MIRS Monday Podcast

The following are clips of a March 1 zoom meeting Rep. Jim DeSana had with the Monroe County Executive Committee that were recorded and shared with Rep. Jamie Thompson by former Monroe GOP chair Todd Gillman.

To kick things off, MIRS podcast host Samantha Shriber does a recap of news and interviews from the past week. News ranges from the delayed opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge between Detroit and Canada, to Michigan House Speaker, Republican Matt Hall, floating a four month temporary budget for state government if deals don't start moving. 

MIRS also sits down with Dan Papineau, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce's senior director of strategic initiatives. Dan describes why the Michigan Chamber will be pushing against November's question of whether the state constitution should be re-written (14:00). 

Also, who is Eric Chung? MIRS sits down with a Democrat running in Michigan's 10th U.S. House district, learning more about how he went from teacher to constitutional lawyer, as well as what it was like growing up in a household of Vietnamese immigrants working in Macomb County's automotive industry (32:30).   

Absentee ballots for the primaries must be ready to be issued to voters on June 25. MIRS interviews U.S. Senate candidate Mallory McMorrow, the Royal Oak state senator running in a high-intensity Democratic primary.

How does McMorrow plan to amplify her name ID with absentee voting about to begin soon? Also, she talks about believing folks who pay for their X accounts should disclaim when they're posting AI-generated content (9:20). 

MIRS also catches up with Ryan Hundt, the chief executive officer of the Michigan Works! Association. His association anticipates a $75 million to $90 million funding gap between support that lawmakers have proposed and what Michigan Works! will need to help Medicaid enrollees meet new federal workforce requirements (24:45). 

This week's episode includes host Samantha Shriber's coverage of the Mackinac Policy Conference, a yearly gathering of government, business and nonprofit leaders hosted by the Detroit Regional Chamber. 

MIRS sits down with David Jurcak, president of the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. They talk about hiring tourism employees from overseas, concerns around the Shepler's Ferry monopoly and the United States' 250th anniversary (3:19). 

U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin, the Holly Democrat, also explains why, as a former CIA officer, she sees Chinese cars driving into the country as "surveillance packages on wheels" (27:22). 

Also, President Brian Calley of the Small Business Association of Michigan says that 42% of members are one to three years away from no longer being able to offer health insurance due to rate increases (40:39). 

In 2026, is it time to ask Michigan voters to move the nominating process for Attorney General and Secretary of State races away from party-run conventions to public statewide primaries?

Republican strategist Jason Cabel Roe and Lon Johnson – a former chair of the Michigan Democratic Party – are teaming up to push legislators to put such a constitutional change on the ballot this year (3:02). 

Jason and Lon also share their thoughts on former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan suspending his independent bid for governor on May 21. 

MIRS editor Kyle Melinn comments on the confusion created when elected officials can't agree on important economic numbers.  (00:28)

And Senator-elect Chedrick Greene of Michigan's 35th district speaks with MIRS' Samantha Shriber about his background and his thoughts about joining the legislature. (4:34)

 

MIRS sits down with Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit, Michigan Democrats' endorsed candidate for Attorney General this year. 

Savit talks about wanting to go after businesses that use data algorithms to "gouge" prices, charging shoppers different prices based on what technology knows about them. He also talks about how leading Detroit's lawsuits against the opioid industry has contributed to his current philosophy as an AG candidate (1:40). 

Also, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) ranked Michigan 32nd for its economic outlook in its recent "Rich States, Poor States" report. MIRS talks to ALEC Chief Economist Jonathan Williams about struggles Michigan might face to offer an economy with attractive salaries (33:25). 

Ahead of the Michigan Political Leadership Program fundraising dinner on April 29, MIRS sat down for a one-on-one conversation with keynote speaker Robert Costa, CBS News' chief Washington analyst. 

Costa shares his concerns about the aftermath of a gunman who reportedly stormed past security at last month's White House Correspondents Dinner, and the future of civic dialogue in American politics. 

He also talks about the possibility of Michigan seeing a reduction in straight-ticket voters in the fall, and how U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin's (D-Holly) ambitions have become a story for the national media to watch. (1:15)

MIRS hosts a strategists' edition of the Republican-Democratic roundtable, including Holland Democrat Joe Spaulding and Oakland County Republican Brian Szmytke. 

Together they discuss the aftermath of Michigan Democrats' endorsement convention in Detroit, as well as the public-facing feud taking place between the U.S. Rep. John James and businessman Perry Johnson's campaigns for governor. 

Brian and Joe also list the unique political rivalries they're watching across legislative and Congressional races, as well as why legislators might not pick up the Governor's proposed "sin-taxes" this budget-making season (2:03).

Samantha Shriber does a live recap from the Michigan Democratic Party's April 19 endorsement convention inside Detroit's Huntington Place (1:00). 

Also, earlier this month MIRS joined the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) of Southeast Michigan for a ride-along on the QLine, Detroit's 3.3 mile-long streetcar system. Ben Stupka, the RTA's executive director, talks about what's next for public transit in Metro Detroit (2:42). 

Attorney General Dana Nessel updates MIRS on the U.S. Department of Justice's request for November 2024 ballots, ballot receipts and envelopes in Wayne County. Nessel is denouncing the request along with Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (27:27).