Podcast 83
Podcast 83 is a regular look at the news, stories and trends related to Michigan’s 83 counties from Keweenaw to Monroe, Chippewa to Berrien.
Hosted by MAC Executive Director Stephan Currie, the podcast features:
- Regular reports from MAC staff on legislative activities
- Updates and opportunities through MAC services
- Newsmaker interviews
- Happenings from across Michigan’s 83 counties
See Podcast 83 on MAC’s YouTube channel.
Episodes
NEW!: Episode 71 – Released May 16, 2023
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: Progress on the state’s fiscal 2024 budget continues to look promising for Michigan counties, and MAC and its allies are having success in fending off ill-considered mining legislation in the Michigan House, MAC’s Podcast 83 team said in its most recent episode.
Host Stephan Currie and guests Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC’s Governmental Affairs staff reviewed the last week’s activity in Lansing in this episode, focusing on:
- The state budget and the May 19 Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference, which may show state resources are not as high as were once expected;
- The ongoing battle over gravel and sand mining regulation, with MAC and its allies battling against an attack on local control;
- The latest on juvenile justice reform legislation, one of MAC’s key priorities for 2023; and
- The arrival of legislation for a statewide septic code.
Episode 70 – Released 5/9/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: Currie and the MAC Governmental Affairs Team catch up on legislative activity, particularly the following:
- Attack on local control, part I (mining): House Bills 4526-28 would gut the principle of local control in a bid to make it easier to site gravel and sand pits around Michigan.
- Attack on local control, part II (labor): House Bill 4438 would extend binding arbitration to county correctional officers, thereby transferring decisions on county staffing and budget matters to unaccountable third parties.
However, those bills, and potentially every other legislative initiative, could be halted in a matter of weeks due to political gamesmanship in Lansing and the action of “sine die.”
Episode 69 – Released 5/2/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: Host Stephan Currie led MAC governmental affairs associates Samantha Gibson and Madeline Fata through the recent budget activity in Lansing that directly affects the county bottom line in the latest episode of Podcast 83.
Among key points made during the episode:
- Counties could see a big increase in revenue sharing funds if the House and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer get their way.
- County reimbursement via the Child Care Fund could be headed to 75 percent, from the current 50 percent.
- Majority Democrats on transportation spending panels voted to spend more money on infrastructure than Gov. Whitmer requested.
All this budget work, however, hinges on the results of the Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference scheduled for May 19. At that point, legislators will know exactly how much revenue is available for use in the fiscal 2024 budget.
Currie and guests also recapped MAC’s recent Legislative Conference, which was highlighted by a panel of legislative leaders discussing their views on key county topics.
Special Episode: Indigent Defense Financial Strains – Released 4/18/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth and Samantha Gibson of MAC; Margaret McAvoy and Andrew DeLeeuw of MIDC
Topic: In a special episode, Podcast 83 delves into the growing financial strain on counties imposed by directives of the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission.
McAvoy, a former Isabella County administrator, and DeLeeuw, interim deputy county administrator for Washtenaw County, talked about their experience on the commission, which “was created by legislation in 2013 after an advisory commission recommended improvements to the state’s legal system. The MIDC works to ensure the state’s public defense system is fair, cost-effective and constitutional while simultaneously protecting public safety and accountability,” and the importance of its work.
Gibson reviewed the of MIDC’s new standard 8 on prosecuting attorney offices and staffing.
Special Episode: Trial Court Funding – Released 4/11/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topic: MAC details the long-simmering crisis in trial court funding that soon may come to a boil in Lansing. Samantha Gibson, MAC’s legislative point person on court issues, reviews the crisis with Podcast 83 host Stephan Currie and Deena Bosworth, MAC’s director of governmental affairs.
In this episode:
- Gibson provides an overview on the court funding dilemma: how we got here, next steps and current litigation
- Plans are detailed for implementing the 2019 Trial Court Funding Commission’s recommendations via legislative action in Lansing
- Learn more about Plan B: Emergency funding of $46 million to keep courts operating if the Michigan Supreme Court rules in People v. Johnson before the Legislature acts on funding recommendations
Special Episode: Lake Levels – Released 3/29/23
Host: Deena Bosworth of MAC
Guest: Stacy Hissong, general counsel for the Michigan Association of County Drain Commissioners and member of the law firm of Fahey Schultz
Topic: Discussion of the rising issue of inland lake levels with a legal expert on county responsibilities for lakes. Learn more about the unique role of Michigan’s county drain commissioners and the challenges that counties face on the approximately 400 inland lakes for which they have operational responsibility
Episode 68 – Released 3/21/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: Major changes are – and could be – coming to three significant areas of county responsibility, MAC’s Podcast 83 team said:
- Juvenile justice reform legislation, with Gibson saying a large packet of bills would constitute “a whole juvenile system overhaul”
- Materials management, with Fata reporting that the clock is ticking for counties to make a big decision on whether, under state law passed last year, they will write new solid waste plans or let the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy do so
- Revenue sharing reform, with Bosworth detailing her recent testimony to multiple legislative panels on MAC’s plan to create a protected fund for revenue sharing payments and create parity between counties and other local governments on such appropriations
Episode 67 – Released 3/7/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: In their regular weekly episode, MAC’s Podcast 83 team discusses the following news involving county governments in Michigan:
- Legislative passage of billion-dollar spending plan for economic development
- Activity from the 2023 National Association of Counties conference in Washington, D.C., in February
- Litigation involving fees charged by Michigan trial courts
- Podcast host Stephan Currie’s visit to the Upper Peninsula for the 2023 Continental Cup ski jump competition in Dickinson County
Special Episode: Tax Foreclosures – Released 2/14/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Ted Seitz of Dykema law firm, Deena Bosworth, MAC Governmental Affairs Director
Topics: In this special episode, MAC talks with Ted Seitz, an expert in property tax law, about ongoing litigation on tax foreclosures on property and the resulting proceeds from tax sales.
Episode 66 – Released 2/9/23
Guest Host: Deena Bosworth, MAC Governmental Affairs Director
Guests: Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: Initial review of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s FY24 budget proposal, including a 17% increase on county revenue sharing and new dollars for juvenile justice and foster care. Also, questions linger on road funding as push for electric vehicles continues in Michigan.
Episode 65 – Released 1/27/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: MAC’s Governmental Affairs Team reviews Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s fifth State of the State address and what her various proposals could mean for county governments and county priorities in 2023.
Special Episode – 2023 Priorities – Released 1/24/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth of MAC
Topics: In this special episode, recorded on Jan. 20, 2023, Deena Bosworth discusses 2 of MAC’s 6 legislative priorities for 2023 that deal with proper reimbursement for counties for property tax exemptions granted by the state.
Episode 64 – Released 1/6/23
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Amy Dolinky and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: Overview of MAC’s expanding services to assist counties in planning the use of their opioid settlement funds
Episode 63 – Released 12/9/22
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: Review of lame duck legislative session; review of MAC successes over course of 2021-22 Legislature
Episode 62 – Released 11/10/22
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: Michigan election results; action in the “lame duck” days of the concluding legislative session; prospects for restoring remote meeting options under the Open Meetings Act
Episode 61 – Released 10/1/22
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: Lame duck session of Legislature; juvenile justice beds; mental health legislation; trial court funding
Episode 60 – Released 8/23/22
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth, Madeline Fata and Samantha Gibson of MAC
Topics: Expansion of MAC advocacy team; court fee authority legislation; 2022 Annual Conference
Episode 59 – Released 5/17/22
Host: Deena Bosworth of MAC
Guest: Meghann Keit-Corrion of MAC
Topics: Broadband funding opportunity, state budget progress, veteran property tax exemption reimbursement
Episode 58 – Released 5/3/22
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth and Meghann Keit-Corrion of MAC
Topics: State budget news, veterans property tax exemption legislation, MAC policy committee work
Episode 57 – Released 4/19/22
Host: Deena Bosworth of MAC
Guest: Meghann Keit-Corrion of MAC
Topics: State budget details, Freedom of Information Act legislation
Episode 56 – Released 4/12/22
Host: Stephan Currie
Guests: Deena Bosworth and Meghann Keit-Corrion of MAC
Topics: Water infrastructure funding, Freedom of Information Act legislation, court funding, National County Government Month
Episode 55 – Released 3/8/22
Host: Stephan Currie of MAC Guests: Deena Bosworth and Meghann Keit-Corrion of MAC
Topics: Mental health privatization bills, reimbursements for veteran property tax exemptions, breakout subjects for 2022 Legislative Conference
Episode 54 – Released 3/1/22
Host: Stephan Currie
Guest: Deena Bosworth and Meghann Keit-Corrion of MAC
Topics: Local pension grant legislation, mental health privatization bills, reimbursement for veteran property tax exemptions, preparations for 2022 Legislative Conference
Episode 53 – Released 1/27/22
Host: Stephan Currie
Guest: Deena Bosworth of MAC
Topics: MAC’s 2022 legislative priorities; Gov. Whitmer’s 2022 State of the State address
