MIRS Monday Podcast

MIRS Monday, July 9, 2018

For thousands of Michigan voters, the primary election is already over. Close to 30 percent of everyone who is going to vote in the primary elections will do so with an absentee ballot, an increase from the roughly 22 percent who did so in 2002, according to Mark Grebner of Practical Political Consultants. Grebner talks about the rise of absentee voting and how that is impacting political campaigns. He also goes into his process of polling on statewide ballot questions.

Who won the Republican U.S. Senate debate on Friday? The MIRS duo of editor Kyle Melinn and correspondent Jack Spencer share their opinions on that, the impact of a possible independent candidate in the Attorney General's race and where the state Supreme Court will land on the redistricting ballot proposal, Voters Not Politicians.

MIRS Monday, July 2, 2018

Polling data from MIRS and Target Insyght last week didn't come without questions. How were independents factored into the equation? How many cell phones were used? Why were the ballot questions worded the way they were? Ed Sarpolus of Target Insyght answers those questions and talks about how political polling, in general, has been subject to criticism since the 2016 election.

Also, Republican Mary Treder Lang is running for the Republicans' Secretary of State nomination. Listen to her positions on Voters Not Politicians, the Promote the Vote ballot proposal, clearing out voter roles and other issues confronting the office. How does she defeat longtime Republican operative Stan Grot at the convention? Treder Lang answers this and more.

MIRS Monday, June 25, 2018

Shri Thanedar stands by his campaign manager, who is jailed by police for obstruction over the weekend. This follows Thanedar's much better appearance at the televised gubernatorial forum in Flint. How will this impact his campaign in Detroit? Republican Brian Calley has maybe his best week as a gubernatorial candidate last week, but how far does that take him?

Also, any legislator who voted to repeal prevailing wage should be put on notice. Steve Claywell, president of the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council, said his group is engerized and it's making voting out of office those who supported this policy their top priority. Listen to what other steps they are taking in response to this policy and their hesitation about Gov. Rick Snyder's $100 million "Marshall Plan" on Talent.

MIRS Monday, June 18, 2018

Which state House incumbent is in the biggest trouble heading into the August primary? Where are Michigan's most interesting primary races? What factor will Donald Trump play in these races? What about the "Blue Wave"? The MIRS team explores legislative races within the city of Detroit, metro Detroit, rural Michigan, mid-Michigan and elsewhere with Adrian Hemond and Brian Began from Grassroots Midwest. 

MIRS Monday, June 11, 2018

Why does Rep. Tim Kelly really believe he got his U.S. Department of Education appointment nixed in the face of a controversial blog post he made years ago? The term-limited chair of the House Education Committee and the K-12 Appropriations Subcommittee shares his thoughts on the subject. Where is the A-F school grading proposal in the Legislature? The teacher prep bills? Kelly goes though those bills and responds to various pieces of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer's education plan as explained by Whitmer herself at Friday's press conference.

Also, MIRS courts reporter Lisa Roose-Church addresses the key question in the trials on Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Nick Lyon and Chief Medical Executive Eden Wells – Will the preliminary exams be done before the Aug. 7 primary election?

MIRS Monday, June 4, 2018

It's hard to imagine, but U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee will, assuming he wins re-election, enter Congress next year as the member with the most seniority among Michigan Democrats with six years in office at that point. What are his views on a leadership change within the caucus and whether Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi should turn the reins over to someone else? Kildee answers this, his prognosis on Soo Locks funding and much more.

Also, who won the debate on Mackinac Island? MIRS' Jack Spencer and Jacob Kanclarz provide their views. Jim Hines is opening his wallet a little wider. Republicans are looking at holding U.S. Senate primary debates and a discussion on how far Bill Schuette is up in the Republican gubernatorial field.

MIRS Monday, May. 28, 2018

What is the pitch legislators are hearing as to why they should legislatively approve the marijuana legalization ballot proposal? Mark Fisk from the Committee to Keep Pot Out of Neighborhoods and Schools makes the hard sell on why it makes sense to let the House and Senate put legalized pot under the same regulatory umbrella as medical weed. Fisk of Byrum Fisk Communications was active in getting medical marijuana adopted in Michigan back in 2008 and shares his observations on the similarities and differences between the two drives.

Also, the MIRS team talks about the impact of Shri Thanedar showing up a Marco Rubio rally in the winter of 2016 and which questions could be asked at the Detroit Regional of Commerce gubernatorial forum on Mackinac Island.

MIRS Monday, May 21, 2018

MIRS talks about two undercovered stories from the last several days of the gubernatorial campaign -- Shri Thanedar supports reparations and Abdul El-Sayed tells Patrick Colbeck that Muslims "hate" him. And then there's Bill Schuette v. Brian Calley. Has it all just become a lot of noise at this point?

Segments of the environmental community scores compromises on clean energy, groundwater withdrawal and oil/gas revenue allocation last week. Michigan Environmental Council CEO Chris Kolb shares his observations.

MIRS Monday, May 14, 2018

Will Brian Calley's attacks on Republican gubernatorial rival Bill Schuette have any lasting effects in the GOP primary? If so, what would they be? The MIRS team breaks down the last week's gubernatorial forums along with the future of Shri Thanedar, who is suspending his heavy TV ad schedule starting this week. What impact will Thanedar "going dark" have on his prospects in the Democratic primary?

And MIRS remembers the late former Sen. Patty Birkholz this week with former Senate policy advisor Bob Wilson, now the executive director of the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance. Wilson talks about Birkholz's legacy on conservation and environmental issues, along with her bi-partisan, policy-minded focus as a legislator.

Gubernatorial forum at Michigan Press Association 5/10/18

The following is unedited audio from the May 10, 2018 gubernatorial forum featuring all four Republican candidates and three Democratic candidates in front of the Michigan Press Association, sponsored by Consumers Energy. MIRS Editor Kyle Melinn is serving as moderator.