It's Just Politics

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/donate

See 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/donate

See 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/donate

See 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/donate

See 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/donate

See 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/donate

See 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/donate

See 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/donate

See 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/donate

See 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/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.