Michigan

Michigan House Speaker Joe Tate on redistricting, 2024 agenda – WDET 101.9 FM

Published

2 years ago

January 12, 2024

Michigan House Speaker Joe Tate on redistricting, 2024 agenda – WDET 101.9 FM

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This year marks a new venture with WDET and Gongwer News Service, combining forces to create a new and improved MichMash. This week, MichMash host Cheyna Roth and Gongwer co-hosts, Zach Gorchow and Alethia Kasben, sat down with Michigan House Speaker Joe Tate to discuss redistricting and the legislative agenda for 2024.

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

In this episode:

Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission and the redrawing of legislative maps
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s proposal for paid leave
The legislative 2024 agenda

The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC) has been making arrangements to redraw several Detroit-area state House of Representatives districts, after a federal court order found them unconstitutional.

The Detroiters who sued over the maps felt that the district lines disenfranchised black candidates and voters.

Tate says that it wasn’t a perfect process leading up to the MICRC’s initial redistricting process, but added that there were some positive outcomes from the districts being drawn by an independent body.

“I’m the first Black speaker in Michigan’s history, and part of that — you could argue — was because the lines were drawn by an independent redistricting commission versus a partisan legislature,” he said. “I think that’s something that should be taken into account. Obviously the first female senate majority leader in Michigan’s history, I think that should be taken into account as well too. But I certainly don’t disagree that it was an imperfect process, but also looking at the larger context and the outcomes of that, I think that should be weighed in and factored in as well.”

An application for emergency stay in the case was filed by the commission last week in the U.S. Supreme Court. The case was docketed by the court on Thursday, taken up by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who oversees the 6th Circuit.

The Michigan Legislature returned to Lansing this week to pick up where they left off in 2023, but with a 54-54 deadlock in the state House after two Democratic representatives won their respective mayoral elections, leaving the seats vacant.

Use the media player above to hear the full audio interview, or watch the video interview below.

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Michigan

Michigan Recruiting Intel: Quarterback updates, notes on top targets

Published

4 hours ago

June 26, 2026

Press Room

Michigan Recruiting Intel: Quarterback updates, notes on top targets

The Wolverine Football Recruiting

Ethan McDowell@ethanmmcdowell

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Jayden Wade 3 copy 1 — Jayden Wade (Photo by Chad Simmons)

Michigan is recruiting a talented group of quarterbacks for the 2028 cycle. Here’s a look at the Wolverines’ top targets.

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Michigan

Michigan president has strong words for college sports after Dusty May exit

Published

14 hours ago

June 25, 2026

Press Room

Michigan president has strong words for college sports after Dusty May exit

At the University of Michigan’s board of regents meeting on Thursday, June 25, interim president Domenico Grasso addressed the departure of former Michigan basketball coach Dusty May, calling the move a “bellwether” for college athletics.

May, who had reportedly agreed in principle to a contract extension with the Wolverines but had yet to sign it, left the program on Monday, June 22. One day later, he was in Brooklyn for the NBA Draft where his Dallas Mavericks selected his former player, Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr., with the No. 9 overall pick.

“Our current system is in dire need of clarity and equitable reform,” Grasso said at the regents meeting. “Coach May told me that among his reasons for leaving were uncertainties and pressures involving the transfer portal and NIL support for student-athletes.

“He and I agree that the future of college sports is headed in the wrong direction.”

While Grasso did say the new “Protect College Sports Act” could provide “greater stability, clearer national standards and more consistent rules” to college athletics, he also said it has “deeply concerning provisions.”

“Rather than looking to conferences such as the Big Ten as models of athletic and academic excellence, it imposes restrictions that disproportionately affect the institution,” he said. “Among the most troubling provisions are targeted limits on conference expansion and realignment, as well as harmful restrictions on student athletes’ ability to benefit from additional NIL opportunities. These measures will reduce universities and conferences’ flexibility to adapt to changing conditions for student innovative opportunities.

“We want what’s best for the Big Ten and for Michigan. We are not going to sacrifice competitive advantage that we built for more than a century. We stand ready to work with legislators on a bill that will establish a system in which every university can compete and thrive for generations to come.”

May spent just two years in Ann Arbor but made a lasting mark on the program. He went 64-13 during his time, won the 2024-25 Big Ten Tournament championship, the 2025-26 Big Ten championship and finished his time in Ann Arbor defeating UConn, 69-63, to win the national championship on Monday, April 6.

“When my family and I came to Ann Arbor two years ago, we hoped we could help bring Michigan basketball back to where it belongs,” May said in a goodbye statement to U-M. “This wasn’t an easy decision. An opportunity came along that was right for my family and something I felt I needed to pursue, but that doesn’t change how much these last two years have meant to us.

“Thank you for trusting us, believing in us and making these last two years so much fun. It was an honor to coach at Michigan and wear the Block M.”

On Tuesday, June 23, Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel officially announced assistant basketball coach Mike Boynton Jr. would be appointed as interim head coach.

That set a clock for the transfer portal to open for U-M players on Friday, July 24, 31 days after Boynton’s appointment as interim.

Tony Garcia is the Michigan beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.

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