MichMash Politics

Michigan lawmakers passed a state budget early Friday morning for the 2026 fiscal year. In this bonus episode of MichMash, WDET's Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service's Alethia Kasben discuss the details of the budget with Crain's Detroit Senior Reporter Dave Eggert.

We are past the October 1 deadline and an official state budget still hasn't been passed. What does this mean for Michigan? This week on MichMash, Cheyna Roth and Alethia Kasben break down whether a budget will pass sooner or later. 

There is progress in the state budget and we have the update on the breaking details. As part of the weekly WDET series, Gongwer News Service's Zach Gorchow and Alethia Kasben discuss what is likely in the state budget and how things will look as we approach the October 1st deadline. 

The Michigan GOP held their biennial leadership conference at Mackinac Island this past weekend. In this episode of MichMash, WDET's Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service's Alethia Kasben sit down with Baldy Bipartisan's John Selleck to discuss whether the conference is still beneficial for the Michigan Republican party.

Plus, Cheyna and Alethia discuss a proposal to move the state’s primary election from early August to May.

With less than two weeks til the budget deadline, there is still no state budget in sight. This week on MichMash, host Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service's Alethia Kasben break down what could be done by October 1st. They sit down with both State Senator Sarah Anthony, the Senate Appropriations chair, and State Representative Ann Bollin, the House Appropriations chair, to hear the gameplan for the remainder of the month.

In 2020, 15 Republicans allegedly tried to cast Michigan's electoral votes for President Trump, even through President Biden won the state by 154,000. In this episode of MichMash, WDET's Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service's Zach Gorchow break down how the legal case against these electors unraveled. 

Then, Executive Director of the Michigan Association of Counties Steve Currie joins the show to talk about how the state budget affects local governments.

As Michigan schools return to classes this week, the uncertainty of the state budget is causing some schools to cut programs just in case there are any issues with funding. In this episode of MichMash, Gongwer News Service's Zach Gorchow and Alethia Kasben discuss what needs to be done in order for the legislature to make the October 1 deadline.

Then, Robert McCann, Executive Director for the K-12 Alliance of Michigan, joins the show to talk about how the uncertainty of the budget is affecting school districts.

Nearly two months after the original deadline, House Republicans passed a budget giving the legislature a month to negotiate ahead of the new fiscal year on Oct. 1. In this episode of MichMash, WDET's Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service's Alethia Kasben discuss what was included in this version of the budget. 

Then, they’re joined by Gongwer News Service's administration reporter Lily Guiney to talk about the new state superintendent and other issues going on around the state. 

Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s administration is advancing a plan that could reshape how more than 300,000 Michiganders receive behavioral and mental health services. The proposal involves shifting nearly $5 billion in tax dollars, sparking debate across the state.

On this week’s MichMash, hosts Cheyna Roth and Zach Gorchow break down the proposal, exploring why some believe it will improve access and streamline care while others warn it could weaken community-based services. They also discuss the politics behind the plan, how it fits into Michigan’s broader health care landscape, and what it could mean for families who rely on this care.

Listen to the full conversation to hear what’s at stake for providers, patients, and policymakers as Michigan weighs this major change.

"In this episode of MichMash, WDET's Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service's Alethia Kasben are joined by the former director of Wayne County's Department of Health, Human, and Veterans Services, Abdul El-Sayed. He discusses why he's running for Michigan's open US Senate seat what he believes qualifies him for the role.

Plus, now that State Representative Joe Tate has dropped out of the US Senate race, we explore how this affects the rest of the field."

The 2025 Detroit primary election has concluded, and now we have a two-person sprint to November's general election to determine who will be the city's next mayor. In this episode of MichMash, Gongwer News Service's Zach Gorchow breaks down the results with WDET's Russ McNamara.

Plus, Gorchow and host Cheyna Roth discuss a shake-up in the Michigan Public Service Commision.

This week on MichMash, gubernatorial candidate and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II sat down with WDET's Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Alethia Kasben to explain why he's running for governor of Michigan and how his engineering background could help.

Plus, we take a look at fundraising progress from the rest of the gubernatorial candidates. 

Michigan State Police Director Col. James Grady II is expected to testify before the state House Oversight Committee this week after ongoing attempts to oust him from the role. 

This week on MichMash, WDET's Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service's Zach Gorchow explain the brewing tensions surrounding the MSP director. Then later, Michigan Association of State Universities CEO Dan Hurley stops by to discuss the various challenges state universities have faced in the last several months. 

It has been an eventful year in Michigan politics with the Michigan Legislature dynamically evolving. This week on WDET's MichMash, Gongwer News Services' Zach Gorchow and Alethia Kasben analyze the major events in a live recording at the Go Comedy! Improv Theater in Ferndale. 

They were joined by Detroit Free Press Politics Editor Emily Lawler and  
politics editor for The Detroit News, Chad Livengood.

As the July 1 deadline approaches, Michigan House Republicans have unveiled and passed a budget for K-12 schools. In this episode of MichMash, host Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service's Alethia Kasben discuss what's inside the proposal and the next steps.

Then, former Lieutenant Governor of Michigan and President and CEO of the Small Business Association of Michigan, Brian Calley, joins the show to talk about the state of small businesses in Michigan and the insurance cost crisis.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan received a major endorsement that may set him a part from his other gubernatorial candidates. As part of the weekly series MichMash, WDET's Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service's Zach Gorchow discuss how this move influences the rest of the race.

Then, Michigan Sen. and Chair of the Senate K-12 Appropriations Subcommittee, Darrin Camilleri (D-Trenton) joins the show to discuss the K-12 budget and what he's willing to negotiate. 

The annual Mackinac Policy Conference has wrapped up for 2025. In this episode of MichMash, Gongwer News Service's Alethia Kasben sits down with Gongwer reporter Elena Durnbaugh to discuss what was accomplished at this year's conference, and whether the Michigan legislature will make their July 1 deadline for budget negotiations.

Then, the two discuss Governor Gretchen Whitmer's presence at the conference and how it differs from years passed.

This week on MichMash, Democratic House Minority Leader Ranjeev Puri (D-Canton) joins the show to talk about ongoing tensions between parties within the Michigan Legislature.

Before that, host Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service's Zach Gorchow discuss news this week that Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson violated campaign finance laws when announcing her bid for governor inside a state-owned building.

This week on MichMash, host Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service's Alethia Kasben discuss bills introduced both in the Michigan House and Senate aimed at curbing distractions in the classroom by limiting cell phone use in class.

Also, former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox stops by to talk about his motivation behind running for governor.

In this epsiode of MichMash, host Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service's Alethia Kasben and Zach Gorchow sit down with State Senator Mallory McMorrow to discuss why she’s running for Michigan’s open US Senate seat.

Plus, people have grown accustomed to remote work since the pandemic, but is it here to stay? We discuss how remote work has affected state government employees and whether Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will have them return to in-person work full time.