Michigan now has three candidates for governor–who is the newest? There was an inauguration and protests, and listen to our fascinating interview with Rep. Peter Lucido–only on the Friday Morning Podcast! https://soundcloud.com/user-595768561/new-candidate-for-gov-interview-wrep-lucido-inauguration-and-protests/s-jfPoZ
News
Michigan Lookin’ Good, Compared with New York State
The 21st Century hasn’t been kind to Michigan. We were the only state other than Rhode Island to actually lose population during the first decade, even though we’ve started to creep back up at an anemic pace. Unemployment is down and private sector jobs are up from where they were during the darkest days of […]
GERRYMANDERING THE HOUSE, 1972-2016
The high bar Democrats need to clear in order to win back the majority By Theodore S. Arrington Editor’s note: This is an updated version of a story previously published in June 2015 in Sabato’s Crystal Ball Redistricting the U.S. House of Representatives is not a unified, national process, unlike most national legislatures. Rather, it’s the […]
Betsy DeVos, Curtis Hertel, Trump Inauguration, and Snyder’s SOS
Betsy DeVos has her confirmation hearing for secretary of Education. Gov. Snyder gave his State of the State speech. Trump gets sworn in. And we have special guest Senator Curtis Hertel on this edition of The Friday Morning Podcast. https://soundcloud.com/user-595768561/betsy-devos-curtis-hertel-trump-inauguration-and-snyders-sos
Snyder’s SOS and Whitmer for Governor
What should we expect to hear from Governor Rick Snyder in his seventh State of the State speech? And who has already announced for Governor for 2018? Finally, what was the atmosphere like in the MI House as new members were sworn in? https://soundcloud.com/user-595768561/gov-snyders-sos-whitmer-for-gov/s-qpcuv
An Irish Take on America’s Election
Tiny Ireland has produced more great writers per capita than any country in the world — think Joyce, Shaw, Wilde, Yeats, O’Casey, Synge, and Seamus Heaney, to name a few. Most of these were poets and playwrights. Not so well known are Irish political theorists, but there have been several, like the 18th century giants […]
Federal Court: Wisconsin Has Too Many Republicans
If a court can rule the Wisconsin state legislature does not have enough Democrats, it takes voting power away from the citizenry. A federal district court is attempting to nullify the results of the last four elections in Wisconsin by declaring that the state legislature does not have enough Democrats. “Political gerrymandering” by the Republican-controlled […]
Podcast Interviews Approps Chair Cox
The Friday Morning Podcast interviews MI House Approps Chair Laura Cox. How did she become the first female Chair of the MI Approps. Committee? What was it like for her in her previous job in law enforcement? https://soundcloud.com/user-595768561/cox-draft-2/s-BMXez
Countdown on Wisconsin Redistricting Controversy
Less than a week remains before a court-imposed deadline for Democrats and Republicans to present responses to each others’ initial briefs on how to remedy what a three-judge federal panel says is an unconstitutional gerrymander of Wisconsin’s Congressional and legislative districts. Depending on what happens in Wisconsin, there could be ramifications in other states, including […]
Podcast Winners and Losers of ’16
Bill Ballenger and Dennis Denno pick winners and losers for 2016; also interview with Will Tyler White. Only on the Friday Morning Podcast! https://soundcloud.com/user-595768561/will-tyler-white/s-Gplmr