MichMash Politics

State environmental officials are stepping up efforts to assist Benton Harbor residents who have had their drinking water contaminated. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) says it will provide bottled water, filters, and blood testing for children. Reporter Eric Lutz of The Guardian talks about his reporting on yet another water crisis in Michigan.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and state lawmakers have finally reached a budget agreement after months of negotiations. MichMash hosts Cheyna Roth and Jake Neher say one of the most important aspects of the budget is the money it does not spend. And WDET host Stephen Henderson's interview with Gov. Whitmer from the 2021 Mackinac Policy Conference.

Amazon’s footprint in Michigan will soon get much bigger. The online retail giant recently announced it will open four new sites across Michigan in the next two years. MichMash hosts Jake Neher and Cheyna Roth talk with Congressman Andy Levin (D-Bloomfield Twp.) about the move and his concerns for workers and organized labor in Michigan.

Law enforcement officials say they are almost done reviewing the massive backlog of rape kits found in Detroit back in 2009. The Wayne County Prosecutors office has been processing more than 11-thousand rape kits for over a decade.

As part of the weekly series MichMash… Cheyna Roth and Jake Neher talk with Bridge Detroit’s Bryce Huffman about how this ordeal has changed state policy and law enforcement practices since 2009.

New data from Michigan’s statewide standardized test last school year suggest students are struggling to make academic progress during the pandemic. The Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP) results show lower student proficiency in most subjects that were tested. Jake Neher and Cheyna Roth talk with K-12 Alliance of Michigan Executive Director Robert McCann, who says the results should be taken with a grain of salt.

For the first time ever, an independent redistricting commission is re-drawing Michigan’s political maps. Now, we’re seeing the very first maps coming out of that process.

MichMash's Jake Neher talks with Gongwer reporter Ben Solis who has following the redistricting commission’s work closely.

The start of the new school year comes as the threat of the COVID-19 Delta variant gets worse in Michigan.

MichMash hosts Jake Neher and Cheyna Roth talk about the tough decisions local school officials are making as students get ready to return to class, and talk with University of Michigan School of Education Dean Dr. Elizabeth Moje.

Plastic pollution is getting worse in the Great Lakes. That’s what Crain’s Detroit Business found in its recent reporting on the issue. MichMash hosts Cheyna Roth and Jake Neher talk with Chad Livengood of Crain’s about the issue and efforts to fix it.

There’s hope here in Michigan that any infrastructure package in Washington D.C. might help address flooding problems in the state.

MichMash hosts Jake Neher and Cheyna Roth talk about how the answer might depend on local public officials and whether they can find ways to work together.

Michigan’s petition initiative process is a mess. That’s according to some state government watchers. MichMash hosts Jake Neher and Cheyna Roth talk about some of the reasons critics think the process should change.