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.
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.
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.
