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House Republican have moved to unilaterally cut up to $645 million from the state budget.  But is that legal?  This week on MichMash, Cheyna Roth and Zach Gorchow talk with Bob Schneider of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan to make sense of it all. Plus a look at changes in the race for governor and Secretary of State.

In this episode:

Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist drops out of the race for governor and into the Secretary of State’s race

The state of the governor’s race

The battle over unilateral budget cuts

Overview

Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist has ended his campaign for governor and has launched an effort to become Michigan’s next Secretary of State instead.  Gongwer’s Zach Gorchow says Gilchrist’s decision shouldn’t come as a surprise.

“He had low name recognition and wasn’t raising anywhere near enough money. Jocelyn Benson, the secretary of state, has been the clear frontrunner for the Democratic nomination for months, and Gilchrist’s exit doesn’t change anything on the Democratic side.”

The news does have implications for the race for Secretary of State as Gilchrist joins an already crowded Democratic field.

Meanwhile, lawmakers are dealing with a provision in state law that allows a single legislative committee to cancel certain types of spending. House Republicans used this mechanism like never before – to cancel up to $645 million in spending.

Attorney General Dana Nessel has filed suit saying the legislation allowing the move is unconstitutional.

Bob Schneider of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan tells us the central issue is around the appropriation process for “work projects.”

“A work project is an authorization to carry forward appropriations into a future fiscal year.”

He says the legislature should be thinking ahead on the issue, because the process could be in jeopardy, depending on how courts rule. Schneieder says lawmaker should be saying to themselves,  “How do we get together and fix this so we have a process that works in the future.”

At the end of 2025, a commitment to getting a new economic development plan out of the Legislature was halted. In this episode MichMash, Bridge Michigan’s business reporter Paula Gardner joins Cheyna Roth and Alethia Kasben to discuss economic development incentives and if they are helping to attract Michigan businesses.

More from MichMash

There were a lot of defining political moments in 2025 that made the year stand out.

This week on MichMash, WDET’s Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Zach Gorchow and Alethia Kasben discuss some major stories and look ahead to 2026.

In this episode

• MichMash hosts’ top political moments of 2025
• The state of major races heading into 2026.
• What stories should we look out for in 2026?

Overview

Pluribus News politics journalist Reid Wilson said “Michigan is the ‘we matter’ state,” on MichMash last month. Zach echoes this, pointing out how things like the senate race has made “Michigan the epicenter of politics in the midterms in 2026.”  

Zach also spoke about the dynamics of the candidates.

“We’ve got the first legit Democratic primary for U.S. Senate since 1994. Three really strong, viable candidates. But then we’ve got on the Republican side, it appears they’ve consolidated support behind Mike Rogers. And for the most part, he’s just going to be waiting to see who emerges as the Democrat.” 

Beyond elections, Zach also has his eye on the Michigan legislature. He thinks recent inertia will continue because of Speaker Matt Hall’s intention to not get involved what he described as “small things”.

And although there was an agreement after the budget was decided to focus on economic development, Alethia said those plans may be falling apart. “I think the House and Senate could come together and put together [the] top wants of both. It’s just a question of…is there the willingness to get that done, especially if this is more of a Governor Gretchen Whitmer priority and less of a legislative priority?” 

The Michigan legislature will come back to session by mid January 2026.  

More from MichMash

In this episode

• Senator Gary Peters shares why he is not running for reelection.
• Updates with the rank choice voting initiative

Senator Gary Peters’ announcement about not seeking reelection shocked the political world because of his favorability and success. This week on MichMash, WDET’s Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Services’ Zach Gorchow talk with the Senator to hear his reasons behind his decision, and they discuss his plans for the remainder of his term.  

Peters shared that he never saw himself in his position for a lifetime and that he likened how the founding fathers intended political leadership positions. “…like the founding fathers…you serve for a period of time and then you go back to private life. I have served in Congress for years. When I leave at the end of next year it will be 18 years. I think that is a good run” 

Peters also noted that politics is becoming more partisan, and it’s becoming harder to find common ground.  

Cheyna and Zach also discuss the recent news on rank choice voting. The group pushing put this new voting system in Michigan said they will retarget their efforts for 2028. Cheyna noted this may have been because they didn’t have enough signatures. You need 466,000 valid signatures from registered voters to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot.  

More from WDET:

• MichMash: Is ranked choice voting a better system for Michiganders?
• MichMash: Sen. Gary Peters’ retirement; Duggan on running for governor as an independent and more
• MichMash: Bipartisan approaches to Violent Crime Clearance Act, privacy, and more

Subscribe to MichMash on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Congresswoman Haley Stevens is vying for the U.S. Senate seat in Michigan in a highly contested field. In this episode of MichMash, WDET’s Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Alethia Kasben sit down with the representative to see what makes her different from her opponents. 

In this episode:

• What sets Haley Stevens apart from the other candidates for Michigan’s U.S. Senate seat?
• What issues are currently affecting Michigan residents?

Correction: Congresswoman Haley Stevens is endorsed by the Mayor of Highland Park, not Hamtramck.

Overview

Stevens is often compared to other established Democrats like U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell or even Governor Gretchen Whitmer. These comparisons are sometimes used to present Stevens as out of touch with the new generation of politics. Stevens says the focus should be more on meeting the needs of Michigan residents.

“I was Michigan’s first millennial to the United States House of Representatives. I’m not an ageist. I think the goal is representing all of Michigan and getting results for Michiganders.” 

She also stated that leaders like Gov. Whitmer’s popularity alongside her own ability to get things done should be embodied.  

Stevens also addressed the comparison with her fellow Democrat opponent Mallory McMorrow, and how they seemingly appeal to the same voters.

“I think poll after poll shows I’m the only Democrat who can beat (Republican opponent) Mike Rogers,”she said. “We need a dogged advocate for Michigan. And I think some of the unique attributes that I bring to this race for the United States Senate is that I am Michigan’s workhorse.” 

The election for the open Michigan U.S. Senate seat is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.  

More from MichMash

As we get closer to the midterm elections, races for the Michigan U.S. Senate and House seats prove that Michigan is stepping closer into the national spotlight. In this episode of MichMash, WDET’s Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Zach Gorchow discuss Michigan’s power as a swing state with Pluribus News Founder and Editor Reid Wilson.

Plus, the state budget drama continues as cancellations in funding disrupts multiple work projects. Cheyna and Zach debrief on the latest in Lansing.

In this episode:

• How did $645 million in work projects get cancelled?
• What role does Michigan play in the U.S. Senate and House majorities?
• What’s ahead for the 2028 presidential race?

Cancelled work projects

State law empowers the Michigan House Appropriation Committee and the Michigan Senate Appropriation Committee to cancel some types of work projects. This is what happened that caused $645 million to be cancelled in work projects. Gorchow says that this sent shockwaves across the capital, and that nothing like this has ever happened.

The Republican majority committee says they did this to cut spending, but Democrats and even some Republicans disapprove of these actions. There might be a supplemental appropriation bill which would include negotiations and discussion to possibly restore some of this funding.

2028 presidential race

A lot of focus is on the US Senate and House seats in Michigan. But Reid also brought up how the 2028 Presidential Race might feature one of Michigan’s own.

“Just because Governor Whitmer will says she is not running for president, she’s not saying I will not run for president,” he points out.

More from MichMash

Is everyone getting charged the same in Michigan’s courts? This is the question causing members of the Michigan Judicial Council to create a proposal to take the pressure off judges to generate revenue and make the state a more balanced funding partner. The proposal also aims to make sure people are not given debts that they can’t pay.

In this episode of MichMash, host Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Alethia Kasben discuss the ins and outs of this proposal with former judge and State Court Administrator Tom Boyd.

Why propose a change?

The council’s proposal seeks to change how the state court is funded. Boyd says it’s not just a matter of different courts charging different amounts for the same infractions, but it can also depend on the individual person.

“Unfortunately, today, that tax is often determined by how the person presents himself in court. Well, that’s not a fair — or honestly legal under the current system — way of doing things,” Boyd says.

He stresses that uniform practices are needed to stay consistent with the law.

During Thanksgiving weekend, the MichMash hosts got together to look at issues and stories we should look out for in the month of December. In this episode, WDET’s Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Zach Gorchow and Alethia Kasben discuss topics such as data centers, the Michigan gubernatorial race, and what items on the legislature’s to-do list are likely to get accomplished.

Data centers

The Michigan Public Service Commission is planning on addressing the increasing amount of data centers in the state in a public hearing this week.

Open AI, the company behind ChatGPT, is opening a data center in Saline Township. Bridge Michigan recently reported there are nine other communities where companies have proposed building these large-scale data centers.

This surge is a result of a 2024 law that expanded the exemption from the state’s 6% sales tax purchases for the equipment inside these data centers. But despite economic opportunity, there is concern among residents. Questions about environmental impact came up when the legislature passed those bills.

The hearing is set for Dec. 3.

Michigan gubernatorial race

The team also spoke about a major shift coming up in the state gubernatorial race.

Detroit Mayor and gubernatorial candidate Mike Duggan is going to lose a huge asset in having the mayoral megaphone to command attention once Mayor-Elect Mary Sheffield takes office. That means he could be losing a lot of news coverage starting Jan. 1. On the other hand, he’ll be able to dedicate his full effort to his campaign efforts. We’ll see how that plays out.

Michigan lawmakers are working on bipartisan approaches to ensure crimes are accounted for and increase privacy for lawmakers.

WDET’s Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Alethia Kasben talk with State Senator Stephanie Chang and State Representative Sarah Lightner. They discuss the Violent Crime Clearance Act, shielding of addresses for certain public officials, and more. 

Murder-solve rate in Michigan

According to a Michigan State Police report, the murder-solve rate is at 31.7% as of March of 2025. State Rep. Lightner said there could be more done to help law enforcement solve crimes.

She says a bill she introduced with State Senator Stephanie Chang will, “allow more for technical assistance for forensics or more people to investigate. [This bill] would help utilize those dollars better and have better access to labs.” 

Privacy for public officials

Another proposal both lawmakers were unified on was a bill that shields the addresses of certain public officials. Due to the increased climate of political violence over the past several years, both legislators want to help ensure safety for lawmakers.

State Sen. Chang said, “We are in a different time with the heightened risk of political violence. The judicial protection act was spurred by the killing of a judge’s son. Having personal identifying information puts everyone at further risk.” 

State Sen. Chang said now that the state budget is done, these bills have a better change of being addressed  

More MichMash

Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall makes his MichMash debut this week to share his take on recent events involving the Michigan legislature. In this episode, he joins hosts Cheyna Roth and Zach Gorchow to talk about funding, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the state budget, Republican candidates for governor and more.

Bringing the H.E.A.T.

Speaker Hall says his H.E.A.T. plan (short for the Hall Ethics, Accountability and Transparency plan) aims to bring more transparency to spending in the legislature. He says that people need to know where money from the state budget is going.

“Let’s get public documents a long time in advance that tells us what is the public purpose, what is the project, so we can look into these ‘pork’ spending projects and say which ones are good and which ones are bad,” Hall said.

Republican candidates for governor

Hall also spoke about the current candidates for governor. He said that there were a lot of strong republican contenders, but he also complimented independent candidate Mike Duggan.

“Mike Duggan and I get along very well,” Hall said. “I’ve done many deals with him. The Public Safety Trust fund… We have a great relationship. But he’s more of a democrat than a republican.”

The Michigan gubernatorial elections will be held on Nov. 3, 2026.