#FactsMatter, the Citizens Research Council of Michigan podcast

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 Gibbons for a candid look at Michigan’s political moment. Gibbons talks about fact‑checking candidates, navigating election‑year friction, and the challenge of covering policy in a state where partisan tension often overshadows problem‑solving. The t...

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 from the Front Porch, Eric Lupher and Guy Gordon sit down with Monica Woodson, President of the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan, for a thoughtful conversation about how one of the nation’s most iconic youth organizations is reimagining its missi...

In this #FactsMatter: Front Porch Edition conversation, Monique Field-Foster, executive partner at Warner Norcross + Judd, joins host Guy Gordon and Research President Eric Lupher to explore one of the central themes of conversation in Michigan policy circles: Michigan’s struggle with population growth, income growth, and political whiplash. Field-Foster reflects on her decades in government affai...

In this episode of #FactsMatter, Guy Gordon and Research Council President Eric Lupher continue their deep dive into the question Michigan voters will face in November 2026: Should the state convene a constitutional convention? They break down Article VII-Local Government and discuss how Michigan’s local government system has evolved from the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 to today’s sprawling networ...

This week on the #FactsMatter podcast: Host Guy Gordon speaks with Karley Abramson, Associate Researcher for Healthcare Policy at the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, about the impending rollout of Medicaid work requirements—changes that will affect roughly one in four Michigan residents. Abramson outlines the dual challenge ahead: 1. Eligibility changes that require enrollees to document 80...

As Michigan communities debate whether to welcome hyperscale data centers, the Research Council’s #FactsMatter podcast sat down with Research Associate Eric Paul Dennis to unpack the facts behind the controversy. The discussion focused on Eric’s recent paper, Data Centers in Michigan: Evaluation of Policy Controversies Regarding Hyperscale Data Center Development, which separates emotion from evid...

In episode 8 of a series previewing what a constitutional convention (con-con) - a question on the November 2026 ballot - might address, hosts Guy Gordon and Eric Lupher of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan discuss Article VI - Judicial Branch. Michigan voters are asked every 16 years whether to hold a con-con. The overall takeaway: Article VI works reasonably well structurally, but judici...

In this 7th podcast on the Michigan Constitution, host Guy Gordon and Research Council President Eric continue their deep dive into the constitution’s articles and issues as voters prepare to decide in November whether to call a constitutional convention. This installment focuses on Article V, which outlines the structure and powers of the executive branch—and, as the conversation makes clear, it...

This episode of the #FactsMatter focuses on Michigan’s 2026 budget season, with Guy Gordon interviewing the Research Council's Craig Thiel and Bob Schneider. All three major budget proposals—the Governor’s, House’s, and Senate’s—are now public, making this year’s process smoother than last year’s. Schools and local governments benefit from early budget clarity. All three FY2027 School Aid budget p...

The podcast once again delves into the Citizens Research Council’s Constitution series, examining each article of the Michigan Constitution as voters face the decision in November on whether to hold a constitutional convention (con-con). This week, #FactsMatter host Guy Gordon and Research Council President Eric Lupher discuss the 8th paper in the series, breaking down Article IV – Legislative Bra...

This episode of the #FactsMatter podcast spotlights a Michigan property tax case before the U.S. Supreme Court – Pung v. Isabella County – that could reshape how states handle tax foreclosures and protect homeowners' equity. Guy Gordon and Madhu Anderson, Senior Research Associate for Local Affairs, discuss the story of the Pung family from Isabella County. After inheriting a home, the family lost...

The decline in Detroit's homicide rate is a significant and encouraging trend that reflects the city's efforts to improve public safety. However, understanding the context and the underlying factors driving these numbers is crucial. Guy chats with Eric Lupher and Research Council Detroit Bureau Director Doug Ortiz, who recently published a paper examining Detroit’s declining homicide rates and how...

In this 5th episode of the #FactsMatter series of podcasts covering the Constitution, host Guy Gordon speaks with Research Council President Eric Lupher about Michigan’s upcoming ballot question on whether to hold a constitutional convention. Their conversation focuses on Article III—General Government of the state constitution—a little-known but important section containing structural provisions...

Guy Gordon and Eric Lupher discuss Article II of the Michigan Constitution in the context of the upcoming November election on whether Michigan should hold a constitutional convention (aka: Con-Con). Lupher explains that although Article II historically drew little attention, it has become far more significant and contentious amid recent debates over voting rights, election security, and direct de...

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 the current state constitution before Michigan voters are asked this November whether to approve a Constitutional Convention (Con-Con). The Declaration of Rights, analyzed in a recently published paper by the Research Council, outlines the key indiv...

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, to review As Guy notes, the past can be prologue, especially regarding the kinds of issues Michigan faced in 1961, when residents last voted to hold a Con-Con, a vote that was approved by voters in 1963. Big issues at the time included equal protectio...

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 papers on Michigan’s upcoming ballot question asking voters whether to hold a constitutional convention. The Research Council takes no position on whether to call a constitutional convention. They start by digging into the first released paper, General...

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 Human Costs of Online Sports Betting. Karley is the Research Council’s lead research associate for health policy. After six years of legal online gaming and sports betting in Michigan, Guy and Karley take a step back to examine how Michigan can do a b...

Guy chats with the Research Council’s Detroit office director Doug Ortiz and Citizens Research Council President Eric Lupher about the Detroit February revenue estimating conference (REC) and what it portends for Mayor Sheffield’s first executive budget. Detroit’s fiscal year begins on July 1, 2026. Detroit, like many cities, counties, and townships in Michigan, is looking at relatively flat reven...

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 interesting watch as Michigan policymakers tackle and negotiate the fiscal year 2027 budget. Senior Research Council staff Craig Thiel and Bob Schneider chat with Guy Gordon, walking through some of the most consequential pressure points as lawmakers craft...

Eric Paul Dennis, research associate for infrastructure at the Citizens Research Council, joins Guy Gordon for the first podcast of 2026. Earlier this week, Dennis’ research brief, How the 2025 Transportation Funding Package Accidentally Cut Road Funding in FY2026, contrasted the promise of new funding in the current fiscal year with the reality. Guy and Eric pick up where their conversation left...

In this episode of the Facts Matter podcast, host Guy Gordon and infrastructure specialist Eric Paul Dennis discuss the recent road funding package passed in Michigan. While the potential for increased funding, if the estimated revenue is achieved, could lead to significant improvements in road conditions, uncertainty about revenue estimates can hinder long-term planning for road agencies. Only 30...

Guy sits down with Karley Abramson, research associate for health policy, to talk about the seriously high level of poor health among Michiganders, a level showing increasing signs of further deterioration. Citizens Research Council just released exhaustive research, authored by Abramson, that drills down to root causes of why Michiganders suffer from worse health outcomes than residents in simila...

A Research Council Podcast Roundtable: Michigan’s 2025 Budget Breakdown In a first-ever roundtable edition of the #FactsMatter podcast, Guy Gordon recaps recent budget conversations and even more recent updates from the finally passed and long-overdue Michigan budget with the Research Council’s Eric Lupher, president; Craig Thiel, research director; Bob Schneider, senior state affairs associate; a...

Guy Gordon and Bob Schneider, Citizens Research Council’s senior research associate for state affairs, look at what is in the final state budget, signed into law this week by Governor Whitmer, from both the 30,000 foot level and the nitty gritty level, digging into some of the elements that didn’t receive much attention. Calling it the Michigan ‘Potholes and Pot’ budget, Guy and Bob discuss how th...