Current State

For this week’s Neighbors in Action segment we feature LAP Respite Center, a non-profit organization that offers different respite programs for families living in tri-county area of Clinton, Eaton and Ingham Counties. These programs provides caring services for parents of children with disabilities.

John Stauffer, executive director of the LAP Respite Center, and Nancy Guettler, who has been taking her son to the LAP for 20 years, discuss their experience with the program.

MSU’s G. Robert Vincent Voice Library is now home to the largest collection of of interviews with people in the Americas who survived the bombings in Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The interviews provide insight into the global network of survivors and the issues which they continue to face.  Dr. Naoko Wake has a joint appointment in MSU’s Lyman Briggs College and the Department of History. Naoko, who helped bring the collection to the library, discusses  the interviews and what she’s learned from listening.

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Every year, MSU Professor Charlie Ballard leads a team that asks Michigan citizens how they feel about the economy, government and issues like Right to Work. After more than 1,000 such sessions to start 2013, Ballard reveals the results of his annual “State of the State” survey on Current State.

Today on Current State: policy operative Richard McClellan; the Great Lakes Energy-Water Nexus; and Michigan's steps toward autism benefits. 

From education and the judiciary to telecommunications and energy, Lansing’s Richard McLellan has played a huge role in Michigan’s policy landscape since the 1970s, as well as being active nationally and internationally.  The longtime GOP operative speaks to Current State about his long tenure in the policy arena, current debates, the future of his party, and his modest beginnings.

The dependent relationship between energy and water is important, but in a water-rich state like Michigan, it’s easy to overlook. Skip Pruss discusses the water-energy nexus  and its potential impact on the future of the Great Lakes. Pruss is a Principal at 5 Lakes Energy and former Deputy Director of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 88 children is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders, or ASD, across the nation. In Michigan, approximately 16,000 students and 50,000 individuals have ASD. Last April, Lt. Governor Brian Calley signed an Autism Insurance Reform law, making Michigan the 30th state to mandate that state-regulated insurance plans offer coverage for autism treatment and diagnosis. The law also provides a $15 million coverage fund for autism insurance providers.

Today on Current State: Congressman Dan Kildee on his “Marshall Plan”; a new tornado warning system; the wolf hunting debate; sports with Detroit Free Press' Joe Rexrode; and Lansing business news with MLive's Angela Wittrock.

Last week, Michigan Congressman Dan Kildee said he supports a “Marshall Plan” for U.S. cities that are struggling to get back on their feet.  The Flint Democrat says some cities need help transitioning to the “new economy.”  Current State’s Mark Bashore talks with Kildee on his plan, the challenges facing Flint and Saginaw, and deficit reduction.

Last year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration set up an experiment that changed the way tornado warning messages were communicated to the public. The experiment was conducted to better understand how social science plays a role in peoples understanding of severe weather warnings. The experiment was successful. The changes will expand to 12 states this April, including Michigan.

Last December, the Michigan Legislature approved a bill that classified the gray wolf as a “game species.”  The act cleared the way for a debate over whether wolves should be hunted for sport.  There are fewer than one-thousand wolves in the state’s Upper Peninsula, and groups opposed to a hunting season want to see that population survive.  Last week, the group “Keep Michigan Wolves Protected” submitted more than 253,000 signatures to the Michigan Secretary of State in a bid to put the wolf hunting question on the ballot in 2014.

Detroit Free Press sportswriter Joe Rexrode joins us every Monday and Friday to discuss what's happening in the sports world. Today he discusses the Spartan's end of season performance and the upcoming NCAA Final Four games. 

MLive's Lansing beat reporter Angela Wittrock joins us every Monday for a rundown of the latest news about the local economy, business and development. Today, she discuss the Detroit-style pizza and more.

Today on Current State: local journalists review the top news stories from March; the effects of common insecticides on songbird populations; March Madness check-in with Joe Rexrode; and Lansing grassroots leaders on issues their neighborhoods face.

From the appointment of Detroit’s emergency manager to the ongoing fallout from Right to Work, March was a dramatic month in Michigan.  And in Lansing, officials finally unveiled a controversial plan to address the city’s long-term structural budget shortfalls.  

The American Bird Conservancy released a report last week calling for a ban on widely-used insecticides suspected of damage to bird and aquatic populations.

The Detroit Free Press’ Joe Rexrode breaks down Friday night’s ‘Sweet 16’ contest between Michigan State and Duke.

Around the city of Lansing, grassroots volunteers are the lifeblood of neighborhood organizations trying to improve the quality of life.  

Today on Current State: mother-daughter duo discuss their political involvement; winning Detroit Tigers' influence in 1968; Stations of the Cross reenactment in Lansing; and flutist Sir James Galway.