Co-hosts Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta have covered Lansing all year. From fake electors to the state budget saga, they've talked about it all. Let's look at some of the highlights.
A Michigan judge dismisses charges against the so-called ‘fake electors’ from the 2020 presidential election, the state Senate’s lawsuit over the state House withholding nine bills adopted last legislative session is in court, and the state legislature and Governor Gretchen Whitmer appear no closer to a budget deal with exactly three weeks before a possible partial state government shutdown.
Beth LeBlanc, politics reporter at the Detroit News, and Clara Hendrickson, political reporter at the Detroit Free Press, join Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta this week on It’s Just Politics for a Michigan politics week-in-review.
Beth LeBlanc, politics reporter at the Detroit News, and Clara Hendrickson, political reporter at the Detroit Free Press, join Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta this week on It’s Just Politics for a Michigan politics week-in-review.
As far apart “as the Mackinac Bridge.” Budget negotiations stall in Lansing.
Three weeks have now passed since the state’s July 1st statutory deadline to complete a budget. This is affecting school districts, higher ed and some local governments whose fiscal years have already begun. They simply don’t know how much money they’ll be getting from the state.
It appears that Lansing is at a standstill.
On this week’s It’s Just Politics, Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta are joined by two lawmakers who are in the room during negotiations over the School Aid Budget: Republican Representative Tim Kelly, Chair of the House School Aid and Department of Education Appropriations Subcommittee, and Democratic Senator Darrin Camilleri, Chair of the Senate Pre K-12 School Aid Budget Appropriations Subcommittee.
“The span between our budgets right now is about as big as the Mackinac Bridge,” says Sen. Camilleri.
It appears that Lansing is at a standstill.
On this week’s It’s Just Politics, Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta are joined by two lawmakers who are in the room during negotiations over the School Aid Budget: Republican Representative Tim Kelly, Chair of the House School Aid and Department of Education Appropriations Subcommittee, and Democratic Senator Darrin Camilleri, Chair of the Senate Pre K-12 School Aid Budget Appropriations Subcommittee.
“The span between our budgets right now is about as big as the Mackinac Bridge,” says Sen. Camilleri.
Pete Buttigieg on the Democratic Party, AI, and his political future
In this special edition of It’s Just Politics, hosts Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta are joined by Pete Buttigieg, former South Bend, Indiana mayor, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation, and current Michigan resident.
The former Democratic presidential candidate took the stage with Clark and Pluta for a special Michigan Public and Michigan Association of Broadcasters Issues & Ale in Traverse City last week for a wide-ranging discussion including his thoughts on the deep divisions in American society, the future of the Democratic Party, and the enormous - and not necessarily comprehensible - impact of artificial intelligence.
In a conversation about his future, Buttigieg confirmed that he had considered running for Michigan office earlier this year but ultimately decided the timing wasn’t right. While not making any new announcements, Buttigieg left the door open to a future run, saying higher office should only be pursued if “it needs to be you, and it needs to be now.”
The former Democratic presidential candidate took the stage with Clark and Pluta for a special Michigan Public and Michigan Association of Broadcasters Issues & Ale in Traverse City last week for a wide-ranging discussion including his thoughts on the deep divisions in American society, the future of the Democratic Party, and the enormous - and not necessarily comprehensible - impact of artificial intelligence.
In a conversation about his future, Buttigieg confirmed that he had considered running for Michigan office earlier this year but ultimately decided the timing wasn’t right. While not making any new announcements, Buttigieg left the door open to a future run, saying higher office should only be pursued if “it needs to be you, and it needs to be now.”
What we can learn from the new 2026 MI gubernatorial fundraising numbers
On this week’s It’s Just Politics, we dig into the new eye-raising fundraising numbers released in Michigan’s 2026 race for governor.
“The undeniable headline here is that when it comes to the candidates who raised the most money from donors, independent candidate and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan actually led the field,“ Simon Schuster of Bridge Michigan tells us. He joins the podcast this week.
Plus, Michigan Congressman Bill Huizenga surprised many folks when he announced that he would not run for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat next year in the GOP primary. It’s not usually a story when a politician decides not to run for office but in this case there are some real implications and some palace intrigue about the Congressman’s decision. Hint: President Donald Trump. The Detroit News’ Melissa Nann Burke jumps on the podcast from Washington D.C. to explain.
“The undeniable headline here is that when it comes to the candidates who raised the most money from donors, independent candidate and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan actually led the field,“ Simon Schuster of Bridge Michigan tells us. He joins the podcast this week.
Plus, Michigan Congressman Bill Huizenga surprised many folks when he announced that he would not run for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat next year in the GOP primary. It’s not usually a story when a politician decides not to run for office but in this case there are some real implications and some palace intrigue about the Congressman’s decision. Hint: President Donald Trump. The Detroit News’ Melissa Nann Burke jumps on the podcast from Washington D.C. to explain.
An almost ‘unprecedented win.’ Mary Sheffield dominates Detroit mayoral primary
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. On this week’s It’s Just Politics, Zoe Clark is joined by Detroit PBS’ Stephen Henderson to dig into the primary election results and what they mean for the city’s future.
Plus, more than half of local officials in Michigan think the state is on the wrong track according to a new survey conducted by the University of Michigan’s Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy. Debra Horner, Senior Program Manager at the U of M’s Ford School of Public Policy, explains what’s behind the results.
Plus, more than half of local officials in Michigan think the state is on the wrong track according to a new survey conducted by the University of Michigan’s Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy. Debra Horner, Senior Program Manager at the U of M’s Ford School of Public Policy, explains what’s behind the results.
A vote to completely rewrite Michigan’s Constitution? What to know about the “Con-Con.”
There is a huge decision facing Michigan voters in an already huge 2026 election: whether to vote to convene a constitutional convention (also known as a “Con-Con”) to rewrite the state’s entire constitution.
The question automatically appears on the Michigan ballot every 16 years.
This question is in addition to open races for governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and a U.S. Senate seat, plus the entire state House, the entire state Senate and Michigan’s Congressional delegation - as well as possible ballot questions currently in the field gathering signatures.
Since the adoption of Michigan’s most recent constitution in 1963, voters have voted against holding a constitutional convention three times. But in today’s political climate, will this time be different?
On this week’s podcast, Eric Lupher, President of the non-partisan Citizens Research Council of Michigan (CRC), and Nancy Kaffer, Editorial Page Editor at the Detroit Free Press, join It’s Just Politics for a conversation about the potential benefits and risks of a Con-Con.
The question automatically appears on the Michigan ballot every 16 years.
This question is in addition to open races for governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and a U.S. Senate seat, plus the entire state House, the entire state Senate and Michigan’s Congressional delegation - as well as possible ballot questions currently in the field gathering signatures.
Since the adoption of Michigan’s most recent constitution in 1963, voters have voted against holding a constitutional convention three times. But in today’s political climate, will this time be different?
On this week’s podcast, Eric Lupher, President of the non-partisan Citizens Research Council of Michigan (CRC), and Nancy Kaffer, Editorial Page Editor at the Detroit Free Press, join It’s Just Politics for a conversation about the potential benefits and risks of a Con-Con.
Michigan lawmakers and Governor Whitmer still can’t come to a deal to ‘fix the damn roads’
Road funding. It’s Michigan. So we must be talking, yet again, about road funding.
It’s not the first time - or likely the last - that we will report that Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the state Legislature have failed to come up with a plan to fund the roads.
On today’s It’s Just Politics, Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta are joined by AECOM’s Detroit Metro Leader Michael Griffie and Truscott Rossman CEO John Truscott. Griffie recently wrote an op-ed in the Detroit Free Press about Michigan road funding and Truscott helped to sell a roads funding package to the state legislature - and Michiganders - decades ago.
Plus, we are a month away from the Detroit mayoral primary. It’s the first time in more than a decade that Mike Duggan will not be on the ballot after announcing he is running for governor in 2026 as an independent.
It’s not the first time - or likely the last - that we will report that Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the state Legislature have failed to come up with a plan to fund the roads.
On today’s It’s Just Politics, Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta are joined by AECOM’s Detroit Metro Leader Michael Griffie and Truscott Rossman CEO John Truscott. Griffie recently wrote an op-ed in the Detroit Free Press about Michigan road funding and Truscott helped to sell a roads funding package to the state legislature - and Michiganders - decades ago.
Plus, we are a month away from the Detroit mayoral primary. It’s the first time in more than a decade that Mike Duggan will not be on the ballot after announcing he is running for governor in 2026 as an independent.
Capitol inertia: trying to find answers for why there isn’t a state budget in Lansing
It’s been six weeks since the Michigan Legislature and Governor Gretchen Whitmer sailed past the July 1st statutory deadline to pass a budget for the new fiscal year that begins October 1st. Week six with K-12 schools, higher ed, and some local governments with no idea how much money they’ll receive for their own fiscal years (which started July 1st). So, where do things stand at the Capitol? For answers, Colin Jackson, Capitol reporter at the Michigan Public Radio Network, and Elena Durnbaugh, Assistant Editor at Gongwer News Service joined It’s Just Politics hosts Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta.
Plus, Zoe and Rick turn the clocks back to 2007 and 2009 and remember the last times the state government (briefly) shut down.
Plus, Zoe and Rick turn the clocks back to 2007 and 2009 and remember the last times the state government (briefly) shut down.
As partial gov’t shutdown looms in Lansing, voters may hold everyone accountable
With budget negotiations in Lansing going down to the wire and a partial state government shutdown looming, voters might soon get a real-life lesson on how much their lives interact with state government. Governor Gretchen Whitmer and state lawmakers have one week to negotiate a budget. If a deal is not reached, everything from liquor sales to human services could be affected beginning October 1.
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, joins Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta on this week’s It’s Just Politics with the answers.
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, joins Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta on this week’s It’s Just Politics with the answers.
Legislature misses budget deadline; lawmakers leave Lansing with no deal
The statutory deadline for the state Legislature to pass a budget came and went yesterday. And the Democratic Senate and Republican House remain miles apart.
“It’s going to take awhile,” Republican House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) said last night.
Democratic Senate Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) told reporters that “we’ll continue to engage” but both the state House and Senate have left Lansing for the week and neither chamber is scheduled to be back in session at the Capitol until July 15.
On today’s It’s Just Politics, Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta speak with Robert McCann, Executive Director of the K-12 Alliance (and former Chief of Staff to then-Democratic state Senator Gretchen Whitmer, when she was a legislative leader), about where things stand when it comes to the state budget.
Then, Beth LeBlanc, politics reporter at The Detroit News, joins the show for the latest on a fight over documents from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation that were seized by the Attorney General’s office as part of a criminal investigation.
“It’s going to take awhile,” Republican House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) said last night.
Democratic Senate Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) told reporters that “we’ll continue to engage” but both the state House and Senate have left Lansing for the week and neither chamber is scheduled to be back in session at the Capitol until July 15.
On today’s It’s Just Politics, Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta speak with Robert McCann, Executive Director of the K-12 Alliance (and former Chief of Staff to then-Democratic state Senator Gretchen Whitmer, when she was a legislative leader), about where things stand when it comes to the state budget.
Then, Beth LeBlanc, politics reporter at The Detroit News, joins the show for the latest on a fight over documents from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation that were seized by the Attorney General’s office as part of a criminal investigation.
