Current State

Today on Current State: The debate over Medicaid expansion continues; gun safety; the value of art and physical education in school; a Public Poetry Announcement featuring John Balaban, and NPR's Don Gonyea comes home to MSU this weekend. 

Michigan legislators and numerous stakeholders around the state continue to spar over whether to fund an expansion of Medicaid in Michigan.  

Supporters of expansion--which would happen as part of the federal Affordable Care Act--claim it’s fair to extend coverage to more low income residents and that it would be good for the economy.  Opponents say they fear the future costs of the move, and some resist anything connected with ‘Obamacare.’  

The senseless tragedies that took place last year at a Colorado movie theater and a Connecticut elementary school brought renewed focus to the national debate over gun control.  It’s a thorny issue that impacts everything from constitutional rights to mental health care.

  Recently, the Lansing school district announced that it will cut as many as 87 teachers in an effort to address the district’s budget deficit. Many of the teachers expected to be laid off are certified to teach art, music and physical education to elementary school students. The district says it's not eliminating its arts and physical education programs, but “redesigning” them, using existing teachers and outside programming as  a substitute.

Today's public poetry announcement features David Clauson reading "Passing Through Albuquerque" by John Balaban. 

Current State's Public Poetry Announcements are brought to you by the Center for Poetry at MSU's Residential College in the Arts and Humanities.

The MSU College of Communication Arts and Sciences will honor NPR National Political Correspondent Don Gonyea this week with the 2013 WKAR Public Media Master Award.  Gonyea earned two degrees from MSU on his way to a remarkable career in radio. Current State’s Scott Pohl spoke with Don Gonyea about the award and his work at NPR.

Today on Current State: Ingham County Chief District Judge talks Indigent Defense ; the Lansing Information Technology Empowerment Center; Michael Finney from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and re-imagining the Grand River corridor.

The sixth amendment to the U.S. Constitution makes it clear:  any citizen accused of a crime will--if necessary--have access to qualified legal representation in court.  Many legal professionals think that guarantee has been seriously compromised in Michigan for many years.   The state often ranks low in assessments of its system of indigent defense.   In recent years, several efforts by the state legislature to strengthen the system have failed. 

For this week’s Neighbors in Action we feature the Information Technology Empowerment Center, which works with students and families in the Capital Region to build excitement for coursework and careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

K-12 Program Manager Cathy Post and ITEC student Joshua Ambrose join us in studio to discuss the non-profit and the technology training courses offered to children and adults.

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation touts itself as the state's marketing arm and lead agency for business, talent and jobs, tourism, incentives and overall economic growth.  

Michael Finney is the President and CEO of MEDC. He came to the organization after holding a key economic development position as head of the Ann Arbor Spark. Finney joins Current State to discuss MEDC and Michigan’s larger economic picture. 

The stretch of Grand River Avenue and Michigan Avenue from the Capitol building all the way east to Webberville is this region’s busiest corridor. A new plan, led by the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, is in the works to transform this corridor with more attractive design, improved rapid transit, and sustainable business and infrastructure improvements.  

Today on Current State: a review of April's news while looking to May; Michigan sustainable food systems and a new exhibit features local architecture. 

Current State reviews the biggest news stories in April, as well as some that flew under the radar.  Lansing City Pulse columnist Walt Sorg, Michigan Information and Research Service news director Kyle Melinn and Michigan Public Radio Network managing editor Rick Pluta join Current State's Mark Bashore in a reporters' roundtable. 

This month, the Vermont-based local food advocacy group "Strolling of the Heifers" released its second annual Locavore Index. The index ranks states based on their commitment to local food. Michigan earned a spot at # 22 on the list.

Michigan State University Art and Art History professor Susan Bandes has run a student project this year examining notable architecture in East Lansing. The focus has been on homes and businesses built between 1940 and 1970.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recently released a massive study that analyzes health care in counties across the country and ranks them based on health data. The data shows some noteworthy findings about health disparities across 83 counties in Michigan. For instance, two neighboring counties, Wayne and Washtenaw, have very contrasting health outcomes. 

MLive's Lansing beat reporter Angela Wittrock joins Current State every Monday for a rundown of the latest news about the local economy, business and development. Today, she talks with Current State host Emanuele Berry about how Lansing will balance its budget, the proposed Kewadin casino project and more.

China’s economic and political growth has been well documented.  However, limited attention has been paid to how rapid development has dramatically impacted the nation's cultural life. Organizations in both China and the U.S. are working together to preserve and share China's "intangible" heritage and build cultural ties.

Allen (Al) Martin is joining WKAR as the host of “Sports Talk 870.”  Al’s passion for sports journalism stems from his own experience on the court.  In high school he played basketball. In college he translated his love for the game into the field of journalism. Al joins Current State's Emanuele Berry to talk about his connection with sports journalism and the future of “Sports Talk 870.”

Today on Current State: Michigan’s health disparities across 83 counties; Lansing’s business news with MLive’s Angela Wittrock; an oil boom in Jackson County; China and U.S.’s mutual efforts to preserve Chinese intangible cultural heritage and new WKAR “Sports Talk” host Allen Martin.