Episode Archive

78 episodes of The Political Spotlight since the first episode, which aired on August 3rd, 2025.

  • #577 | Something Different This Way Comes?! | The Political Spotlight

    December 22nd, 2025  |  1 hr 4 mins
    2026 election cycle, ballot access, democrats, end of the year 2025, executive director nathan gotsch, first amendment rights, independent indiana, independents, indiana general assembly, indiana state government, libertarians, muncie politics, new year 2026, republicans, something different this way comes

    Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey looks ahead to the 2026 election cycle in Indiana and other end-of-year 2025 items! #ThePoliticalSpotlight

  • #576 | The Shortest Day (2025)! | The Political Spotlight

    December 21st, 2025  |  1 hr 46 mins
    2026 election cycle, delaware county sheriff tony skinner announces candidacy for delaware county council district 3, indiana state politics, jim lutton, madison county politics, mayor dan ridenour, muncie indiana, muncie parks board, muncie politics, muncie redevelopment commission, shortest day of the year, winter solstice 2025

    Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey is coming to you LIVE from Sunday, December 21, 2025, THE SHORTEST DAY OF THE YEAR! From here on, we slowly start to get more sunlight through June 2026, which is FANTASTIC NEWS! That said, this is the start of the BIG Holidays... and the end of the 2025 year! Things are slowing down on the surface; however, there are still so many things going on behind the scenes, and Bilbrey digs into it all in this episode! #ThePoliticalSpotlight

  • #575 | What’s the Deal W/Madison Co Sheriff John Beeman & the Sumner Case? | The Political Spotlight

    December 18th, 2025  |  1 hr 56 mins
    dr. katherine callahan, former county councilor steve sumner, fugitive from justice, howard county maryland, madison county indiana, madison county politics, madison county sheriff john beeman, political activist, record requests, sharon bailey barker, twenty-thousand dollar reward, united states marshals service

    Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey dives deep into the strange case of former Madison County Councilor and preacher Steve Sumner, who spent more than two years as a fugitive before his arrest, following a $25,000 reward offered by Dr. Katherine Callahan.

    Bilbrey walks through the arrests of Sumner and his girlfriend, Sharon Bailey Barker, their extraditions back to Indiana, and the troubling questions surrounding who provided the tip, who should receive the reward money, and why the Madison County Sheriff John Beeman acted so strangely, trying to get Callahan to issue payment to someone who did not call in the tip. Answers begin to surface—after Bilbrey receives the records he requested from Howard County, Maryland. But this story is only getting started. #ThePoliticalSpotlight

  • #574 | President Donald J. Trump's LIVE Address to the Nation (12.17.25)! | The Political Spotlight

    December 17th, 2025  |  1 hr 34 mins
    2026 election cycle, candidates, city of muncie's parks board meeting, dustin clark, indiana politics, mayor dan ridenour, muncie board of works meeting, muncie indiana, muncie politics, prairie creek reservoir, president donald j. trump, presidential address to the nation, spartech llc, state of indiana, state representatives, state senators

    Episode 574 opens with President Donald J. Trump's LIVE Address to the Nation at 9 p.m. (ET) on Wednesday, December 17, 2025. Following the president's speech, Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey examines issues affecting Indiana, including the 2026 election cycle and developments among candidates for state office. Bilbrey then discusses the City of Muncie's Parks Board meeting on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, and notes that Dustin Clark has been overseeing all matters related to Prairie Creek Reservoir—a fact that should upset everyone! Bilbrey calls on Mayor Dan Ridenour to hand over planning for what will be the "NEW" Prairie Creek Reservoir to a board or a group of stakeholders from Muncie and across Delaware County. This should not be planned solely by the Mayor or Dustin Clark. Next, Bilbrey turns to the Muncie Board of Works meeting, highlighting the "lowlights" of that production. Lastly, Bilbrey reports that Spartech LLC, a plastics manufacturer specializing in engineered acrylics and thermoplastics for the healthcare, aerospace, and packaging industries, will lay off 125 employees beginning December 23, 2025. It's always bad when a business closes and jobs are lost; it's even worse when that company just asked the city for a five-year tax abatement plan in December 2023. #ThePoliticalSpotlight

  • #573 | Park Board Mtg! + MadCo's No Vote to New Precincts! + Boards 10-96! | The Political Spotlight

    December 16th, 2025  |  2 hrs 12 mins
    carl roy webb boards ii, contributing correspondent dr. katherine callahan, death penalty, democrats, elwood police, governor of indiana, judge andrew hopper, line of duty death, lt. governor, madison county circuit court division 3, madison county commissioners, madison county indiana, madison county politics, mayor dan ridenour, micah beckwith, mike braun, muncie indiana, muncie park board meeting, muncie politics, parks superintendent carl malone, police officer noah shahnavaz, prairie creek reservoir, redrawing voting precincts, republicans, state of indiana politics

    Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey discusses the events that took place at the City of Muncie's December 2025 Parks Board Meeting. Prairie Creek Reservoir was the main topic at the meeting. Then, Bilbrey welcomes contributing correspondent Dr. Katherine Callahan to the show to talk about the Madison County Commissioners' December 2025 Meeting. During the meeting, the Commissioners voted no on the effort to redraw the county's voting precincts. Finally, Bilbrey and Callahan discuss the recent decision by Madison County Circuit Court Division 3 Judge Andrew Hopper, who ruled that Carl Roy Webb Boards II—the man charged with the shooting death of Elwood Police Officer Noah Shahnavaz—is not competent to stand trial. #ThePoliticalSpotlight

  • #572 | Bilbrey is SICK! | The Political Spotlight

    December 14th, 2025  |  1 hr 8 mins
    bilbrey is sick, conservatives, dan crenshaw, delaware county commissioners meeting, delaware county politics, deleted tweet, erin sheridan, first amendment, iga, indiana general assembly, indiana state house, indiana state senate, left, liberals, lt. governor micah beckwith, madison county commissioners meeting, muncie indiana, muncie parks board meeting, muncie politics, new cold war, president donald j. trump, primary races, re-precincting process madison county, right, shawn ryan, the new republic

    Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey is here... barely! He's sick, but he still has a lot to say! This is 100% political... TUNE IN! (Original Broadcast = Sunday, December 14, 2025) #ThePoliticalSpotlight

  • #571 | Indiana Redistricting FAILS + Ivy Announces D34 Run + Sulek Arrest! | The Political Spotlight

    December 11th, 2025  |  1 hr 29 mins
    democrat sue errington, house bill 1032, iga, indiana general assembly, indiana politics, indiana state house, map, possession of child porn, primary race, randolph county, redistricting indiana's congressional districts, richard ivy announces campaign for indiana house district 34, sex crimes arrest, state senate vote 19 yas to 31 nays, winchester

    Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey shares his thoughts on the big news from the Indiana State House! That's right, the Indiana State Senate met today, and in a vote of 19 YEAS (in favor) to 31 NAYS (against), they (10 Democrats and 21 Republicans for very different reasons) rejected mid-decade congressional redistricting. There is, of course, a lot to discuss about everything that happened both during and after, and Bilbrey shares all the essential information here. Then, to bring it closer to home, Richard Ivy has announced his plans to run for Indiana's State House District 34, currently held by Democrat Sue Errington. That means the Republicans will have a primary choice to make in that race. It has long been believed that this term would be her last, but, to our knowledge, she has not yet confirmed that; however, there have been rumors that another Democrat has been considering or has been considered to take Sue's place. Bilbrey will discuss that as well! And lastly, Bilbrey heads to Winchester, Randolph County, Indiana, for what??? Well, to talk about sex crimes and an arrest for Possession of Child Pornography... WHAT ELSE? It's Winchester, Randolph County! #ThePoliticalSpotlight

  • #570 | Hiding Low Looking Right to Left! | The Political Spotlight

    December 9th, 2025  |  2 hrs 9 mins
    93.1 wibc, house bill 1032, indiana politics, jailbreak, jd prescott district 33, out of youtube jail, proposed indiana congressional redistricting, sick, state senate, state senate committee, the kendall & casey show, the worm of winchester

    Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey is BACK, baby! Out of the YouTube TOS jail, and boy, are his wrists sore! Bilbrey has a lot to cover—from the fight with the YouTube overlords, to the Indiana State Senate and House Bill 1032 (the redistricting bill), to the City of Muncie issues, and his appearance on the Kendall & Casey Show from earlier today (Tuesday, December 9, 2025). Come on in; this is going to be one of THOSE shows! #ThePoliticalSpotlight

  • #569 | The "Republican" Political Advantage Is the Public's Disadvantage! | The Political Spotlight

    December 4th, 2025  |  2 hrs 6 mins
    anderson indiana, anderson politics, board of works meeting, caucus, city council, committee meetings, house bill 1032, iga, indiana general assembly, indiana politics, indiana state house, mayor dan ridenour, msd, muncie indiana, muncie politics, political advantage, redistricting indiana's congressional districts, road work, testimony

    Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey covers the day's events at the Indiana State House in Indianapolis, including House Bill 1032 (the redistricting bill), as well as other bills discussed during the three committee hearings held this morning (Thursday, December 4, 2025). #ThePoliticalSpotlight

  • #568 | The Bare Minimum of an Already Broken Process! | The Political Spotlight

    December 2nd, 2025  |  2 hrs 6 mins
    anderson city council, anderson indiana, anderson politics, caucus, dr. katherine callahan, madison county commissioners meeting, madison county indiana, madison county politics, redrawing the local precincts, voters registration

    Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey welcomes contributing correspondent Dr. Katherine Callahan to the program to discuss the events from the Madison County Commissioners meeting on Monday, December 1, 2025. Bilbrey and Callahan also talk about the upcoming City Council caucus in Anderson. Finally, they review the day's events from the Indiana State House. #ThePoliticalSpotlight

  • #567 | December 1, 2025 - Review of the Day’s Governmental Happenings! | The Political Spotlight

    December 1st, 2025  |  1 hr 51 mins
    delaware county commissioners meeting, delaware county indiana, delaware county politics, indiana general assembly, indiana politics, indiana redistricting, indiana state house of representatives, indiana state senate, madison county commissioners meeting, madison county indiana, madison county politics, muncie city council meeting, muncie indiana, muncie politics, redrawing precinct maps

    Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey reviews the events from various government meetings held throughout the day (Monday, December 1, 2025).

    Bilbrey covers the following meetings in this 567th episode:

    • Delaware County Commissioners Meeting...

    • Madison County Commissioners Meeting...

    • State of Indiana General Assembly - House of Representatives (Day 1 of the 2026 Session)...

    • City of Muncie City Council Meeting...

    Tune in for Bilbrey's review and commentary on the proceedings of these meetings. #ThePoliticalSpotlight

  • #566 | A Long December! Meetings & a Possible Redistricting Reversal! | The Political Spotlight

    November 30th, 2025  |  1 hr 28 mins
    delaware county commissioners meeting, delaware county indiana, delaware county politics, indiana general assembly, indiana politics, indiana redistricting, indiana state house of representatives, indiana state senate, madison county commissioners meeting, madison county indiana, madison county politics, muncie city council meeting, muncie indiana, muncie politics, redrawing precinct maps

    Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey and 'The Political Spotlight' are back after the Thanksgiving 2025 break, and it's time to get back to work. Bilbrey gives an overview of the key upcoming meetings scheduled for early December 2025. He also discusses the "about-face" made by Indiana's State Senators at the very end of the news cycle last week, as everyone was heading into the Thanksgiving break. The Indiana State Senate will now be heading into session on Monday, December 8, 2025. Let's roll! #ThePoliticalSpotlight

  • #565 | MAPS: MadCo A**hole Public Servants! | The Political Spotlight

    November 25th, 2025  |  2 hrs 35 mins
    accountability, anderson indiana, anderson politics, anderson redevelopment commission, correspondent dr. katherine callahan, election board, indiana, madison county clerk's office, madison county commissioner, madison county politics, maps, public access, rebecca crumes, record requests, redrawing precincts, transparency, voters' registration

    Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey had to step in during Madison County drama earlier today (Tuesday, November 25, 2025), and it’s never a good day when that happens. So, what was the issue? Madison County, Indiana, is in the process of redrawing its election and voting precincts, and this topic will be discussed during an upcoming commissioners meeting scheduled for 10 a.m. on Monday, December 1, 2025. However, Madison County Election Officials were frustrating citizens by refusing to provide both the current and proposed precinct maps for review before the meeting. But then Bilbrey stepped in! To help explain all this, Bilbrey invited contributing correspondent Dr. Katherine Callahan to the show to discuss the current MAPS drama—aiming to clarify and help Madison County residents stay involved. #ThePoliticalSpotlight

  • #564 | (101 + 89 + 44 = 234)! Plus: What Happened to the Appropriations? | The Political Spotlight

    November 24th, 2025  |  1 hr 43 mins
    appropriations, boss hog of sound issues, city council, city councilor nora powell, city of muncie, flock cameras, indiana, mayor dan ridenour, muncie park board, muncie politics, muncie redevelopment commission meeting, prairie creek reservoir, salary ordinance, the north shore camping area, the official numbers

    Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey has the official numbers for the North Shore Camping area at Prairie Creek Reservoir. No more guessing! Bilbrey now knows the details and is sharing them with the listeners. Then Bilbrey questions what happened to the appropriations that Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour was making a big deal about in an email to the City Council back in September of 2025. And he concludes with a review of the latest Muncie Redevelopment Commission meeting, held on Thursday, November 20, 2025. #ThePoliticalSpotlight

  • #563 | What About the Other 133? MTG's News! Anthony v Kelly! & Hindsight! | The Political Spotlight

    November 23rd, 2025  |  2 hrs 7 mins
    2a advocate, casey marie anthony, castle doctrine, delaware county politics, georgia's 14th district, guy relford, hindsight, jeffrey epstein, lafyette police department, letter of resignation, marjorie taylor greene, mayor dan ridenour, megyn kelly, muncie indiana, muncie politics, national politics, north shore camping, political commentator, prairie creek reservoir, self defense, shortsighted narrow-mindedness, u.s. representative, victims, whitestown

    Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey reviews the Prairie Creek Reservoir North Shore Camping fiasco before shifting his focus to the resignation of U.S. representative from Georgia's 14th District, Marjorie Taylor Greene. He then discusses recent comments from Megyn Kelly about Jeffrey Epstein's victims, which received criticism from Casey Marie Anthony. Finally, he talks about a topic that 2A advocate, attorney, and radio personality Guy Relford discussed about "HINDSIGHT" involving Indiana's self-defense laws. #ThePoliticalSpotlight

  • #562 | The Doors of Participation: The Public Access Issue! | The Political Spotlight

    November 21st, 2025  |  2 hrs 28 mins
    98 apartments, accountability, bond, breaking news, communication, curt d. andersen, election board, indiana, initial hearing, judge dale arnett forced to resign, madison county politics, muncie politics, open door violations, public access laws, transparency, whitestown shooting investigation

    Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey and contributing correspondent Dr. Katherine Callahan are here on a very special Friday night episode to discuss a serious PUBLIC ACCESS CRISIS affecting Madison County, Indiana... and beyond! From city council meetings to commissioners meetings, to election board meetings, and everything in between. It's just another symptom of the broader disease of BAD GOVERNANCE! #ThePoliticalSpotlight