Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield had a historic win on Tuesday, becoming the first woman to be elected Mayor of Detroit. In this episode of MichMash, Gongwer News Service’s Zach Gorchow and Alethia Kasben are joined by BridgeDetroit reporter Malachi Barrett and Detroit One Million founder Sam Robinson to discuss how Sheffield might govern in her new role.

In this episode:

• What makes Sheffield’s win so significant?
• What does Sheffield’s trajectory look like?

Historic win

Not only is Sheffield the first woman to become mayor for the city of Detroit, but she had record turnout in comparison to her predecessor.

“Duggan is talked about as this electoral juggernaut, especially in his re-election campaigns. He never had above 75% or even hit 75,000 votes,” Barrett said. “Sheffield had both.”

Barrett also said Sheffield was more present in the community and had better relationships than her opponent, Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr.

Sheffield’s trajectory

From here, Sheffield’s career could go in many different directions. But according to Robinson, Detroit is the main focus for the young politician.

He recounted stories from her election night afterparty and says he believes she aspires to be a candidate like former Detroit Mayor Coleman Young. Robinson also said that her representation as an African American woman has inspired a lot of people.

In this episode, cannabis attorney Lance Boldrey joins the show. He chats with WDET’s Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Alethia Kasben about how the 2026 state budget affects the cannabis industry.

Plus, Republican gubernatorial candidates had their first debate this week. We discuss a notable absence and the major themes of the debate.

In this episode:

• How does the wholesale tax on the marijuana industry affect businesses of different sizes?
• Reviewing the first Republican debate for Michigan’s 2026 gubernatorial race
• Which gubernatorial candidates have raised the most money so far?

Cannabis in the state budget

The 2026 state budget included a 24% tax increase on the marijuana market. The tax will be applied to the retailer’s sales regardless of other taxes already listed in the line of items of any marijuana invoice.

Boldrey, who focuses on cannabis cases at the law firm Dykema, says small businesses will be hit the hardest.

“I think the folks that get the most negatively impacted are the micro businesses, which are the social equity part of the industry, which are people that come in as craft producers. They don’t have any wholesale activity at all because everything is grown, processed and sold in the exact same location.”

Boldrey says these micro businesses can’t make a wholesale purchase or a wholesale sale, but they will have a wholesale tax on their production.

Reviewing the gubernatorial debate

At the Republican gubernatorial debate this week, there was a notable absence from U.S. Representative John James, who said he would not participate in these debates until the field was more settled. As of now, James is perceived as the frontrunner, but there may be risk with his approach.

He’s already upset some GOP delegates mad by skipping a different event organized by the state party. If he does win the primary, he may have to win those delegates back heading into the general election.

Also, campaign finance reports were due this week from all parties. Republican John James, Democrat Jocelyn Benson and Independent Mike Duggan have raised the most from donors in their campaigns so far.

Even though Michigan’s 2026 state budget was already passed and signed into law, the drama continues as the Senate and House disagree about a bill calling for more transparency with enhancement grants known as “earmarks.” This week on MichMash, WDET’s Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Zach Gorchow explain what earmarks are and what role they play in the recently-passed budget.

Then, they sit down with Budget Director Jen Flood to dig into the details of what was included in the state budget.

In this episode:

• How are earmarks used in Michigan state politics?
• What went into the 2026 state budget? 
• How big is the 2026 state budget?

Explaining earmarks

There’s a long history of earmarks being used as a way for lawmakers to bring new projects and resources to their districts. Some have gone to organizations to carry out a specific function, and some have been the center of controversy.

The purpose of these new transparency bills is to establish earmark guidelines before the next budget season. This past season, earmark guidelines were being established at the same time as lawmakers were working on the budget.

Unpacking the state budget

Flood shared that there were a lot of obstacles to overcome when making the 2026 state budget.

“We had a lot of things working against us,” she said. “We had a divided legislature for the first time in 15 years, we were facing a road funding shortfall, and last summer, Congress blew a $1 billion hole in our state budget with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. And so we had our work cut out for us.”

Flood added that the budget includes $2 billion in road funding, which she says will protect jobs in the construction industry.

With a little more than a year to go until Michigan’s next congressional election, we take a look at the current state of affairs for congressional candidates in Michigan. This week on MichMash, WDET’s Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Alethia Kasben explore who’s running in the state’s US House and Senate races, and where their fundraising stands.

Later on, Charles Griffith from the Ecology Center stops by to discuss how a recently passed gas tax will impact electric vehicles.

Although there are already laws barring non-citizens from voting in Michigan elections, a group is pushing a ballot initiative to have voters show proof of citizenship. This week on MichMash, WDET’s Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Zach Gorchow unpack the issue with supporter Paul Jacob of Americans for Citizen Voting and opponent Melinda Billingsley of Voters Not Politicians.

In this episode:

• Why do supporters think we need a ballot initiative that ensures only citizens vote in Michigan elections?
• Why are opponents concerned about potential barriers to voting that the ballot measure may cause for citizens?

This measure would require citizens to present photo identification to be able to vote. There is no evidence that votes by non-citizens have affected the results of an election. Jacob agrees and says that this ballot initiative is to enforce the law that bars non-citizens from voting.  

“Our position is that it’s important that voters get to decide, should non-citizens be voting in our elections or not? I think voters are going to decide not,” he said. “We’re looking to have every U.S. citizen in Michigan who wants to vote be able to vote, but we’re also looking for non-citizens not to be put on the rolls and not to vote.” 

There is concern that the proposed ballot may bar some citizens from voting who don’t have proper identification on hand. Billingsley says the laws that are already in place are adequate to ensure security in our voting system.  

“We had the policies that had been set in place by the Secretary of State’s office, by the Department of Elections to be constantly checking and reviewing our elections to make sure that our elections are secure,” she said. “We don’t see a problem with it, because the problem doesn’t exist. There is a problem with the proposals being put forward by these petitions, because they would actually make voting harder for everyone.” 

Advocates of the proposal are currently gathering signatures for the ballot measure. They need 446,198 signatures to get this measure on the ballot.

The next Senator representing Michigan could shift the balance of power in Washington, and their policies relating to the auto industry, tariffs and electric vehicles could make Michigan’s economic interests pivotal nationwide.

The four main candidates are Abdul El-Sayed, Representative Haley Stevens, State Senator Mallory McMorrow and Mike Rogers. They’re all vying to replace Gary Peters as Michigan’s next Senator.

The domestic auto industry has been on an economic roller coaster. Ping-ponging tariff policies and rollbacks of Biden-era electric vehicle tax rebates have added economic uncertainty to the equation of domestic automakers and parts suppliers.

So, what policies might the next Senator from Michigan bring to Washington?

Molly Boigon is a reporter who covers technology and innovation for Automotive News. She spoke to the four candidates on the Daily Drive Podcast and wrote a piece breaking down where they stand on key automotive economic policies.

 She joined Robyn Vincent to share what she learned about the candidates’ positions on electric vehicles and tariffs.

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Ferndale City Council will soon decide whether to renew a contract with public safety surveillance company Flock Safety for a subscription to their Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPR) product. A vote is expected in the coming weeks.

The city’s first year of using the service, which it calls a pilot study, is coming to a close. In a September 29 city council meeting, Ferndale officials presented results of the pilot study and heard community concerns over civil liberties and data privacy.

Some of the concerns raised at that meeting appear to have been addressed since then.

In a statement to The Metro, City Manager Colleen O’Toole cited a few notable changes to the city’s policy on data sharing with other law enforcement entities and facial recognition software.

“The City has elected to remove itself from inclusion in the National Database Search feature that allows outside departments to access data for criminal investigations without our consent. This ensures that Ferndale’s data is only used with the express permission of our local police department.”

She added that Ferndale’s ALPR system does not use facial recognition technology.

Regional cooperation

Flock’s product takes pictures of vehicles and license plates from stationary cameras mounted in public right-of-ways. In the city council presentation, officials said coordination with other Flock Safety ALPR subscribers in metro Detroit has led law enforcement to find and arrest wanted individuals.

In metro Detroit, 12 other cities subscribe to Flock’s ALPR product: Detroit, Hazel Park, Madison Heights, Royal Oak, Troy, Birmingham, Southfield, Oak Park, Warren, Sterling Heights, Shelby Township and Auburn Hills. The technology is also used by the Michigan State Police and the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department.

Ferndale City Manager Colleen O’Toole told the Metro the city’s police department  has seen “real-world contributions to homicide and child kidnapping investigations that were solved thanks to information gathered through the system.”

Contested corridor

In the meeting, officials proposed removing seven of 16 cameras currently in use, saying they don’t provide enough return on investment.

Many of the cameras they plan to remove are located on or near the Ferndale-Detroit border along Eight Mile. Ferndale Police’s activity along that stretch of road has been subject to scrutiny. In the past decade, both ACLU Michigan and Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) have accused the Ferndale Police Department of racial profiling targeting African American drivers in traffic stops.

Flock Safety‘s transparency dashboard for Ferndale indicates that any use for immigration enforcement and targeting of protected classes (race, gender, etc.) is prohibited.

While the city wants to keep using Flock license plate readers, there are concerned residents opposed to the technology.

Prasad Venugopal and Kathleen LaTosch are members of the Ferndale Inclusion Network. They joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss why they are urging the city council to vote no on the contract.

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When we started working on MichMash this week, it was past the Oct. 1 deadline and a state budget for the 2026 fiscal year had yet to be passed. In this week’s first episode, WDET’s Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Alethia Kasben speculate when a budget might get passed and what would happen in the meantime.

Then early Friday morning, Michigan lawmakers finally passed the budget — 3 days late. So in this bonus episode, Cheyna and Alethia discuss the details of the budget with Crain’s Detroit Senior Reporter Dave Eggert.

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

Updated 12:00 p.m. ET, Friday, October 3, 2025.

Funding for arts and culture grants in Michigan is preserved in the state budget for fiscal year 2026.

Last week, Governor Whitmer, Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks and House Speaker Matt Hall announced they had agreed on a framework for the state budget and it would be passed before October 1. The state budget was passed early Friday morning, with state funding for arts and culture grants preserved.

Last month’s budget proposal passed by the Republican-led State House eliminated all funding for arts and culture grants from the state.

The entity that administers arts and culture grants for the state is the Michigan Arts and Culture Council (MACC). In 2025, MACC grants awarded totaled over $10.5 million.

The council distributes grant funds to arts and culture programs throughout the state, providing funding for things like K-12 arts programs, cultural festivals and museums.

To better understand what arts and culture grants from the state fund, Cary Junior II spoke with Lauren Ward, director of the Cultural Advocacy Network of Michigan. They spoke on Thursday, before the final state budget had been passed for fiscal year 2026.

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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.

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

In this episode:

• How important is the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference?
• Should Michigan’s primary election be moved up to earlier in the year?
• Where are we with the state budget?

With less than two weeks until the budget deadline, there is still no state budget in sight. In this episode of MichMash, host Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Alethia Kasben break down what could still be done before October 1.

They sit down with State Senator Sarah Anthony, the Senate Appropriations chair, as well as State Representative Ann Bollin, the House Appropriations chair, to hear the game plan for the remainder of the month.

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

In 2020, 15 Republicans 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.

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The Huron-Clinton Metroparks Board of Commissioners voted to authorize its attorneys to enter into the sale of the Flat Rock Dam to the City of Flat Rock for $5, Metroparks officials told The Metro. The offer also includes Metroparks providing $3 Million to the city for an improved fish ladder.

This decision follows months of community engagement and feedback, signaling a victory for organizers who opposed Huron-Clinton Metroparks’ proposal to partially remove the dam.

“It’s a positive sign and appears to have the potential to be something that will be reasonable and fair for everyone. The devil will be in the details,” John Webb, a member of the the Flat Rock Dam Coalition, told The Metro.

The Huron-Clinton Metroparks Board of Commissioners also agreed to delay action on ‘partial removal’ plan, “Alternative 2” in the feasibility study, until its November meeting. 

Three proposals

A two-year feasibility study conducted by Huron-Clinton Metroparks produced three options for the future of the dam.

• Full removal of the dam
• Leave the dam as-is, but improve the fish ladder
• Partial removal of the dam, with construction of rock arches

Metroparks CEO Amy McMillan recommended partial removal, saying it would maintain similar water levels of the impoundment and preserve recreation activities like kayaking and fishing.

But community activists and elected officials were not satisfied with the proposal.

Community opposition

Elected officials joined a chorus of community voices opposed to full or partial dam removal. Rep. Jamie Thompson (R-Brownstown) wrote a letter to the Metroparks board members urging a no vote on dam removal.

Flat Rock’s mayor, Steve Beller, also both spoke at an August 14 board meeting after its city council unanimously passed a resolution to urge Metroparks not to remove the dam.

Brad Booth, president of the Flat Rock Dam Coalition joined the Metro on Wednesday to discuss his group’s concerns over the Metroparks’ proposal to partially remove the dam and replace it with ‘rock arches.’

The future of a nearly 100-year-old dam in Flat Rock, MI will be determined tomorrow. The board of commissioners for Huron-Clinton Metroparks, who owns the dam, will vote on its long-term plans for the structure at 1 p.m. at Willow Metropark. The meeting is open to the public.

Three proposals

A two-year feasibility study conducted by Huron-Clinton Metroparks produced three options for the future of the dam.

• Leave the dam as-is, but improve the fish ladder
• Partial removal of the dam, with construction of rock arches
• Full removal of the dam

The organization’s CEO Amy McMillan recommended partial removal, saying it would maintain similar water levels of the impoundment and preserve recreation activities like kayaking and fishing.

Community members and elected officials oppose all options that remove the dam, urging Metroparks to leave the dam as-is.

Brad Booth, president of the Flat Rock Dam Coalition, says ‘similar’ is not firm enough. His group wants a commitment from Huron-Clinton Metroparks to alleviate fears of a significant decrease in water level.

Booth told The Metro that in addition to recreational activities, his group is also concerned about property values and changes to flora and fauna.

Aging infrastructure

The aging dam is in fair condition but is classified as a “high hazard potential” by Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). That designation is an assessment of risk, meaning dam failure may cause serious environmental and infrastructure damage, or even loss of life.

A 2020 high-profile dam failure in Mid-Michigan led to severe flooding in Midland, MI, and Sanford Lake was emptied out, wiping out property values and recreation for lakefront homes there.

Elected officials weigh in

Elected officials have joined the chorus of community voices opposed to full or partial dam removal. Rep. Jamie Thompson (R-Brownstown) wrote a letter to the Metroparks board members urging a no vote on dam removal.

Flat Rock’s mayor, Steve Beller, also both spoke at an August 14 board meeting after its city council unanimously passed a resolution to urge Metroparks not to remove the dam.

Environmental impact

Dam removal is growing more common statewide and nationally. Earlier this year, EGLE announced nearly $15 Million dollars in funding for dam removals across the state. 

Proponents of dam removals point to improved river health and biodiversity. They also mitigate the risk of catastrophic dam failures.

In the case of Flat Rock Dam, the Metroparks feasibility study for this project notes improved fish passage for sturgeon, walleye, and salmon to travel up the Huron River to spawn.

Brad Booth, president of the Flat Rock Dam Coalition, joined The Metro to discuss why his organization opposes partial or full removal of the Flat Rock dam.

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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.

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

In this episode: 

• How is budget uncertainty affecting schools across Michigan?
• How do educational benchmarks affect school budgets?

Two months ago, a campaign to enact ranked choice voting in Michigan got off the ground. 

Ranked choice voting lets you rank candidates in order of preference. If no one gets more than 50 percent at first, the last-place candidate is dropped and those votes go to your next choice. 

Supporters say that the process, if approved, will strengthen our democracy.

But it didn’t take long before Republicans in Lansing and political advocates began attacking the electoral process. 

Last month, state lawmakers passed a bill in the House along party lines to ban ranked choice voting. But even its Republican sponsor admitted that if voters approve it on the ballot, that would override the ban.

Nonetheless, state House Representative Rachelle Smit, who sponsored the legislation, says that ranked choice voting is confusing, and “only breeds skepticism, especially when every close contest invites lawsuits and recount battles.” 

How are the leaders behind ranked choice voting responding to this political fight — and what’s their plan to get it on the 2026 ballot?

Joe Spaulding, campaign director for Rank MI Vote, spoke with Robyn Vincent about why he believes ranked choice voting will make our system more, not less, democratic.

The Metro reached out to the group, Stop RCV and state House Rep. Rachelle Smit about why they’re against ranked choice voting. Rep. Smit directed us to her Detroit News column, which says ranked choice voting threatens election integrity. Stop RCV sent us a statement that “ranked-choice voting makes every part of the election process more difficult,” for both voters and election administrators. 

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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 drama within the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. 

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

In this episode: 

• As the Oct. 1 deadline approaches, how’s the state budget looking?
• Why was Dr. Glenn M. Maleyko chosen to be Michigan’s next state superintendent?
• What’s going on with Michigan DNR leadership?

Earlier this year, a University of Michigan student from China voted in November’s presidential election. He was part of a group of likely 16 noncitizens in Michigan who voted in that election.

That number accounts for a tiny fraction of the vote, less than .0003 percent. And those votes didn’t impact the 2024 November election results. 

But a number of people were upset by noncitizens voting. Last month, Republicans gathered to launch a ballot initiative to strengthen existing laws that ensure non-American citizens can’t vote in Michigan elections. To do that, their initiative would require voters to show photo identification to cast a ballot.

Many liberals, including Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, are against this measure. The voting official says, if passed, the initiative could suppress the vote. 

So what’s in this new measure? And, what case is Americans for Citizen Voting making to Michiganders to gather the hundreds of thousands of signatures needed to get on the 2026 ballot?

Producer Sam Corey spoke with Paul Jacob, Michigan chair of Americans for Citizen Voting.

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Michigan has long been home to Hmong refugees. The community comprises families who fled war, lived in refugee camps, and rebuilt their lives in the United States. Many fought alongside the U.S. during the Vietnam War.

Last month, ICE agents arrested and detained around a dozen Hmong refugees in Detroit. 

Michigan State Rep. Mai Xiong (D-Warren) was on The Metro urging for clarity from federal immigration officials.

A spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement later told The Metro the people arrested include “a known gang member” and convicted criminals.

Still, family members and lawmakers like Xiong and State Sen. Stephanie Chang say the cases are more complex than that. They issued an open letter to ICE field director Kevin Raycraft, urging for the release of detained community members.

Arrested at work, a family in limbo

Last week, ICE deported some of the detained Hmong and Laotian refugees. Several are still in custody, including Lue Yang, a torque technician in the auto industry, a father of six, and president of the Hmong Family Association of Lansing, MI. 

Family describes him as a vital community leader.

“He has literally brought our Hmong community out and gave us a voice — that we do exist in the state of Michigan,” said Ann Vue, Yang’s wife.

Yang was arrested at work in July and is now in custody in a federal detention center in Baldwin. His potential deportation could stem from a decades-old conviction that the state expunged. 

Aisa Villarosa, an attorney with the Asian Law Caucus, says she is concerned about the “covert nature” of many of these arrests and deportations — and the people ICE is targeting.

“We are seeing folks who are anchors of their communities, beloved family members, stripped from their families, often after decades of living peacefully in their communities,” Villarosa said.

State response and what’s at stake

Chang is crafting legislation to protect families like Yang’s, but she says state policy has limits.

“These are not violent offenders. These are not people who are a danger to the community.”

Chang urges a case-by-case judgment that weighs identity, community ties, and journey — not just records. How that plays out in Yang’s case could signal how much due process and consistent legal standards govern these cases.

Guests: 

• Ann Vue, wife of detained Hmong refugee Lue Yang
• Aisa Villarosa, immigration attorney with the Asian Law Caucus
• Michigan State Senator Stephanie Chang

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