Stateside: UAW strike and MI economy; Census 2020 preparation; autism, charter school budget cuts

Today on Stateside, as the UAW strike against General Motors begins its fourth week, we hear from one striker on the picket line. Plus, how Governor Whitmer’s line item vetoes will impact charter schools and autism services in Michigan. 

Listen to the full show above or find individual segments below. 

UAW strike takes toll on personal finances, state economy

• Today marks the 22nd day of the UAW’s nationwide strike against General Motors. 46,000 workers are walking picket lines and making do with $250 a week in strike pay. Among them is Sean Crawford, who works at GM’s Flint Truck Assembly Plant. He told us how the mood at the picket line has changed over the past few weeks and how families are making ends meet on a reduced income. 
• Today, The Detroit News reported that auto suppliers are laying off more workers. Those decisions have resulted in nearly 11,000 unemployment claims in Michigan, Texas, Ohio, and Tennessee. Officials believe those claims are due to supplier layoffs. Charles Ballard is an economist at Michigan State University. He broke down what kind of impact Michigan should brace for as a result of this strike and what the ripple effects of an economic downturn in Michigan could be.

Bacon: New California law a “watershed moment” for college athletics

• Spartan and Wolverine fans had quite different experiences watching their favorite teams play this past weekend. Michigan Radio sports commentator John U. Bacon joined Stateside to talk about Michigan’s victory over Iowa, Michigan State’s loss to Ohio State, and how California’s passage of the “Fair Pay to Play Act” could change the world of college sports.

Statewide census director: $30 billion a year in federal funding at stake for 2020 count

• As we get closer to the 2020 Census, concerns are swirling over just how accurate the count will be. Governor Whitmer has created a “Complete Count Committee” and appointed Kerry Ebersole Singh as the Michigan Statewide Census Director. Singh broke down how the state intends to ensure maximum accuracy in the Census count and also boost the confidence that Michigan residents have in the counting process.

Autism Alliance of Michigan may cut services in half to manage funding veto

• It’s been one week since Governor Whitmer issued 147 line-item vetoes in the new budget presented to her by the GOP-controlled Legislature. She sliced out a total of $947 million in spending. This zeroing out of budget items struck a wide range of programs, including $1.47 million in grants for autism programs. The biggest blow fell on the Autism Alliance of Michigan, which has lost over $1 million in appropriation. Colleen Allen is the president and CEO of the Autism Alliance of Michigan. She told us about the services that the funding supports and what people living with the challenges of autism will lose without them.

Charter school advocate: Both the Governor and Republican legislators blame each other for funding cuts

• Governor Whitmer eliminated $35 million increases in per-pupil funding for charter schools in this year’s budget. The funding increase for traditional public schools wasn't touched. Some 10% of Michigan’s students attend charter schools, which are public schools that receive public dollars. Dan Quisenberry is the president of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies. He broke down how charter schools use their funding and why he believes that those schools should receive the same funding treatment as traditional public schools.

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