Photo: Madhu Anderson

In this episode of #FactsMatter, Guy Gordon and Research Council President Eric Lupher continue their deep dive into the question Michigan voters will face in November 2026: Should the state convene a constitutional convention? They break down Article VII-Local Government and discuss how Michigan’s local government system has evolved from the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 to today’s sprawling network of 1,800+ counties, cities, townships, villages, and the hundreds of special authorities that have emerged over time.

Lupher explains that despite never having been amended, the structure is riddled with unresolved structural issues that a con-con could finally address. He also walks through why this structure creates both local control and major inefficiencies, how state laws have steadily eroded home rule, and why outdated constitutional language no longer reflects how counties operate.

Their conversation traces the origins of Michigan’s local government map to the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, explores how townships evolved into major population centers, and examines the proliferation of special authorities—now numbering more than 400 statewide—created to deliver services that individual municipalities can’t efficiently provide on their own.

Gordon and Lupher unpack the core tension at the heart of Article VII: efficiency and modernization versus accountability and home rule. They examine how overlapping jurisdictions complicate economic development and how state laws increasingly override local decision-making.

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This week on the #FactsMatter podcast, host Guy Gordon speaks with Karley Abramson, Associate Researcher for Healthcare Policy at the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, about the upcoming rollout of Medicaid work requirements—changes that will affect roughly one in four Michigan residents.

Abramson outlines the dual challenge ahead:

1. Eligibility changes, requiring enrollees to document 80 hours of work, job training, schooling, or community service each month; and
2. More frequent redeterminations double the administrative burden for both the state and recipients.

While some individuals will lose coverage because they do not meet the new criteria, Abramson emphasizes that a significant share of losses will stem from paperwork barriers, documentation gaps, and system errors—not from ineligibility.

This matters because Michigan receives a 90/10 federal match for Medicaid expansion dollars, meaning unnecessary disenrollment directly harms the state’s fiscal position.

Their conversation also highlights broader system impacts: increased uncompensated care, heightened financial pressure on rural hospitals already operating on thin margins, and greater medical debt for individuals who fall off coverage even temporarily. Evidence from other states suggests work requirements do not meaningfully increase employment, despite claims to the contrary.

Abramson argues that Michigan must invest now in public awareness, navigation tools, and data‑sharing infrastructure to minimize avoidable coverage losses and protect both residents and healthcare providers from downstream harm.

For policymakers and stakeholders, this episode offers a clear, fact‑based overview of what’s coming—and why implementation choices made in the next six months will shape outcomes for years..

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