#FactsMatter, the Citizens Research Council of Michigan podcast

In this 13th episode of the #FactsMatter podcast on the Michigan Constitution—ahead of a statewide ballot question asking whether Michigan should hold a constitutional convention (con-con)—Guy Gordon and Eric Lupher explore how Article 11 governs public service, employee rights, compensation, impeachment, and ethics—and what could change if voters call a constitutional convention.What stays—and...

In this 13th episode of the #FactsMatter podcast on the Michigan Constitution—ahead of a statewide ballot question asking whether Michigan should hold a constitutional convention (con-con)—Guy Gordon and Eric Lupher explore how Article 11 governs public service, employee rights, compensation, impeachment, and ethics—and what could change if voters call a constitutional convention.What stays—and...

In this episode, Guy Gordon talks with Doug Ortiz, Director of the Citizen Research Council’s Detroit, about Detroit’s property crime trends, specifically about larceny, motor‑vehicle theft, and why Detroit’s rates remain elevated. Ortiz’s analysis used FBI data and the Research Council's peer‑city benchmarking. Detroit’s property crime is down from the 1990s — but still higher than peer cities....

Michigan voters will soon face a major decision: whether to reopen the state constitution for revision. In this episode of the #FactsMatter Podcast, Guy Gordon and Research Council President Eric Lupher continue their article‑by‑article exploration of what’s inside the Michigan Constitution — and what might change if a constitutional convention/con-con moves forward.This episode explores Article...

Recent federal changes to SNAP eligibility have already led to an 8% decline in Michigan participation, leaving roughly 100,000 residents without access to food assistance.In this episode of the #FactsMatter podcast, Karley Abramson, Research Council Associate for Health Policy, outlines how the new federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) changed SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance...

#FactsMatter podcast host Guy Gordon and Eric Lupher, president of the Citizens Research Council, take a deep dive into Article IX of the Michigan Constitution, which governs finance and taxation. They explore why Article IX has become a magnet for constitutional amendments over the past 60 years, noting that Michigan voters often turn to constitutional changes because of deep mistrust in the...

Michigan’s new school budget quietly introduced one of the most consequential changes in years: a built-in mechanism to soften the financial blow to schools from a 25% decline in K–12 enrollment since 2003, with an additional 8% decline projected over the next five years.In this #FactsMatter episode, Guy Gordon and senior Research Director Craig Thiel unpack the drivers of Michigan’s 25%...

Michigan is stuck in the bottom tier for income, job growth, and population — but researcher Madhu Anderson says the turnaround won’t come from another statewide task force. It’ll come from the ground up.In this episode of #FactsMatter, Guy Gordon and Anderson dig into why and what might finally move the needle.It’s a hopeful, data-driven conversation about how local strategies, strong social...

In this 10th episode of the #FactsMatter Podcast series exploring the issues Michiganders could face if a constitutional convention is approved on November’s ballot, host Guy Gordon and Research Council president Eric Lupher take listeners deep into Article VIII of the Michigan Constitution — the section devoted entirely to education.If voters approve a constitutional convention, Article VIII...

The FY2027 budget dropped. The Research Council dug in. And suddenly a massive gap appeared — one that no official document explained.Citizens Research Council’s Bob Schneider joins Guy Gordon on the #FactsMatter pod this week to unpack Michigan’s FY 2027 budget and how Schneider’s analysis revealed a $600–$900 million gap that wasn’t visible in any public document. Within hours of his analysis...