Matt Grossmann and Arnold Weinfeld discuss Michigan and national politics, policy, and the economy on the monthly State of the State podcast from MSU’s Institute for Public Policy and Social Research (IPPSR). The podcast is a monthly round up of policy and research for Michigan. 

Tony Daunt is executive director of FAIR Maps Michigan. He joins the conversation to discuss the redistricting process in Michigan, the current remapping process, and what brought us to this point.

Conversation Highlights:

(0:32) – What’s the latest in national politics and the presidential race?

(5:58) – An assessment of proposals in Governor Whitmer’s State of the State address and the state of politics and policy in Michigan. “This last year was one of the most productive and ideological movements of public policy that we’ve seen across any state for, like, 50 years. This was an extraordinary move leftward that they accomplished in the first year, and they’re set up to try to do a lot more.”

(9:27) – Economic development, R & D tax credit, and population growth – “The business location packages really don’t impact business decisions. People make business location decisions and then rack up the tax credits.”

(14:27) – Daunt joins the conversation to talk about the remapping process.

(19:50) – What would you rather have seen from the beginning of the redistricting process?

(23:12) – How is the redraw going so far?

(25:36) – What is the role of FAIR Maps Michigan? And what are some of your suggestions moving forward? Where is this headed?

(31:22) – “The commission has been rather defiant about the lawsuit, and I would encourage everyone to see this as an opportunity to correct, by all accounts, the biggest defect in the process. The public remains supportive of the changes, especially the changes to the partisan composition of the relationship between districts and statewide votes. This was the primary citizen concern expressed quite loudly and clearly. But that was ignored by the commission. So rather than see it as a burden imposed by the courts, I would encourage them to see it as a second chance to correct the biggest defect in the process.”

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