Today on Stateside, lawmakers are again proposing an expansion of the state's Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include protections for Michigan’s LGBTQ citizens. Plus, how the wet, cold spring has impacted Michigan farmers this growing season.
Listen to the full show above or find individual segments below.
Can latest push to include LGBTQ residents in civil rights law succeed under a Democratic governor?
- A bill to amend Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include protections for Michigan’s LGBTQ citizens was unveiled in Lansing today. State Senator Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield), a co-sponsor of the bill, breaks down what would happen if the bill becomes law, and how he intends to convince skeptical colleagues in the Legislature to support it.
Wet, cold spring plaguing Michigan farmers
- It’s been a cold, wet spring, and farmers anxious to plant crops like corn, soybeans, wheat, and sugar beets are plagued by soggy fields. We disccus what that means for the state's agricultural industry with Theresa Sisung, crop specialist with the Michigan Farm Bureau, and Unionville farmer Nate Engelhard. They talk about how this spring has affected Michigan farmers, whether we might see food prices affected, and how farmers can adjust to extreme weather in Michigan moving forward.
Mixtape: Pop-funk, rousing rockabilly and modern jazz bands heat up summer festivals in West MI
- Summertime means an abundance of concerts, festivals, and new music. John Sinkevics, editor and publisher of Local Spins, recommends looking out for recently-released albums from pop funk rockers “Joe Hertler & the Rainbow Seekers,” the rockabilly-inspired “Jesse Ray & The Carolina Catfish,” and “Lushh,” a jazz band formed by music students at Western Michigan University.
Detroit program aims to become a catalyst for ethical fashion in the city
- Detroit may be the city that put the world on wheels, but a new effort being launched in the Midtown district would add apparel to Detroit’s manufacturing resume. The Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center (ISAIC) is opening on Cass Avenue.
- Jennifer Guarino is the chair of ISAIC, and the vice president of manufacturing at Shinola Detroit. Roslyn Karamoko is the Founding Director of Détroit Is the New Black, an apparel and lifestyle brand focused on ethical fashion. They joined Stateside to talk about the future of sustainable fashion in the city, and how they’re working to support local designers.
Historical documents tell of the story of the Grand Rapids women who volunteered during WWI
- During World War I, thousands of Michigan women filled out registration cards listing the skills and time they could devote to the war effort. Most of those cards have disappeared, but the city of Grand Rapids managed to save and digitize those cards — all 23,000 of them.
- Tim Gleisner is the special collections manager at the Library of Michigan, and Jo Ellyn Clarey is president of the Greater Grand Rapids Women’s History Council. They tell us how these cards were rediscovered, and what they tell us about the women living in and around Grand Rapids all those years ago.
Effort underway to restore iconic Detroit club that once hosted jazz legends like Miles Davis
- Some of jazz’s most iconic musicians have graced the stage at Detroit’s Blue Bird Inn, but the once-popular bar has stood empty for more than a decade. Now, there’s an effort to give the space a second life. The Detroit Sound Conservancy has plans to turn the building into a depository for Detroit music history and a live music venue. A group of volunteers met up at the Blue Bird on a recent Saturday to get that process started. Stateside’s April Van Buren brings us this story.
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