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Question 1): Right now, groups backing half a dozen statewide ballot initiatives are preparing to collect petition signatures to qualify for the 2026 general election. The six proposals are 1) Invest In MI Kids aka “Tax the Rich,” which would sock those earning $500,000 or more annually with an additional 5% income tax; 2) Demanding […]

WHY CAN’T CONGRESS OPERATE  LIKE THE MICHIGAN LEGISLATURE?  It’s difficult to give the Michigan Legislature credit for mastering the art of lawmaking. After all, the six public acts Gov. Gretchen Whitmer  has signed into law so far this year is the fewest number of signed bills at this point in any year since 1940, the […]

Question 1): Now that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) has been signed into law, has the messaging for the two major parties changed? And what are the implications for the Republican Party and its candidates, since they “own” this legislation? Could Medicaid cuts be a voter turnout driver for Michigan Democrats in 2026? […]

Question 1): Michigan Republicans cheered the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on June 27 in a case involving President Donald Trump’s order seeking to restrict birthright citizenship that limited lower courts’ ability to issue nationwide injunctions overall. The 6-3 decision held that lower courts must decide whether a more narrowly tailored decision, applying to the specific plaintiffs […]

Question 1): There are plenty of aspirants who claim they’re running for the Republican nomination for Michigan governor next year, but that didn’t stop former state House Speaker Tom LEONARD from announcing last week that he’s getting into it, too. Meanwhile, the likes of Kevin RINKE, Tudor DIXON, and even Perry JOHNSON and possibly others […]

This year marks the 160th anniversary of a famous battle linking two states on opposite sides in the Civil War — Michigan and North Carolina. The two states would appear to have little in common, then and now, but actually that’s not quite true. Yes, Tar Heels and Wolverines (or denizens of the “Great Lakes […]

This past week, both chambers of the Michigan Legislature inched (awkwardly) toward final “conference” floor votes on a Fiscal Year 2025-26 state budget, including K-12 school aid. However, state House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Kalamazoo area) has refused to commit to finalizing the FY 2026 budget by its legal deadline. For years, lawmakers have worked to […]

When it comes to Michigan business organizations lobbying politicians and public policy makers in the state capital in Lansing, it’s an open question as to how effective they really are. For starters, MIRS newsletter reported last week that, for the 10th straight survey, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce received the most votes from “insiders” when […]

The irrepressible Bob LaBrant, a retired attorney living in Perry, Michigan, has ben puzzling over the question of whether Donald Trump can run for a third term as President of the United States. LaBrant has decided that we should look to the “Qatar 747” gift airplane for the answer: “HOW CAN TRUMP RUN FOR A […]

Question 1): Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has hit a rough patch in her nascent campaign to be the state’s next governor. Her bungling of the official campaign finance/transparency website forced the passage of emergency legislation to extend the deadline for officials to report, and she’s been roundly criticized, even by members of her […]