Podcasts – Left Of Lansing

Episode 55: Paid Family Leave w/ Danielle Atkinson of Mothering Justice

Here’s Episode 55 of Michigan’s Premier Progressive Podcast! Paid Family and Medical Leave is one of the important policies Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer mentioned in her “What’s Next” speech last month. If Michigan’s Democratic majority in the legislature can pass State Sen. Erika Geiss’s paid family and medical leave bills, Michigan would join 11…

Episode 54: GOP absent for workers & clean, affordable energy; My response to Mitch Albom on respect for elderly

It’s episode 54 of Michigan’s premier progressive podcast! It’s a solo episode this week as I spend time taking the Michigan GOP to task for being absent on supporting the UAW (and unions, in general) in its fight for fair wages, pensions, and paid time-off against the Big Three automakers. Progressives always support unions. Michigan…

Episode 53: Reproductive Health Act w/ Ashlea Phenicie from Planned Parenthood of Michigan

It’s the 53rd installment of Michigan’s premier progressive podcast! I start out mocking the right wing Michigan Republican Party for claiming to care about working Michiganders on this past Labor Day. Then, I talk about the latest from the nutty right wing Ottawa Impact faction, which is working to defund the Ottawa County health department…

Episode 52: Democratic State Rep. Carrie Rheingans and Universal Health Care in Michigan

Episode 52 of Michigan’s premier progressive podcast is a little longer than normal, but well worth the listen! I take DTE Energy and Consumers Energy to task for failing to keep the lights on after storms rolled through the state. Despite keeping hundreds of thousands of customers in the dark, both energy companies are asking…

Episode 51: Gina Keller from Distill Social, and Playing The New Offense

Here’s another exciting and informative episode of Michigan’s premier progressive podcast! The Christian Nationalism that has overtaken the Michigan Republican Party is trying to take control of the entire state. While Democrats have control of state government for the first time in 40 years, and progressive values have achieved some major victories, right wing Christian…

Episode 50: Mi Right To Read w/ Debbie Mikula of Michigan Libraries Association

Episode 50 of Michigan’s premier progressive podcast! Pat Johnston talks with Debbie Mikula from the Michigan Libraries Association about the MI To Read campaign.

Episode 49: Fighting To Close Line 5 w/ Sean McBrearty of Oil & Water Don’t Mix

It’s the 49th episode of Michigan’s premier progressive podcast! I celebrate Ohio’s decision to hand the state Republican party a humiliating defeat at the polls this week, when voters rejected the GOP’s efforts to raise the threshold to pass a state referendum from 50-to-60%. Ohio Republicans were hoping to hurt the chances of enshrining abortion…

Episode 48: Progress Michigan’s Jade Gray on Connecting With Gen Z Voters

Here’s Episode 48 of Michigan’s premier progressive podcast! Happy Indictment Week III! I had so many words and thoughts to share as Donald Trump faces his third indictment this week. He’s finally been charged for the role he played for the January 6th insurrection in an effort to steal the 2020 election. Despite getting indicted…

Episode 47: Anna Gustafson from Michigan Advance on Gotion Controversy

Michigan’s Premier Progressive Podcast with Pat Johnston. Pat talks with Anna Gustafson from Michigan Advance on the Gotion electric vehicle battery plant controversy in Big Rapids, MI.

Episode 46: Sam Inglot of Progress Michigan on GOP’s moral and ethical rot

Here’s the 46th episode of Michigan’s premier progressive podcast! I start-out this week talking about taking the battle to the right wing forces in our state. I illustrated why state Senator Mallory McMorrow’s “We will not let hate win,” speech went viral. It resonated with millions across the country because McMorrow did what so many…