MIRS Monday Podcast

MIRS Monday, Sept. 7, 2015

New AFL-CIO President Ron Bieber has tough words for legislative leaders who attended a Right to Work event in Missouri this week and gives his perspectives on how organized labor has been impacted by Michigan's RTW law passed in 2012. Why has the AFL-CIO not signed on to the citizens initiative to hike the Corporate Income Tax from 6 to 11 percent? Has relations between unions and business gotten better over the years?

Also, the MIRS team offers a primer to the coming week's hearings on Rep. Todd Courser and Rep. Cindy Gamrat. Could Gamrat's different approach to the ongoing scandal yield her a different result than Courser? How far will Courser's argument about politics taking place in the House get him? Answers to these questions and more.

MIRS Monday, August 31, 2015

T.J. Bucholz, president of Vanguard Public Affairs, challenges the capitol press corps and the media, in general, to stop covering the Rep. Cindy Gamrat (R-Plainwell) and Rep. Todd Courser (R-Lapeer). Why? Also why is House Speaker Kevin Cotter acting quickly with the House Business Office investigation?

Will Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump make a stop at the Michigan Republican Party's Mackinac Conference later in September? Why would he want to come to Mackinac or why would he not consider it a good use of his time? And what does Bucholz mean when he says Trump has tapped into a public vein that "isn't good."

MIRS Monday, August 24, 2015

If the state dumped $400 million from the General Fund into long-term road funding for the coming fiscal year, why can't the Governor and lawmakers just count on doing that every year going forward? Why does the condition of the state budget play a role in the road funding debate? Budget Director John Roberts answers these and other questions in this week's edition.

Also, will the House forward the content of Business Office Director Tim Bowlin's investigation on Rep. Cindy Gamrat and Rep. Todd Courser to the criminal authorities? Can either of these two expect to get the benefit of the doubt from House Republican leadership? Why not? This and much more in this week's edition of MIRS Monday.

Joshua Cline Press Conference 8/17/15

The following is an unedited audio from a press conference featuring Joshua Cline, the former staffer for Rep. Todd Courser and Rep. Cindy Gamrat. The press conference took place at the Dailey Law Firm in Royal Oak.

MIRS Monday, August 17, 2015

Why has Rep. Todd Courser and Rep. Cindy Gamrat opted against resignation despite the urgings of conservatives, Tea Party activists and constituents in their districts? MIRS explores these subjects with political consultant David Forsmark, who Courser accused as being behind a blackmailing scheme to get him to resign or details of the affair would become public.

Forsmark talks about his friendship with Courser's staffers and gives his insights into the Courser-Gamrat affair.

Rep. Cindy Gamrat Press Conference 8/14/15

The following is Rep. Cindy Gamrat's first press conference after news of her extra-martial affair with Rep. Todd Courser and botched cover up was first reported a week ago. The event took place at the Abood Law Firm in East Lansing.

MIRS Monday, August 10, 2015

John Truscott of Truscott Rossman breaks down Rep. Todd Courser's response to The Detroit News story. Is there any saving his political career? Should Rep. Cindy Gamrat resign, as well, over the sex scandal and the corresponding gay prostitute email designed to "inoculate the herd?"

Also, listen to what Courser told a MIRS reporter a few weeks ago about sending out false emails. This and Truscott declares a winner to the Thursday night debate in this week's edition.

MIRS Monday, Aug. 3, 2015

John Kasich supporter Jeff Timmer of Two Rivers Public Affairs predicts his favored presidential candidate will appear on the Fox News debate stage Thursday. Timmer gives his personal views on the Republican field to date. Who is exceeding expectations? Who is falling short of expectations?

Also, Jake Davison (12:52) makes his MIRS Monday podcast debut to talk about his candidacy in the 82nd House District, currently represented by first-term incumbent Todd Courser. Davison describes himself as a Tea Party conservative, but does vary from Courser on at least one major social issue. 

MIRS Monday, July 27, 2015

What proposal is the most likely to make it in front of voters on the November 2016 ballot? Adrian Hemond from Grassroots Midwest gives his opinion. Hemond also suggests a new idea that's being floated around Lansing that would shrink the size of the Legislature from 110 House members to 80 and 38 senators to 25. Listen to some details on that.

Also, Sen. Mike Green (R-Mayville) talks about the potential of a runaway constitutional convention if the states agree to hold such a meeting regarding a federal balanced budget amendment.

MIRS Monday, July 20, 2015

Would House Speaker Jase Bolger have voted for the current Senate roads plan if it were offered to him in lame duck 2014? How much General Fund revenue did he ask the Governor to dedicate to roads as part of a roads package in 2014? And how important, politically, is it that the House Republicans pass a road-funding plan this term?

Bolger, the current advisor for the West Michigan Policy Forum, answers these questions and more. Also, listen to the first half of last week's House Democrats' press conference on their road-funding plan (16:55-29:32).