Gary Peters

This week in Michigan politics: Medicaid expansion, immigration reform, race for U.S. Senate seat

Jack Lessenberry, Kyle Norris and Michigan Radio Newsroom — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:45:26 +0000

This week in Michigan politics, Jack Lessenberry and Kyle Norris discuss Medicaid expansion in Michigan, immigration reform and how it could affect struggling Michigan cities, and the race for Senator Carl Levin’s seat in the U.S. Senate.

Growing outrage, and calls for action on Detroit pet coke piles

Sarah Cwiek — Wed, 29 May 2013 04:51:05 +0000

Residents and business owners in Detroit are worried--and outraged--about petroleum coke piles growing on the city’s riverfront.

Here's what the piles look like from Fort Street in Southwest Detroit:

That byproduct of the oil refining process is being dumped in massive piles—now several blocks long and building stories high--along the Detroit River. It’s stored in the open, and wasn’t approved through any permitting process.

What's in store for the Michigan Republican Party in Election 2014

Stateside Staff — Tue, 28 May 2013 20:39:50 +0000

Focus is starting to turn to Election 2014 in Michigan.

Former Democratic Congressman Mark Schauer filed paperwork this morning to run against Governor Rick Snyder in 2014, assuming that the Governor does, in fact, decide to run for a second term.

And Democratic Congressman Gary Peters announced earlier this month that he’ll run for the U.S. Senate seat open in 2014 because of Carl Levin’s retirement.

So, it appears that the Democrats are beginning to get their ducks in a row, but what about Republicans?

Bobby Schostak, Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, joined us today in the studio.

Listen to the full interview above.

Peters uses Keystone XL vote to push for petroleum coke investigation

Sarah Cwiek — Thu, 23 May 2013 01:06:37 +0000

The U.S. House voted Wednesday to sidestep President Obama, and authorize the first leg of a controversial pipeline project carrying tar sands oil to the US from Canada.

Commentary: The Democrats' gamble

Jack Lessenberry — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:41:26 +0000

How much do you know about Mark Schauer? Well, unless you are from Battle Creek, the answer is: Probably not nearly as much as you are going to know a year and a half from now. That’s because he is going to be the Democrats’ nominee for governor next year. That may surprise you.

Most normal humans aren’t thinking about next year’s elections. They are thinking about finally getting their lawn furniture out now that they are finally convinced it isn’t going to snow anymore.

But the Democrats are thinking about those elections. This has been a terrible last two years for them. They hate much of what Governor Rick Snyder and the Republican legislature has done, most of all, making this a right-to-work state.

They also hate the fact that they are utterly irrelevant in Lansing. The battles going on in state government these days are mainly between the Republican governor and his fellow Republicans who control both houses of the legislature.