies who is opposing the ballot question promoted by Promote the Vote, the ACLU-League of Women Voters-NAACP supported initiative. The group's spokesperson, Todd Cook, debates Bolger over Proposal 3 in this week's edition.
Also, how did health care become the nation's top issue this campaign? What's going on in the polling in the 8th and 11th Congressional District? And is President Donald Trump coming to Michigan? The MIRS team kicks these questions around.
October 15, 2018
Proposal 2, the constitutional amendment to create a 13-person redistricting commission, is debated in this week's edition. Katie Fahey, the head of Voters Not Politicians, and Tony Daunt of the Freedom Fund talk about the pluses and minuses of the proposal at MIRS World Headquarters.
Also, the first gubernatorial and U.S. Senate debates are over. The MIRS team gives its impressions on what it saw with each race's two major-party candidates.
October 8, 2018
MIRS Monday features a debate on Proposal 18-1, the legalization of recreational marijuana. Josh Hovey of Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol and Scott Greenlee of Healthy & Productive Michigan tackle a host of questions from the MIRS team while candidly responding to each other's arguments, for and against.
