Today on Stateside, we talk with the Genesee County Sheriff about his department's latest sting operation to combat sex crimes involving children. Plus, how a Michigan man’s legal win will make the LSAT more accessible to those with visual impairments.
Listen to the full show above or find individual segments below.
Twelve men charged in connection with Genesee County child sex trafficking sting
- The Genesee County Sheriff's GHOST task force (short for Genesee Human Oppression Strike Team) recently arrested 12 suspects in its ongoing crackdown on child sex trafficking. This is in addition to the 22 people the force arrested four months ago. Robert Pickell is the sheriff of Genesee County. He broke down what he thinks is driving a recent uptick in child sex crimes and human trafficking in the county, and what parents need to understand to keep their children safe.
Michigan man with blindness fought for years to change the law school admissions test. This month, he finally won.
- The LSAT, or Law School Admission Test, is the primary standardized test used for law school admissions in the United States and Canada. There are major changes coming to that test because of a lawsuit filed by Michigander Angelo Binno, whose visual impairment prevented him from completing one key part of the test.
- Binno joined Stateside along with his attorney Jason Turkish to talk about the changes and what they will mean for visually-impaired people taking the LSAT.
Learn to Drive! Tailgating is top cause of accidents in Michigan
- For a lot of us, it’s been a while since we were sitting in driver’s education class learning about the rules of the road. Lieutenant Michael Shaw of the Michigan State Police joined Stateside to give us a refresher on one of those important rules: do not tailgate.
How recreational pot will shift the landscape of marijuana use in Michigan
- It's been almost a year since Michigan voters legalized recreational marijuana. Soon, the state will begin accepting applications for recreational pot businesses. That begs the question: what does all this mean for the existing medical marijuana industry in Michigan?
- Lisa Conine is with Om of Medicine, a medical marijuana dispensary in Ann Arbor. She told us why most existing dispensaries will likely pursue recreational licensing, and what medical marijuana patients can expect once the general public is permitted to purchase marijuana.
Other county treasurers have concerns about Wayne County’s property tax relief program
- Low-income homeowners in Detroit and Wayne County could get help in delinquent property taxes through a plan called “Pay As You Stay.” The plan allows county treasurers to significantly reduce back taxes owed by homeowners who qualify for a state-mandated property exemption. But it must be approved by the state legislature in order to take effect, and not everyone is on board.
- Kalamazoo County Treasurer Mary Balkema is co-chair of the legislative committee for the Michigan Association of County Treasurers. She shared her concerns about “Pay As You Stay” and explained what kinds of changes she’d like to see made to the plan to make it work for counties across the state.
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