Today on Stateside, we talk to a state senator who wants to see Michigan enact so-called "red flag laws," which allow police to seize firearms from those deemed a threat to themselves or others. Plus, Detroit’s Mosaic Youth Theatre revives one of its most popular productions in honor of Motown Records' 60th birthday.
Listen to the full show above or find individual segments below
Democratic state Senator says it’s time to approve so-called “red-flag” gun laws in Michigan
- Since this weekend’s mass shootings in Dayton and El Paso, lawmakers are pushing for stricter gun control. Among them is Michigan state Senator Rosemary Bayer. She’s proposing a package of bills that would enact so-called “red flag” in Michigan. She joins Stateside to explain why she thinks the measures, which allow police to seize firearms from those deemed a threat to themselves or others, would reduce gun violence.
Michigan law enforcement says tracking potential shooters can be difficult
- Many people have a hard time imagining a mass shooting happening in our community, but law enforcement agencies need to plan for the worst. Robert Stevenson is the executive director of the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police. He talks about how law enforcement officials react to mass shootings in the news, and the tools they have for trying to prevent such incidents from happening.
The historic Detroit home of Ulysses S. Grant finds a new home at Eastern Market
- You might think you have to travel outside of Michigan to connect with a tangible aspect of Civil War history. But former president and Civil War general Ulysses S. Grant actually lived in Detroit prior to the war. And the house he and his wife Julia called home is still within the city limits.
- Sandra Clark, director of the Michigan History Center, and Grant house enthusiast Laura Raisch, talk about the house's unique history, and its new home at Detroit's Eastern Market.
- This segment is produced in partnership with the Michigan History Center.
Victims rights advocates say grant could give teeth to domestic violence laws
- Michigan was one of the first states to enshrine victims' rights into its state constitution. But, more than 30 years on, there's no real mechanism set up to enforce them. That is about to change, thanks to a grant from, in part, the federal Department of Justice.
- Sarah Prout Rennie is executive director of the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence, which received the grant. She tells us about the organization's plan to use the funding to create a legal clinic for victims of domestic violence.
Midwives now need a license to practice in Michigan
- Last week, new regulations went into effect in Michigan requiring midwives to have a license to practice. Stacia Proefrock is a certified professional midwife and president of the board of directors of the Michigan Midwives Association. She joins Stateside to discuss what this change will mean for midwives around the state.
Motown’s early days and burgeoning stars focus of Mosaic Youth Theatre musical
- Detroit's renowned Mosaic Youth Theatre is marking the 60th anniversary year of Motown by going back to the genre’s earliest days. They're performing the musical Now That I Can Dance — Motown 1962, an original production that the theatre first put on in 2005. The play tells the story of The Marvelettes, the group that produced Motown Records' first number one hit on the pop charts: "Please, Mr. Postman."
- The show is written and directed by Rick Sperling, Mosaic's founding artistic director. He talks about what makes the musical unique from other Motown stories, and the partnership with the Motown Museum that inspired him to write the show.
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