ACTIONS
Join Dems across the state to urge legislators to oppose the Republicans’ voter suppression bills. The Michigan Democratic Party is supporting phone banks across the state. Find an event to join here. (Many dates are available when you click through.) Read the MDP’s summary of the bills here.
Weigh in on redistricting. We fought hard to get redistricting out of the politicians’ hands in 2018. Now we can help the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC) do its job. You can plan to attend a hearing in person, or leave a comment on the website.
Urge support for long-term care providers (MI Resistance). For thousands of auto accident victims with long-term care needs, Michigan’s no-fault insurance system was a saving grace, providing essential lifetime care and access to needed therapies and treatments. But unless we pass HB4486, Michigan’s 2019 auto insurance reform package will drastically reduce access to long-term care for accident victims beginning on July 1.
In brief: Seeking to bring down premiums by preventing long-term care providers from charging excessive fees — a worthy goal — the 2019 auto insurance reform package arbitrarily caps these providers’ fees at 55% of what they charged in 2019. Under this new cap, 9 out of 10 post-acute centers do not have confidence they can continue to operate, leaving patients with horrific injuries from auto accidents to lose access to care.
The fix: We can advocate for HB 4486, which offers a budget-neutral solution that would enable the continued care of over 6,000 Michigan auto accident survivors — and continued jobs for tens of thousands of caregivers — without changing any other element of auto no-fault reform. For more info go here.
Check out Americans of Conscience. This is a great site for positive actions all across the country. Definitely worth a look, if not a bookmark!
EVENTS
May 25, 6:00 -8:00 pm: The Ann Arbor Police Oversight Commission Community Forum wants to hear from you! Please come and share your thoughts and your vision of public safety! Bring a chair if you can (we’ll have a few). Location: Liberty Plaza, Ann Arbor.
June 5, 9:30 – noon. WCDP General Membership Meeting, via Zoom. This month’s meeting is devoted to addressing the climate crisis and environmental racism. All-star lineup of local and regional activists. Find details here.
June 1 – June 6: A2Zero week, celebrating the first anniversary of the city’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. Many educational and celebratory events are scheduled, and a dozen restaurants are participating with a weeklong celebration of local, sustainable, and plant-based food dine-in or take out. Find the full schedule here.
Anytime. Did you know you could watch the MI Senate in action? It can take a strong stomach, but here’s how to do it.
NEWS
More than 70,000 Michiganders are on a tuition-free path to an associate degree or a skills certificate thanks to the new $30 million bipartisan Michigan Reconnect program, one of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s signature accomplishments. We’re already 10,000 over the goal of enrolling 60,000 students by Memorial Day.
Another reason Trump lost AZ: At least 75,000 Republicans in 2 Arizona counties voted for other Republicans, but not for Trump, in Independent Media Institute.
And some reassurance, from Heather Cox Richardson: A new Gallup poll today finds that 53% of Republicans think that Trump won the 2020 election. But only 26% of Americans identify as Republicans. Journalist Richard Hine crunched the numbers and notes that those percentages boil down to about 14% of Americans who think Trump is still president.
HAPPY DANCE
More than 70,000 Michiganders are on a tuition-free path to an associate degree or a skills certificate thanks to the new $30 million bipartisan Michigan Reconnect program, one of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s signature accomplishments. We’re already 10,000 over the goal of enrolling 60,000 students by Memorial Day.
Biden’s USDA will begin making debt relief payment to minority farmers in June. One step toward recompense for a long-term, tragic injustice.
STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR MICHIGAN REPS
Find your county commissioner here.
Senator Jeff Irwin has a regular Virtual Coffee Hour — To receive the Zoom access code and the next date, please fill out this form:https://senatedems.com/irwin/coffee-hour-sign-up/
Rep. Yousef Rabhi, 53rd House district: yousefrabhi@house.mi.gov, Phone: (517) 373-2577, . https://housedems.com/yousef-rabhi/. Yousef and You Discussion Forum — May 22 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am. Typically discussions are 10 am on the 4th Saturday of the month and 6 pm on the 2nd Monday of the month. Click to register:
Ronnie Peterson, 54th House district: ronniepeterson@house.mi.gov Phone: (517) 373-1771 | Toll-Free: (855) 347-8054, https://housedems.com/ronnie-peterson/
Donna Lasinski, 52nd House district: donnalasinski@house.mi.gov, Phone: (517) 373-0828 | Toll-Free: (855) 627-5052, https://housedems.com/donna-lasinski/ (sign up for emails here).
Felicia Brabec, 55th House district: FeliciaBrabec@house.mi.gov, Phone: (517) 373-1792, https://housedems.com/felicia-brabec/
