The Friday Morning Podcast

3/15/19 Interview with state Representative Mari Manoogian. Sponsored by Deadine Detroit and Vanguard Public Affairs.

3/5/19 Gov. Gretchen Whitmer lays out some bold new proposals to the Legislature in her first budget message. Interview with former state Senate Majority Leader Ken Sikkema (R-Wyoming), who liked what he heard.  Sponsored by Vanguard Public Affairs and Deadline Detroit.

3/1/19 GOP state convention, gerrymandering, and a court case + interview with Princeton University’s Guide on how to cure MI gerrymandering. Sponsored by Vanguard and  Deadline Detroit.

2/22/19 Discussion about how national issues intersect with Michigan issues.   Interview with City of Mason Manager Deb Stuart.  Sponsored by Vanguard Public Affairs and Deadline Detroit.

2/12/19 What did Zoe Clark, Michigan Radio’s Program Director, think of Michigan’s 49th governor first SoS speech?  Sponsored by Deadline Detroit and Vanguard!

2/8/19 Interview with newly-elected state Rep. Laurie Pohutski (D-Livonia), the first Democratic House member from her area in nearly half a century.  Sponsored by Deadline Detroit and Vanguard P.A.

A week’s worth of Michigan government wiped out by Polar Vortex. A Glengariff Group poll shows Whitmer with positive approval numbers and job rating before she has a chance to really do anything — how does this compare with former Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Rick Snyder at comparable points in their tenures?

Interview with freshman state Rep. Ryan Berman (R-Commerce Twp), an attorney who has drawn some heavy-duty House committee assignments. Sponsored by www.DeadlineDetroit.com and www.Vanguard-pa.com.

1/25/19 Ironies abound as state Senate committee reports out bill to reform civil asset forfeiture. New Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson aggressively pursues court settlement to redraw Congressional and legislative district lines with elections to be held with new maps next year. Benson also asks for a legal opinion from just-elected Attorney General Dana Nessel on  the constitutionality of a new law to reform/restrict the ways in which petitioners can collect signatures for ballot proposals. Interview with freshman state Rep. Alex Garza (D-Taylor), who describes how he got his city council to cut the length of its meetings by more than 300%! Sponsored by Deadline Detroit.

1/18/19 Former Gov. John Engler resigns under pressure as interim president of MSU. Michigan legislators show they are serious about auto insurance rate reform. What exactly does AG Dana Nessel mean by “prosecution for profit?”  Gov. Gretchen Whitmer meets with “Quadrant” of House and Senate leaders for first of what she hopes will be many such sessions. Interview with freshman state Rep. Joe Tate (D-Detroit), former MSU football star who played in the NFL.  Sponsored by Deadline Detroit.

1/11/19 On his way out the door, ex-Gov. Rick Snyder vetoed two bills that would have enhanced safeguards against infant-abandonment by ashamed new mothers — why? Bridget McCormack is elected Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, making Michigan the only state in the country with women at the helm of the governorship, secretary of state, attorney

general and the state’s highest judicial panel. Also, MSU for the first time gains a 5-3 female majority on its board of trustees, and a woman (Dianne Byrum) is elected chairperson. New highs in number of females (53) as the 100th Michigan Legislature convenes.

Interview with state Rep. Bronna Kahle (R-Adrian), one of the sponsors of legislation to buttress “baby boxes” that was vetoed by Gov. Rick Snyder shortly before he exited office. Will Kahle introduce it again, and hope for a better result from a female governor who is herself a mother?  Sponsored by Deadline Detroit.