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A Michigan road (Depositphotos)
Roads vs Autism.
That's apparently how Michigan lawmakers seem to see things.
Lawmakers last week approved a state budget that eliminated a $2 million program that's helps families and adults deal with autism.
The Detroit News reports:
Members of the Legislature argued the move was part of a larger effort to reduce spending and direct more money to road projects. However, supporters of the Autism Alliance of Michigan's navigators program said the decision would likely leave parents facing a child's autism diagnosis without guidance from specialists to whom the state has provided access for years.
“How do you decide families with autism are less important than roads?” asked Colleen Allen, president and CEO of the Autism Alliance of Michigan.
The program, which has existed in the state since 2015, has been operated by the Autism Alliance of Michigan, a nonprofit organization based in Southfield. Lawmakers have increased the level of investment from $500,000 to $1 million and then, to $2 million in 2023, The Detroit News reports.
