Today's Democratic-Republican roundtable edition of MIRS Monday features Jim Lower – the former Republican state representative and Sparta village manager – and Eastpointe City Councilmember Cardi DeMonaco Jr., a Democrat (1:26). 

Cardi and Jim share their reactions on Michigan's newest road funding system, lawmakers possibly tackling intoxicating hemp drinks and the future of government-run economic development. Also, which political figure is catching their attention as a star in fall of 2025? 

The Michigan State Police reports that last year, about 40.7% of deadly traffic crashes involved drugs and/or alcohol.

But at the same time, according to Brian Swift of the National Alliance to Stop Impaired Driving, oral testing devices to detect recent substance use are sitting on shelves, collecting dust and unable to be used because they're not legally binding right now in Michigan.

In a policy-centered episode, MIRS speaks with Brian – who lost his parents in a car crash involving drugs – and Troy Meder, the Chesaning Village police chief and a Drug Recognition Expert instructor. Brian and Troy discuss the push for oral roadside fluid testing in Michigan (:59).

This past week, legislators passed a state budget, giving schools $10,050 per-student, cutting back substantially on economic development spending and reducing government job posts. On this episode of the MIRS Monday Podcast, host Samantha Shriber walks listeners through the day, from Thursday afternoon through after 3 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 3 (1:21). 

Also, $1.85 billion in new yearly money was secured for roads, but not without protests. Weed will be placed under a new 24 percent wholesale tax, and businesses won't have access to the same Trump-era tax deduction benefits on the state level. 

The budget-making race against the clock is underway in the state Capitol, as legislators have about two days to come together on a state spending plan before the new fiscal year begins.

Also, MIRS continues sharing interviews from the Michigan Republican Leadership Conference. Sterling Heights Robert Lulgjuraj is running in one of Michigan's most competitive U.S. House seats ahead of the '26 elections. He says his last name might be hard to pronounce, but his values are easy to understand (3:58). 

MIRS additionally catches up with Mitchell Nelson, the Michigan State Director of Humane World for Animals, who shares some of his policy goals for the year (22:51). 

This past weekend, MIRS podcast host Samantha Shriber covered the Michigan Republican Leadership Conference on Mackinac Island, where candidates ahead of the '26 elections courted Republican activists and enthusiasts. She recaps what she saw with guests (1:16). 

At the conference, MIRS met up with Republican Amir Hassan, the U.S. Navy veteran and Flint native running in Michigan's competitive 8th U.S. House district (9:24). 

Also, 46th Gov. John Engler shares what it was like creating budgets with a political rival and later with an evenly divided state House in the '90s (21:11). 

Monday afternoon, MIRS spoke with former Gov. James Blanchard, Michigan's 45th governor from 1983 through 1990. In his second term, he served with a Republican-led Senate and Democratic-controlled House. 

Gov. Blanchard shares his thoughts on government shutdowns, as both a federal and state government shutdown stand as possibilities if budget deals can't be reached. 

After the fatal shooting of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, as well as bomb threats reportedly made against a Michigan lawmaker and Lieutenant Governor, has politics in 2025 become deadly?

Also, should state legislators be embarrassed by talk of a fall government shutdown despite not living under the Great Recession circumstances experienced in the prior shutdowns? 

MIRS discusses all of this and more with Sen. Veronica Klinefelt (D-Eastpointe), chair of the Senate Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee – and Rep. John Roth (R-Interlochen), chair of the House Appropriations Human Services Subcommittee (2:04). 

MIRS sits down with Doug Heller, the director of insurance for the Consumer Federation of America. He shares his takes and findings on the state of auto insurance in Michigan (1:10). 

Also, the House's road funding proposal brings Michigan's funding for local buses up to $286.5 million, an all-time high. However, bus service leaders are worried about how the proposal could link the extra dollars to farebox recovery metrics, representing how much of operating costs are covered by passenger fares (24:15). 

When it comes to budget-making in the Michigan Legislature, how big of a problem are phantom employees, or state agency job posts that are funded for but not filled? How large of an issue are work project dollars set aside in the past, but there's been no progress on those projects? 

Also, why do House Republicans instruct the state to follow the federal government's new work obligations for Medicaid recipients a year earlier for Healthy Michigan Plan beneficiaries? 

For its Labor Day episode, MIRS hosts a roundtable discussion with Sen. Jeff Irwin, the Ann Arbor Democrat, and Millington Republican state Rep. Phil Green (6:58).