November 6th WCDP Meeting!
Saturday, November 6th, 9:30am
WCDP General Membership Meeting via Zoom
Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Attorney General Dana Nessel, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, and Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes will discuss their plans for Michigan, the challenges Democrats face in the 2022 elections, and Democratic Party responses to Republican efforts at voter suppression, including:
- Responding to Republican efforts to create barriers to requesting an absentee ballot and restricting voting for citizens without photo identification;
- Protecting poll workers and other election officials from intimidation, harassment, and violence;
- Promoting economic recovery after the pandemic; and numerous other subjects.
Take Action! Redistricting
It’s down to the last days for public comment on the maps.
The MICRC has issued draft maps for the State House, State Senate, and U.S. Representative districts. We need folks across the state advocating for fair maps and signing up to give public comment to the MICRC.
We need to give speak up IMMEDIATELY and advocate for fair maps that level the playing field.
MICRC General Comment Portal:
https://www.michigan-mapping.org/#submit
Comment directly on the latest MICRC State Senate map using this link:
https://michigan.mydistricting.com/legdistricting/comments/plan/249/23
Tell the MICRC to prioritize partisan fairness.
DO NOT copy and paste these points, but
DO speak to them in your own words!
“Communities of interest” is NOT an excuse to pack voters of a particular party into fewer and fewer districts to weaken their voice.
How is any map fair in which one party can win a majority of the seats while losing a majority of the votes?
We voted for Prop 2 in 2018 to rid Michigan of the rigged system. We want fair maps that create a level playing field.
No one on the Commission should vote to approve a map that gives a disproportionate advantage to one political party.
MDP Redistricting Toolkit (and Meeting Schedule)
MICRC’s Public Comment Portal
MICRC’s Website
MICRC’s maps
Want some more resources on what to say and how to say it? Here they are.
League of Women Voters – Redistricting
Voters Not Politicians – Redistricting
Redistricting Actions YOU Can Take
Anishinaabek Caucus –
A Push for Inclusive Democracy
The MDP’s Anishinaabek Caucus advocates for issues important to the members of the Odawa, Ojibwe and Bodawadmi tribes– the Three Fires Confederacy. It has been instrumental in nominating tribal members to boards and commissions and in growing participation in elections.
The Anishinaabek Caucus mobilizes around the issues of wolf protection, the tragedy of missing or murdered indigenous women, Enbridge Line 5, the cultural and archeological heritage discovered by tribal members under the straits of Mackinac, protection of the essential wild rice (Manoomin) and the grim legacy of the residential boarding schools, only now coming to light. The Caucus was founded by WCDP member Andrea Pierce, who was also part of the discovery of the underwater site.
The Anishnaabek Caucus is holding a series of Town Halls through the month of November, every Tuesday night at 7:00pm. Topics are listed in the image above.
How many times have we heard, “Oh, the Democrats only come around when they want to ask for our votes”? Well, let’s get a head start on 2022. Building relationships with voters ahead of time will be key to keeping our excellent team of “Women from Michigan,” especially in the face of unprecedented fundraising and, undoubtedly, mudslinging from their opponents.
The Precinct Organizing Committee is putting out a call for our Precinct Delegates and Volunteers to represent us in their home turf, knocking on selected doors with information about WCDP and crucially, about the voter suppression tactics from the Republican Party. Most of us are aware of the fraudulent petition being circulated with the object of letting the legislature enact restrictive voting rules, without the signature of the Governor. But many are not, and we need to prepare them to Decline to Sign.
You can canvass on your own schedule, with a postcard we’ve prepared for you. If you live in an area where safe doorknocking isn’t doable, please talk to us, we’ll find another way for you to reach out. Contact us at poc@infowashtenawdems-org
STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR MICHIGAN REPS
State 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/
State Rep. Yousef Rabhi, 53rd House district: yousefrabhi@house.mi.gov, Phone: (517) 373-2577. https://housedems.com/yousef-rabhi/.
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:Monday coffee hoursSaturday coffee hours
State Rep. Ronnie Peterson, 54th House district: ronniepeterson@house.mi.gov Phone: (517) 373-1771 | Toll-Free: (855) 347-8054, https://housedems.com/ronnie-peterson/
State Rep. 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).
State Rep. Felicia Brabec, 55th House district: FeliciaBrabec@house.mi.gov, Phone: (517) 373-1792, https://housedems.com/felicia-brabec/.
