#FactsMatter, the Citizens Research Council of Michigan podcast
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#FactsMatter, the Citizens Research Council of Michigan podcast
Podcast by Citizens Research Council of Michigan
Recent Episodes
130 episodes
Conversations on the Porch with Michiganders: Lauren Gibbons, reporter, Bridge Michigan
In the final episode of the series #FactsMatter: Facts from the Front Porch, Guy Gordon and Eric Lupher sat down with Bridge Michigan reporter Lauren...
Conversations on the Porch with Michiganders: Monica Woodson, CEO, Girl Scouts of Southeastern MI
In a rapidly changing economy, preparing girls for the future isn’t just important — it’s urgent. On this episode of the #FactsMatter Podcast – Facts...
Conversations with Michiganders on the Front Porch: Monique Field-Foster
In this #FactsMatter: Front Porch Edition conversation, Monique Field-Foster, executive partner at Warner Norcross + Judd, joins host Guy Gordon and R...
A Michigan Constitutional Convention Could Reshape Local Government Under Article VII
In this episode of #FactsMatter, Guy Gordon and Research Council President Eric Lupher continue their deep dive into the question Michigan voters will...
Medicaid Work Requirements Coming; Ripple Effects Likely to Reach Far Beyond Enrollees
This week on the #FactsMatter podcast: Host Guy Gordon speaks with Karley Abramson, Associate Researcher for Healthcare Policy at the Citizens Researc...
Facts over Fear: What Michigan Needs to Know About Hyperscale Data Centers
As Michigan communities debate whether to welcome hyperscale data centers, the Research Council’s #FactsMatter podcast sat down with Research Associat...
Article VI: The 1963 Michigan Constitution Got the Judiciary Mostly Right
In episode 8 of a series previewing what a constitutional convention (con-con) - a question on the November 2026 ballot - might address, hosts Guy Gor...
It’s About More Than Just the Governor: Article 5 - Executive Branch
In this 7th podcast on the Michigan Constitution, host Guy Gordon and Research Council President Eric continue their deep dive into the constitution’s...
Items of Note from the House, Senate and Governor's School Aid Budget Proposals
This episode of the #FactsMatter focuses on Michigan’s 2026 budget season, with Guy Gordon interviewing the Research Council's Craig Thiel and Bob Sch...
Most targeted Article in MI Constitution: Legislative Branch; Redistricting is one high-stakes issue
The podcast once again delves into the Citizens Research Council’s Constitution series, examining each article of the Michigan Constitution as voters...
SCOTUS Decision Likely to Impact Michigan Tax Foreclosure Process
This episode of the #FactsMatter podcast spotlights a Michigan property tax case before the U.S. Supreme Court – Pung v. Isabella County – that could...
Understanding Detroit's Homicide Rate: Context and Implications
The decline in Detroit's homicide rate is a significant and encouraging trend that reflects the city's efforts to improve public safety. However, unde...
Article III – General Government: the “catch-all” section of the Michigan Constitution
In this 5th episode of the #FactsMatter series of podcasts covering the Constitution, host Guy Gordon speaks with Research Council President Eric Luph...
MI Constitution/Article II “Elections”: from mostly ignored to the spotlight
Guy Gordon and Eric Lupher discuss Article II of the Michigan Constitution in the context of the upcoming November election on whether Michigan should...
Michigan’s Article I – The Declaration of Rights: foundational and contentious
Eric and Guy delve into Article 1 - The Declaration of Rights of the Michigan Constitution, as part of a series of podcasts looking at each element of...
Michigan’s Past Con-Cons: Failures, Successes and Trends to Amend
On November 3, Michigan voters will be asked to vote on Proposal 1, which asks whether Michigan should hold a Constitutional Convention, or Con-Con, t...
Understanding Michigan’s Constitution: Potential Changes from a Constitutional Convention
Guy sits down with Eric Lupher, Citizens Research Council president, in the first episode of a series of podcasts exploring the Council’s series of pa...
How to Hedge the Worsening Human Costs of Online Sports Betting
With March Madness just around the corner, Guy sits down with Karley Abramson to talk about her recent report: Policy Options to Hedge the Worsening H...
Detroit’s Expected Revenues Could Challenge Budget Decisions for New Mayor Sheffield
Guy chats with the Research Council’s Detroit office director Doug Ortiz and Citizens Research Council President Eric Lupher about the Detroit Februar...
Analyzing Governor Whitmer’s Final Executive Budget Proposal
Just two weeks after digesting the details of Governor Whitmer’s final Executive Budget proposal, one thing is certain: it’s going to be a very intere...
How Michigan’s New Road Package Accidentally Cut Current Year Road Funding
Eric Paul Dennis, research associate for infrastructure at the Citizens Research Council, joins Guy Gordon for the first podcast of 2026. Earlier this...
Uncertainty Defines New Michigan Transportation Funding Package
In this episode of the Facts Matter podcast, host Guy Gordon and infrastructure specialist Eric Paul Dennis discuss the recent road funding package pa...
Lack of Financial Resources Central to Michiganders Lagging Health Outcomes
Guy sits down with Karley Abramson, research associate for health policy, to talk about the seriously high level of poor health among Michiganders, a...
The FY26 budget makes big strides in funding, but a clearer roadmap needed on how dollars are used
A Research Council Podcast Roundtable: Michigan’s 2025 Budget Breakdown
In a first-ever roundtable edition of the #FactsMatter podcast, G...
Michigan’s “potholes and pot” budget tackles how we fund roads and how we use marijuana tax revenue
Guy Gordon and Bob Schneider, Citizens Research Council’s senior research associate for state affairs, look at what is in the final state budget, sign...
Without renewal of healthcare tax credits, premiums expected to jump 70%
Karley Abramson, health policy associate for the Research Council, speaks with Guy about her most recent paper, Upcoming Changes to the Affordable Car...
Disappointing early results from Michigan’s efforts to improve reading among low-income students.
Guy speaks with Senior Research Director Craig Thiel about his recent issue brief looking at Michigan’s efforts to improve early literacy among low-in...
Michigan's a home rule state...but it doesn't allow local tax options. What?
Guy and Eric Lupher delve into the weeds, discussing the pros and cons — more pros — of allowing local units of government in Michigan to have a local...
From Events to Equity: Evaluating Admissions Taxes for Michigan Cities
Guy Gordon chats with Citizens Research Council president Eric Lupher about his study examining how an admissions tax on sports and entertainment venu...
No More Free Lunch for All: Lack of State Budget Already Impacting Some Schools – and Kids
#FactsMatter host Guy Gordon chats with Craig Thiel, Research Director for the Citizens Research Council, who first wrote about the impact of state bu...
“In the Weeds” – a new Citizens Research Council podcast for “the wonkier, the nerdier” among us
Put on your tick spray because we are headed into the weeds! Announcing “In the Weeds,” a new occasional podcast from the Citizens Research Council o...
Other states get bigger bangs for their road construction buck; MI roads stuck at 40th in the U.S.
Veteran newscast journalist Guy Gordon speaks with award-winning infrastructure analyst for the Citizens Research Council, Eric Paul Dennis, about his...
One Big Beautiful Bill Creates One Billion Hit to Upcoming Michigan Budget
Budget Currently Being Hashed Out by Legislators to Decline by $1.1 Billion; OBBBA to Eat 40% of Expected General Fund Growth by FY2032
...
Federal Medicaid Cuts Will Have Big Consequences in Michigan
As policymakers in Washington debate major legislation that, as written, would significantly reduce federal spending on Medicaid, Citizens Research Co...
Forecast for Michigan's Economy: Uncertainty, Variability and Consensus, Oh My!
Happy CREC Day! Catch up quickly with Research Council Director Craig Thiel and Senior Research Associate for State Affairs Bob Schneider as they take...
Michigan roads rank 40 nationally. Lawmakers should scrap outdated funding formula and start over
Detroit News politics editor and columnist Chad Livengood sits down with Citizen Research Council’s infrastructure analyst Eric Paul Dennis, PE, discu...
New report: Michigan’s roads rank 40th in U.S. Experts: scrap road-funding formula and start over
Vic McCarty of the Vic McCarty Morning Show, WTCM Traverse City, interviews Eric Lupher, president of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, which...
Michigan has an underperforming road system. Road funding proposals should address this
Infrastructure research associate Eric Paul Dennis and senior research associate for state affair Bob Schneider catch up with Clara Hendrickson, polit...
Would Reforming the Use of Earmarks in Statute Be the End of Pork as We Know It?
John Lindstrom and Bob Schneider discuss a topic that has been popping up increasingly among Michigan lawmakers lately: transparency and reforming the...
Governor Recommends Funding Bumps for Students, New Sin Tax and More: Gov. Whitmer’s New-Budget Plan
On this week's FactsMatter podcast, hear Citizens Research Council Senior Research Associate Bob Schneider and Ryan Wrecker of WWJ Radio in Detroit ch...