Summer Edition
In this issue:
President Notes
Hello, fellow LWVNLM members! I hope you’re enjoying this fabulous summer.
We have much to look forward to over the next couple of years! Our service area has some city elections next month and in November 2021. In 2022, we will vote in elections for state leadership and federal representatives. We must also keep an eye on the ongoing redistricting process and efforts in Lansing to push through bills that would effectively hinder and suppress voter access. As always, the League aims to provide up-to-date information to support your decisions at the polls and encourage participation in democracy.
I thank all of you for placing your trust in me as your President for the 2021-2022 term. I look forward to interacting and working with all of you throughout this year!
Robin Jordan
Local News
We are now A Member-at-Large State Unit!
Our application to the LWVMI state board to achieve Member-at-Large (MAL) status was a resounding success! The state board was quite please with we have accomplished in just two years! This step marks a formal separation from our Leelanau League mentors as we move closer to becoming a fully independent League. Being a Member-at-Large means that we are now mentored by several state leaders and our finances are managed by the state LWV. This is an exciting and inclusive step as we grow as a regional League! Our by-laws and non-partisan policy are available on our website in the members-only section.
LWVNLM Board of Directors
Board members and officers were elected at our first annual meeting in June, 2021. THANK YOU to these members who volunteer their time and talents to the LWVNLM:
Officers:
Robin Jordan – President: 2021-2022
Susan VanDeventer - Vice President: 2021-2023
Paige (Penny) Crim – Secretary: 2021-2022
Jessica Shaw-Nolff – Treasurer: 2021-2023
Directors:
Susan Hannah: 2021-2023
Ethel Larsen: 2021–2023
Marcia Meyer: 2021-2023
Ann Scott: 2021-2022
Elizabeth (Dibby) Smith: 2021-2022
Environmental and Natural Resources Committee
The environmental committee is currently working on three main issues: Promoting carbon pricing to combat climate change; herbicide and pesticide use in our communities; and local renewable energy.
Carbon Pricing Legislation
THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW! Reconciliation package and carbon pricing.
On July 23, Senate Democrats presented a 3.5 trillion resolution to begin the budget reconciliation process. The New York Times reports that addressing global warming is one of the goals of the budget. Our Senators are, right now, deciding what to do about climate change. What does that mean for climate advocates? According to Mark Reynolds, Citizens Climate Lobby, (CCL) Executive Director. “Our Senators can choose to go big, or they can stay small. We want them to go big.”
Please contact your Senator now! Tell them to go big with a price on carbon!
All senators get a weekly report from their staff about what constituents have been contacting the office about. For the next two weeks, we want our Senators to be hearing that the number one issue on their constituents’ minds is putting a price on carbon.
CCL makes it easy with phone numbers and scripts! Visit cclusa.org/senate to send your emails and made your calls. Then please share that link with your friends, family, and other climate-concerned people in your community!
Ann Scott, co-chair of the ENR Committee
SAVE THE DATE: Solar Tour
The LWVNLM Environment group has scheduled a Solar Tour on Saturday, September 18th. Participants will be given a map of sites in the Petoskey area currently using Solar Power. The sites include 2 homes, 2 farms, NCMC and Petoskey City Hall. There will be an informed person at each site to explain the installment and to answer questions. After the visits, there will be a gathering to hear more about installing solar units, including information on a possible group buy for the Petoskey/Harbor Springs area.
Joining the LWVNLM for this event is Groundworks, Sierra Club & MI Interfaith Power & Light.
Marcia Meyer, co-chair of the ENR Committee
Curbing Municipal Use of Pesticides
Are you interested in learning more about your local community’s use of herbicides and pesticides? If so, and you would like to help with this new project of the environmental committee, please contact Nancy Dwan, who is working on this issue.
The goal is to learn to what extent pesticides are currently being used in our municipalities, and to ultimately encourage reduced usage of harmful chemicals, through education, and possible adoption of Integrated Pest Management Policies.
Voter Services Commitee
The Voter Services Committee “makes election information available to the public and encourages citizen participation in government”. How does this translate into action? Read on and find a place to plug in!
1. A big thank-you to Nancy Byers for helping to get our own VOTE411 up and running! We are adding local races to the VOTE411 online candidate information site. Vote411.org is the League's online voter information center. At VOTE411 you can:
See what's on your ballot
Read candidate-provided information about candidate positions
Check your voter registration
Find your polling place
Discover upcoming debates in your area
2. We will be holding voter registration events this fall. Please consider taking 2-3 hours to register voters when the call goes out for volunteers. It's an important and short-term way to participate in democracy, and we always have fun!
3. Poll Worker Recruitment: Please contact Sue VanDeventer at susan.vandeventer@gmail.com you are interested in becoming a poll worker for the November election.
4. Join the Voter Services committee! We have a great, energetic committee and welcome new ideas and outlooks. We currently meet on Zoom about once a month. If you might be interested, please contact Committee Chair Dibby Smith at dibbys@aol.com.
5. Leagues all across the country have Observer Corps programs to actively champion openness and accountability in local government. Our League is on a roll with our Observer Corps program as we have recently expanded to Cheboygan!
Benefits of an Observer Corps:
Better informed questions for Candidate Forums and Vote411 information
Know the local hot topics
Establish a relationship with elected officials
Increase expertise of LWV members so that they are comfortable with issues
Recognize Sunshine Week where openness in government in highlighted
If you are interested in joining the Observer Corp please contact Penny Crim at paigeacrim@charter.net. We would love to be able to observe more cities and townships. It is a once a month commitment and can be a shared effort with another member or friend.
6. Voting Facts Project: Your Voter Services Committee has developed a set of 40 Voting Facts that are posted weekly on our Facebook page. Our state mentors were so impressed they have shared this project with other state leagues! Please check out our Facebook page and click “like”. Share these voting facts on your personal Facebook page – spread Voting FACTS, not fiction!
Legislator Interviews
Every two years at the start of each new legislative session, the LWVMI requests the local Leagues conduct interviews with new and returning State Representative(s) and State Senator(s).
The interviews are conducted with specific questions to see how a legislator aligns with LWVMI positions and to help us establish a relationship with a legislator.
District #7 Senator, Wayne Schmidt was interviewed, though 107th District State Representative John DaMoose declined to be interviewed after multiple attempts to schedule.
Thank you, Lisa Blanchard, for conducting these interviews!
Annual Fundraising Campaign
Our 2021-2022 Annual fundraising campaign was a success, collecting $3205.66 and surpassing our ambitious goal of $3000! These funds will help us to continue to provide voter registration drives, create pamphlets and other informational materials about voting, advocate for easy access to voting for eligible voters, and expand our ability to educate the public on issues essential to defending democracy. Our on-line presence and ability to hold webinars and remote meetings can also be funded.
Your donations have enabled the LWVNLM continue these good works.
THANK YOU!
The 1st Annual LWVNLM Book Read Event
Our first annual Unit Book Read was held via Zoom in late April.
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, by Mathew Desmond, a profoundly unsettling and vital work, was the focus of discussion.
Lisa Blanchard, bibliophile extraordinaire, guided the insightful and lively discussion and we all came away with a new understanding of the cycle of poverty in this country.
All participants expressed the desire to do this more than once per year! Stay tuned….
Petoskey Suffragists Summer Celebrations
The Petoskey July 4th 2021 parade was a resounding success! More than 50 participants, all dressed in period suffragists marched in the parade carrying our new League of women Northern Lower Michigan banner and placards with the name of known Petoskey suffragists. Many people rose to their feet and clapped when we passed by! We also handed out more than 500 cards with our contact information – Petoskey knows we are here! A big thank you to project coordinator, Sally Smith, and all who participated!
SAVE THE DATE - August 26th 2-3 pm. This member event allows us to come together in an outdoor celebration to honor our local Suffragists. This memorial project, led by Anne Srigley, is significant as it gives our Suffragist sisters from our areas past a permanent place of recognition for all to see. One of the descendants of Margaret Hankey Curtis, Wendy Steele, will be the speaker and some city officials and other significant community people involved in the planning will be invited. If you have one, please wear your suffragist costume to the event!
Note that August 26th is Women’s Equality Day. The date was selected to commemorate the 1920 certification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote, and reminds us of the hurdles overcome by the heroic women who faced violence and discrimination to propel the women's movement forward. The observance of Women’s Equality Day also calls attention to women’s continuing efforts toward full equality.
Actively Serving in Your League
Help Wanted – Two members to serve on the membership committee. Responsibilities include welcoming new members and developing strategies to promote and retain membership. This position is a minimal time commitment.
Help Wanted- Two to serve on nominating committee. Responsibilities include recruiting members to serve in leadership positions. This position is a minimal time commitment.
Help Wanted – The LWVMI has a position on gun violence, supporting background checks and other initiatives to reduce the extremely high annual morbidity and mortality due to gun violence in MI and across the country. If this is an area of interest, consider forming a LWVNLM committee to monitor legislation, educate members and the public on gun violence, etc. Contact a board member if you have any ideas or interested.
As always, feel free to email info@lwvnlm.org if you would like to participate in any way, have an idea to pursue, and for more information.
Membership News
Our LWVLNM Unit has 84 members. Welcome to our most recent new LWVLNM members!
Linda Casasanta
Brenda Hough
State News
Virtual State LWVMI Biennial Convention
Lansing 5/21-5/22
Lansing 5/21-5/22
The LWVNLM had 5 first-time delegates to the MI biennial convention. It was a great opportunity to learn how the State League works and to make new connections. Below are synopses of the plenary session and the two outbreak sessions.
Plenary Panel: At the plenary panel discussion titled “Challenges Facing Democracy and How to Address Them” Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Livonia City Clerk Susan Nash spoke about voting in our state, reviewing their experiences with the Nov. 2020 elections.
Both speakers agreed that election results were valid and expressed frustration about the ongoing effort to discredit them. Their testimony was powerful as they represent both major political parties. Their message was consistent: we need to support the existing election structure rather than continuing to look for nonexistent fraud and revamping the system.
Clerk Nash reminded legislators to listen to those who run elections in the state for guidance rather than those with partisan agendas. Sec. of State Benson described the checks and balances built into our current election system and warned that Michigan is going to be subjected to demands for additional unmerited audits. The takeaway message was to be confident in our current election system and protect it from unnecessary interference.
Saturday’s Keynote Speaker, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, spoke about his work with the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities and the effects on democracy. One of the noteworthy themes of his speech was his confidence in the League of Women Voters and the work that it has done and continues to do in supporting free and fair elections. (Submitted by Sue Miller LWVLC).
Main Takeaways from the Advocacy Session: LWVMI Board Member Sue Smith offered the following tips on advocacy:
All advocacy is based on a League Position - LWVUS, LWVMI, LWVNLM
All Leagues speak with one voice. At the local level all communication from the LWVNLM are from the President or designee.
Individuals are strongly encouraged to act when asked by the LWVUS and/or LWVMI to contact their representatives (national, state or local) about an issue. Our strength is in acting collectively!
Main Takeaways from the Observer Corps Session: David Allen of the LWV of Marquette County presented ideas from their Observer Corps. Our “Sunshine on Government” policy is based on the Freedom of Information and Open Meetings Acts. He emphasized that we find out what local government is doing in both their process and substance. Penny Crim, LWVNLM Observer Corp coordinator, consulted with David while she helped set up our Corps, so we are already doing many of the strategies for an effective Observer Corps!
State Legislative Advocacy
The League of Women Voters of Michigan often takes positions on legislative or citizen initiatives and other proposed governmental policy or regulatory decisions. If an initiative reaches a legislative committee, a voting body or other decision makers, the League may take action (testimony, letters, phone calls, public statements, etc). Here are recent LWVMI actions:
June 16th, 2021: PUBLIC STATEMENT AND LEGISLATIVE TESTIMONY: The League of Women Voters of Michigan condemned the Michigan Senate’s passage of bills to make voting more difficult.
In 2018, Michigan voters overwhelmingly voted to make voting more convenient, not more restrictive. These anti-voter bills will lead to voter disenfranchisement and make it more difficult for voters to exercise their rights. Michigan’s elections are fair and secure; there is no need for this legislation.
These bills directly and negatively affect seniors, people with disabilities, people with limited incomes and young people, who all have difficulty obtaining the type of ID that is sometimes required to vote. Michigan has voter ID laws on the books, and our system for affidavit options has worked for decades. These new restrictions are unnecessary.
–Christina Schlitt, President LWVMI
The Michigan Senate voted to pass three bills to add ID requirements for voters before their ballots can be counted. The bills remove the option to vote by affidavit if a voter does not have a suitable ID and require voters to submit new identifying information for an absentee ballot application.
June 29th, 2021: PROTECTION OF MICHIGAN’S WATER
The League of Women Voters of Michigan is one of 21 members of the Oil and Water Don't Mix Coalition that sent a letter to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality ("MDEQ") and the US Army Corps of Engineers ("Corps") on June 29, 2017 regarding Enbridge Oil Company’s joint application to the MDEQ and the Corps to install 22 anchor supports on the Line 5 pipelines in the Mackinac Straits. The Coalition members are Michigan organizations dedicated to the protection of Michigan’s water, natural resources, public trust in those resources, the environment, communities, and the health, safety and general welfare of citizens.
The Coalition organizations are requesting that MDEQ and the Corps take the following actions with regard to Enbridge’s joint application:
Reject as incomplete due to its overly narrow scope of review;
Require a comprehensive review of Line 5 in the Straits that includes an assessment of adverse environmental impacts, risks, and feasible and prudent alternatives;
Temporarily terminate the transport of crude oil in the Line 5 pipelines during this comprehensive review; and
Hold a formal public hearing given that Enbridge Line 5 occupies publicly owned waters and bottomlands and the threat of a catastrophic oil pipeline rupture to the Great Lakes are of tremendous controversy and have generated an extraordinary level of public engagement.
July 13th, 2021: SUPPORT FOR REQUEST FOR DECLARATORY RULING/INTERPRETIVE STATEMENT UNDER MCL 169.215
The League sent a letter to the Bureau of Elections expressing our support of a request for a ruling on the campaign finance issues associated with the MI Republican Party using administrative funds to pay for a petition drive that, if successful, would enable the Legislature to enact voter suppression bills. The administrative fund has no reporting obligations and dark money is funding this petition drive.
July 10, 2021: FIREARM BACKGROUND CHECKS
The LWVMI voted to support SB 454 and HB 4869, 4870 and 4871 which all deal with strengthening background checks of firearms in Michigan. The League also supports SB 455 and SB 456 which provide guidelines in sentencing and amend the penal code concerning falsification of documents necessary for a sale of firearms.
National News
Securing and Protecting Voting Rights
The For the People Act H.R.1, will fundamentally strengthen our democratic system by creating automatic voter registration across the country, restoring the Voting Rights Act, modernizing our voter registration system, establishing clear criteria and transparency to prevent gerrymandering, and making campaign contributions transparent.
As an organization dedicated to empowering voters and defending democracy, the League of Women Voters is one of the original supporters of the For the People Act.
Learn more about H.R.1 here. There are obstacles to making the bill law. The Senate filibuster and the opposition of all republican senators are significant challenges to overcome. Without this bill, legislatures in 43 states can carry out their plans to further restrict voting and make access more difficult for American citizens. The LWVUS will be sending out action alerts on this bill as it progresses.
New LWVUS Initiative
The LWVUS officially launched Women Power Democracy! This initiative is designed to tackle systemic challenges to voting rights through advocacy, communication, litigation, and organizing. There are four elements to Women Power Democracy: Democracy Truth Project, Expand the Franchise, Democracy Defense Fund, and People Powered Fair Maps™.
This work does not replace our campaign for Making Democracy Work® but rather builds upon our commitment to democracy and our organizational focus. It is also work that we already do. Women Power Democracy pulls this work together and helps us tell a collective story which has both greater impact and potential to make change. Think of it as Making Democracy Work® on steroids!
The name of our Women Empower Democracy initiative reflects both the widely recognized name of our organization and our extensive history of tackling institutional misogyny. As a legacy organization founded more than 100 years ago to empower women at the polls, we celebrate the role women play in our democracy today while working to build a more inclusive League. We are proud to lift up the voices of women, and in doing so, also honor the crucial roles that people of all genders play in this work.
In the months to come, we will be offering trainings and activities in which every League will have the opportunity to participate and build upon our mission work. You can learn more about Women Power Democracy here.
Upcoming Events
August 26th Thursday – 2pm-3pm, The Little Traverse Historical Museum – Suffragists dedication ceremony
September 8th Wednesday - 5:30 (via Zoom and/or in-person, TBD) – Member meeting Judy Karandjeff, LWVMI Advocacy Chair, former for State Representative Mary Brown, and Michigan-Women-Forward Hall of Fame recipient, will present expert information on the voter suppression bills in the MI legislature, and how they can become law even with the Governor’s veto.
Check our website calendar for these and other events.
For more information:
Call LWVNLM President Robin Jordan at 231-881-4482
Follow LWVNLM on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lwvnlm
Visit our website: https://www.lwvnlm.org/