Stateside: GOP road funding plan; golden age of women’s baseball; why black teachers matter

Today on Stateside, an overview of the Michigan state legislature's most recent budget proposal, which would fund roads by borrowing against the state's teacher pension plan. Plus, a new study from the University of Michigan could help policymakers target resources to the Michigan counties hit hardest by the opioid crisis.

Listen to the full show above or find individual segments below

GOP plan would fund roads by borrowing against teacher pension plan

• Governor Whitmer isn’t happy with the state legislature’s newest budget proposal, which would fund road repairs by borrowing against Michigan's teacher pension plan. Chad Livengood of Crain's Detroit Business joins Stateside to discuss how the proposal works, and whether Michigan lawmakers will be able to find common ground in the budget process.

Grassroots group opposed to new gas power plant in Mid-Michigan scores a win

• The advocacy group Citizens to Keep Rives Rural wants to keep a company from building an 1,800-megawatt gas power plant in Rives Township, a rural area north of Jackson. On Tuesday, the township board approved a six-month moratorium on building new fossil fuel power plants, marking a significant victory for the group. Michigan Radio's Tracy Samilton tells us what this moratorium could mean for the township, and how NOVI Energy, the company that wants to build the plant, is reacting.

The Midwest was homebase in the golden age of women’s baseball

• In light of the stunning success of the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team at the World Cup, we’re remembering another monumental moment in women’s sports history. Seventy years ago, women drew massive crowds to stadiums across the Midwest with the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
• Rachel Clark from the Michigan History Center shares the story of the league's beginnings, and how the game transformed as players exceeded the public’s expectations.
• This segment is produced in partnership with the Michigan History Center.

24 Michigan counties are at "high-risk" in the national opioid epidemic

• As the country seeks solutions to the mounting opioid crisis, researchers at the University of Michigan have come up with an important tool for policymakers and leaders. It's a study that identifies the counties considered "high risk" in the opioid epidemic, meaning they have both high rates of opioid overdose mortality, and low capacity to provide medically-assisted treatment for opioid addiction. Nearly 30% of Michigan counties fall into the "high-risk" category.
• Rebecca Haffajee is an assistant professor of health management and policy at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, and co-author on the study. She talks about how the tool can be useful in the fight against opioid addiction, and tells us why metropolitan areas in the state are actually considered to be more "high-risk" than rural counties. 

The “genetic blow” that led to Woody Guthrie’s long, sad death

• Woody Guthrie is one of America’s most famous troubadours. He wrote many classic folk songs, including "This Land Is Your Land," and influenced countless musicians. But his colorful career ended prematurely due to Huntington’s, a degenerative brain disease. 
• Howard Markel is a University of Michigan medical historian and PBS contributor. He joins Stateside to talk about Guthrie’s life and legacy, as well as his experience battling Huntington’s disease until his death in 1967 at age 55.

Ragatz: Why having African American teachers matters for kids of all races

• A recent analysis by the Detroit Free Press found while student populations are getting more diverse in Michigan, teachers are still mostly white. That’s true even in districts primarily serving students of color. Stateside’s education commentator and National Hall of Fame teacher Matinga Ragatz talks about why there are so few teachers of color in Michigan classrooms, and how that impacts students of all races. 

(Subscribe to the Stateside podcast on iTunes, Google Play, or with this RSS link)