Tagged: Stateside

Today, Michigan becomes the nation's 24th right-to-work state. It's the second in the Midwest, after Indiana.

The law was passed with much controversy and thousands of demonstrators packing in and around the state Capitol last December.

A new poll out today shows that Michiganders are deeply divided over the new law.

Michigan State University’s  “State of the State Survey” asked more than a thousand people whether they thought right-to-work would be good for Michigan’s economy.

42 percent said it would be good and 41 percent said it would be bad, while 16 percent said right-to-work would have no effect on Michigan’s economy.

Charley Ballard,  economist at MSU, directs the survey and he filled us in on what the percentages look like and what people really think about right-to-work.

Listen to the full interview above.

Yesterday, a Republican National Committeeman, and former Michigan lawmaker, posted an article chock full of anti-gay slurs on Facebook. 

Dave Agema, the Committeeman who posted the article with a byline of "Frank Joseph, MD," has been asked to resign by 21 Republican precinct delegates and young Republican leaders. 

His response?

"Absolutely not."

There is proof that saving Michigan wolves is indeed an issue that Michiganders feel passionate about.

A proposed wolf hunt in Michigan could soon be put on hold, even though the Legislature approved a wolf-hunting bill during the lame duck session last December.

That's because today the group Keep Michigan Wolves Protected delivered more than 250,000 petition signatures to the Secretary of State's office.

The petition calls for Public Act 520, the law that designates the wolf as a potential game species, to be postponed until a voter referendum in November 2014.

It was put together by a coalition of conservation, animal welfare groups, and Native American tribes who joined forces.

It wasn't that long ago that the western Great Lakes wolf population was protected by the federal Endangered Species Act.

State wildlife experts believe there are now around 700 gray wolves in our state. Some farming and hunting groups say the population is large enough for a state-regulated hunt. They argue it's needed to manage the wolf population.

Opponents of a hunt have rallied, insisting the wolf population is still too small, and a hunt is cruel.

Jill Fritz is the director of Keep Michigan Wolves Protected.

She gives us  perspective on the decision by lawmakers last December to designate the wolf as a potential game species in the state and answers the question "is it really time to control the wolf population in Michigan?"

Listen to the full interview above.

It's a familiar Michigan story. In 2008, General Motors decided to shutter a stamping plant in Wyoming - just outside Grand Rapids.

But to Austin Bunn, a new professor of writing at Grand Valley State University, the close of the plant wasn't the end of a story, but a beginning.

For the next four years, Bunn interviewed the workers at the plant about the experience of job loss, displacement and their lives after the close.

From these transcripts he created a documentary play, RUST. It was originally produced at the Actors' Theatre of Grand Rapids.

What you're about to hear is adaptation of the play for radio using local actors.

RUST was co-produced by Austin Bunn and Zak Rosen. Interviews conducted by Austin Bunn and Working Group Theatre. Featured actors include Tracey Walker, Rena Dam, Chris Nye, Wayne Swezey, GF Korreck, Paul Arnold, Fred Stella, and Laurence Drozd.

You can learn more about the Actors' Theatre of Grand Rapids and Austin Bunn's work by visiting their websites.

Listen to the full audio above.

It should be that every senior citizen in Michigan is safe and secure with no threat of abuse.

But that is not the case.

Elder abuse is real, whether that abuse is physical, emotional or even financial. It is one of the most underreported crimes in our state and across the country.

One guess is that 100,000 seniors in Michigan will be victimized by someone looking to take advantage of them.

This morning, Cynthia Canty was given the privilege to emcee the unveiling of a new campaign called "No Excuse for Elder Abuse".

She introduced a panel of high-ranking judges and prosecutors representing seven counties in Southeast Michigan.

Each of the judges and prosecutors at the event this morning have agreed to serve as the "champion" for the No Excuse for Elder Abuse campaign in his or her county.

Among those members was Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith.

Smith joined us on Stateside today, to give us his experiences on elder abuse and to give us a breakdown on the patterns of what is happening, who is taking advantage of Michigan's senior citizens and what he hopes the campaign will achieve. 

There will be Public Service Announcements hitting the airwaves promoting the confidential hotline for reporting abuse. That number is 855-444-3911.

Listen to the full interview above.