Host: Stephan Currie Guests: Deena Bosworth, Jimmy Johnson of Samantha Gibson of MAC Topics: With the Legislature preparing for a two-week spring break, MAC’s Podcast 83 team reviewed activity in Lansing on election dates and the future of 13 Consumers Energy dams across Michigan and reviewed MAC’s state budget agenda for fiscal 2027. Election legislation: “(We've been talking about this for … seems like a month worth of podcasts now,” said Samantha Gibson. “Sen. Sam Singh (D-Ingham) and some...

Host: Stephan Currie Guests: Samantha Gibson and Jimmy Johnson of MAC Topics: In a quick-hit episode this week, MAC’s Podcast 83 team discussed the House’s efforts to do away with two policies: the state’s clean energy standards and a cap on the number of hours worked by retired sheriff employees who return to service. House Bill 5711, by Rep. Pat Outman (R-Montcalm) “would repeal the 100 percent clean energy standards by 2040 that was put into effect in 2023,” said Samantha Gibson, “and that...

Host: Stephan Currie Guests: Deena Bosworth, Jimmy Johnson and Samantha Gibson of MAC Topics: Host Stephan Currie welcomed the MAC team to the newest episode of Podcast 83 with an unusual observation for recent times at the State Capitol: “They have been busy in Lansing-ish, I guess. There are bills being introduced, committee meetings, hearings and sessions being held. And some voting, I guess we could say.” “Except for they still have this goal,” Deena Bosworth quipped, “at least the Hous...

Host: Stephan Currie Guests: Deena Bosworth, Samantha Gibson and Jimmy Johnson of MAC Topics: In a wide-ranging episode this week, MAC’s Podcast 83 team reviewed a variety of policy proposals in Lansing that could harm ― and help ― county governments. Keying off Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s proposals for housing affordability, in her State of the State address, MAC’s Deena Bosworth said: “There's a package of bills again this year, and it's all about how you build more housing in urban areas espec...

Host: Stephan Currie Guest: Jamara Green of NACo Topic: In a special episode of Podcast 83, host Stephan Currie talks with the National Association of Counties (NACo) about a health benefit that can aid county employees and residents alike. Jamara Green, assistant for special projects for NACo, detailed the benefits of NACo’s Live Healthy program, which provides prescription savings in partnership with CVS. “It is offered exclusively to NACO member counties,” Green noted. “Of those counties, ...

Follow the money. That’s theme of the newest Podcast 83 episode, which breaks down Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s fiscal 2027 budget proposal, released last week. “We've got a budget presentation from last week we want to talk about,” said host Stephan Currie. “So, let's jump right into it. Deena, do you want to kick us off a little bit on our top legislative item on the budget? We typically look at revenue sharing. “So, again this year, we're looking at the governor recommended flat funding (on cou...

Host: Stephan Currie Guests: Deena Bosworth, Samantha Gibson and Jimmy Johnson of MAC Topics: MAC’s Podcast 83 team discussed concerning trends this week as the state awaits Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s formal budget presentation on Wednesday afternoon. “Over the weekend, we saw (Whitmer) talk about property taxes,” said Deena Bosworth, “which, you know, … I'm a little nervous about what that means. “It’s a theme we've heard a few times now from different people,” replied host Stephan Currie....

Host: Deena Bosworth: Guests: Rep. Steve Frisbie, Samantha Gibson and Jimmy Johnson of MAC Topics: Expect to see a great deal of discussion on property tax changes in 2026 but maybe not any action, said Rep. Steve Frisbie (R-Calhoun) in the latest “Legislator Spotlight” episode of Podcast 83. Frisbie is now in his first term from the 44th House District after serving more than a decade on the Calhoun County Board of Commissioners. Asked by host Deena Bosworth about House Speaker Matt Hall’s (...

Host: Deena Bosworth Guests: State Rep. John Fitzgerald (D-Kent) and Samantha Gibson of MAC Topics: State Rep. John Fitzgerald (D-Kent) urged county leaders to reach out more to him and his colleagues in the Legislature during 2026’s first “Legislator Spotlight” episode of Podcast 83. “You've always been great to local units of government and wonderful to work with and talk to, so I appreciate that, and I appreciate you still maintaining that focus,” said MAC’s Deena Bosworth, filling in for...

Host: Stephan Currie Guests: Deena Bosworth, Samantha Gibson and Jimmy Johnson of MAC Topics: Comments by House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Kalamazoo) about his 2026 priorities were a focus of this week’s episode of Podcast 83. “The biggest one that affects our members the most is Speaker Hall is talking about property tax reform,” said Deena Bosworth. “We don't know what this looks like. We don't know if he's talking about elimination of property taxes with a replacement of some kind of mechanism. ...