Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed laws yesterday that put new rules in place over how, and when, lawmakers can request earmarks - otherwise known as pork-barrel spending. But, will it really add transparency to Lansing’s budget process? Plus, Republican lawmakers ask for federal oversight of Michigan’s 2026 elections. by Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta Want to get political updates from Zoe and Rick straight to your inbox? Sign up for the It's Just Politics newsletter! Want to support more work like this? Donate now!Support the show: http://michiganradio.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Democrats across the state - and around the country - are asking why eight Senators who caucus with Democrats sided with Republicans to reopen the government. Former Michigan Democratic Congressman Dan Kildee breaks down the surprising vote. by Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta Want to get political updates from Zoe and Rick straight to your inbox? Sign up for the It's Just Politics newsletter! Want to support more work like this? Donate now!Support the show: http://michiganradio.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In a post-election 2025 show, what the new incoming mayor of Detroit can take away from Mike Duggan’s twelve years in office that reshaped Lansing’s relationship with the state’s largest city. Plus, Michigan is in the middle of a legal standoff with the federal government over voter-data privacy. by Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta Want to get political updates from Zoe and Rick straight to your inbox? Sign up for the It's Just Politics newsletter! Want to support more work like this? Donate now!Support the show: http://michiganradio.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Michigan has ended its multi-billion dollar deal with Chinese-backed Gotion. What went wrong and what’s next for economic development policy in Lansing. Plus, the latest on “The 9 Bills.” by Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta Want to get political updates from Zoe and Rick straight to your inbox? Sign up for the It's Just Politics newsletter! Want to support more work like this? Donate now!Support the show: http://michiganradio.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Petition signature gatherers can lie to you about what’s in the petition you’re signing. New legislation aims to curb fraud in the petition signature gathering process. Plus, lawmakers look to throw the legal cannabis industry a bone after passing the new 24 percent wholesale tax on marijuana. by Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta Want to get political updates from Zoe and Rick straight to your inbox? Sign up for the It's Just Politics newsletter! Want to support more work like this? Donate now!Support the show: http://michiganradio.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Michigan’s latest education budget may boast record funding, but school leaders say it’s not enough. Plus, “Groundhog Day” at the U.S. Capitol. Where is Michigan’s Congressional delegation in the federal shutdown? by Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta Want to get political updates from Zoe and Rick straight to your inbox? Sign up for the It's Just Politics newsletter! Want to support more work like this? Donate now!Support the show: http://michiganradio.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Governor Whitmer signs Michigan’s $80 billion budget, but a new 24% marijuana tax to fund roads is already in legal trouble. Hear from Michigan Budget Director Jen Flood & legal expert Robert LaBrant. by Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta Want to get political updates from Zoe and Rick straight to your inbox? Sign up for the It's Just Politics newsletter! Want to support more work like this? Donate now!Support the show: http://michiganradio.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Michigan lawmakers approve a plan to fund state government for another week as they finalize a spending agreement for the new fiscal year. The state’s previous budget had run out at midnight and questions abound: was the state government shutdown temporarily or not? And, when will a permanent budget actually get passed? by Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta Want to get political updates from Zoe and Rick straight to your inbox? Sign up for the It's Just Politics newsletter! Want to support more work like this? Donate now!Support the show: http://michiganradio.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan lawmakers have one week to come up with a budget deal. If they don’t there will be partial state government shutdown. What do voters think about the stalemate in Lansing? And who will they blame if there’s a shutdown? Pollster Richard Czuba, founder of Glengariff Group, has answers. by Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta Want to get political updates from Zoe and Rick straight to your inbox? Sign up for the It's Just Politics newsletter! Want to support more work like this? Donate now!Support the show: http://michiganradio.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer warns that the budget deadlock at the state Capitol will worsen Michigan’s economic uncertainty caused by federal tariffs. With just two weeks until a possible state government shutdown, what could a shutdown mean for Michigan’s already shaky economy? Want to get political updates from Zoe and Rick straight to your inbox? Sign up for the It's Just Politics newsletter! Want to support more work like this? Donate now!Support the show: http://michiganradio.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Michigan ‘fake electors’ charges dismissed, ‘nine bills’ lawsuit is back in court, and three weeks before a possible partial government shutdown, a budget deal doesn’t appear close. It’s a Michigan politics roundup on this week’s It’s Just Politics. Want to get political updates from Zoe and Rick straight to your inbox? Sign up for the It's Just Politics newsletter! Want to support more work like this? Donate now!Support the show: http://michiganradio.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
With exactly four weeks before a possible partial state government shutdown, the question hanging over Lansing remains: where do things stand in state budget negotiations? The chairs of the state House and Senate appropriations committees try to answer that question. Want to get political updates from Zoe and Rick straight to your inbox? Sign up for the It's Just Politics newsletter! Want to support more work like this? Donate now! Support the show: http://michiganradio.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
There is a huge decision facing Michigan voters in an already huge 2026 election: whether to vote to convene a constitutional convention to rewrite the state’s entire constitution. What to know about the Con-Con. Want to get political updates from Zoe and Rick straight to your inbox? Sign up for the It's Just Politics newsletter! Want to support more work like this? Donate now!Support the show: http://michiganradio.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A live, onstage conversation with Pete Buttigieg, former South Bend mayor, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation, and current Michigan resident. The former Democratic presidential candidate discusses the deep divisions in American society, the future of his party, and the enormous - and not necessarily comprehensible - impact of artificial intelligence. Want to get political updates from Zoe and Rick straight to your inbox? Sign up for the It's Just Politics newsletter! Want to support more work like this? Donate now!Support the show: http://michiganradio.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We are into week six of seemingly stalled budget negotiations in Lansing. Six weeks since K-12 schools, higher ed, and some local governments started their fiscal years without knowing how much state money they’ll receive. What is going on at the state Capitol? Want to get political updates from Zoe and Rick straight to your inbox? Sign up for the It's Just Politics newsletter! Want to support more work like this? Donate now!Support the show: http://michiganradio.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Detroit voters have chosen City Council President Mary Sheffield and Pastor Solomon Kinloch Jr. to move forward to November’s general election in the race to become the city’s next mayor. Plus, a majority of local Michigan officials think the state is on the wrong track. Want to get political updates from Zoe and Rick straight to your inbox? Sign up for the It's Just Politics newsletter! Want to support more work like this? Donate now!Support the show: http://michiganradio.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Eye-raising fundraising numbers are released in Michigan’s 2026 race for governor. Plus, President Trump puts his thumb on Michigan’s political scale in the GOP primary race for U.S. Senate. by Zoe Clark, Rick Pluta Want to get political updates from Zoe and Rick straight to your inbox? Sign up for the It's Just Politics newsletter! Want to support more work like this? Donate now!Support the show: http://michiganradio.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Three weeks since the July 1st statutory deadline and there is still no budget deal in Lansing. Two lawmakers discuss where things stand in the negotiations: “the span between our budgets right now is about as big as the Mackinac Bridge.” by Zoe Clark, Rick Pluta Want to get political updates from Zoe and Rick straight to your inbox? Sign up for the It's Just Politics newsletter! Want to support more work like this? Donate now!Support the show: http://michiganradio.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
July 2025. We are now halfway through the year. On today’s It’s Just Politics, a look at the top three Michigan political stories of the year. So far. Want to get political updates from Zoe and Rick straight to your inbox? Sign up for the It's Just Politics newsletter! Want to support more work like this? Donate now!Support the show: http://michiganradio.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It wasn’t just a state budget that the legislature didn’t get done before leaving the Capitol last week, there still isn’t a deal on road funding. What happens next? Plus, a month to go before Detroit’s mayoral primary. Want to get political updates from Zoe and Rick straight to your inbox? Sign up for the It's Just Politics newsletter! Want to support more work like this? Donate now!Support the show: http://michiganradio.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kyle Groh
absolutely