WCDP News: May 2 election coming up fast

May 6 Membership Meeting

Michigan’s first Democratic State Legislature in 38 Years: Accomplishments and Future Plans

Before the meeting there will be a social half hour starting at 9:15, with light snacks and beverages.

The meeting will take place at the Washtenaw County Learning Resource Center, 4135 Washtenaw Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48108. Members of the public unable to attend in person can participate via Zoom at the link given below.

The Michigan legislature, with a narrow Democratic majority, has already adopted legislation: repealing the 1931 Michigan law that banned abortions; preventing free-riding, opting out of paying union dues, in unionized workplaces; requiring contractors on state projects to pay union-level wages; fighting our terrible national and state problem of gun violence by requiring safe storage of firearms, extending background checks to rifles and shotguns, and allowing judges to confiscate guns from people show clear warning signs of violence; and expanded protection against discrimination for LGBTQ+ residents of Michigan.

Washtenaw County state legislators are playing a leading role in tackling problems that have festered for many years. Four will discuss the accomplishments of the legislature to date and plans for the future:

Representative Felicia Brabec, House District 33
Senator Jeff Irwin, Senate District 15
Representative Jason Morgan, House District 23
Senator Sue Shink, Senate District

The audience will have the opportunity to ask questions after the presentations by our legislators.

Attend via Zoom:
Join the meeting through Zoom beginning at 9:45:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87164040854

Visibility Committee Call for Volunteers

The WCDP’s new Visibility Committee is looking for volunteers to help us ring the county with our friendly faces. We want to show up at fun events to build connections with Democrats across every corner of the county. We need you! Volunteers would help us staff a WCDP table at local events or join us in local parades. It is fun and easy, and time commitments can be as little as 2 hours.

Here are some of the events being held from May through June where we’d like to have a presence. If you live in one of these areas, we especially need you!Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market (Saturdays beginning in May)Chelsea Sounds and Sights (Thursday nights beginning in June)Ann Arbor African American Downtown Festival (Saturday, June 3)Milan Pride Picnic (Thursday, June 8, 4-7pm)Ann Arbor Juneteenth Celebration (Saturday, June 17)Ann Arbor Art Fair (July 20-22, shifts available throughout the day)Even if none of these dates work for you but you are interested, sign up using the link below. We also need ongoing Visibility Committee members to help us plan and support these and other local events throughout the county on an ongoing basis.

Sign Up to Volunteer and a member of our team will be in touch.

Keeping up with the MI Legislature

Join the Michigan League for Public Policy on Facebook Live this Friday at 11 a.m. for a legislative and policy update. This week, Rachel Richards, the League’s Fiscal Policy and Legislative Relations Director, will be on hand with the latest on the state budget and more.

If this is your kind of show, you are in luck! The MLPP streams on Facebook Live every Friday at 11 a.m. Watch all their events at https://www.facebook.com/MichLeague/

May 2 Election Reminder

That’s right, another election – mark your calendars and bring a friend!

If you or a friend still need to register, it must be done in person at your local clerk’s office from now through May 1. Election day registrants can still vote in person at the proper precinct or via absentee ballot at their clerk’s office.

Preview your ballot or find your clerk at https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/Voter/Index

There are 7 proposals on the ballot in various parts of Washtenaw County, including school millages and bond issues, among other matters. 4

Make your voice heard!

Take the Voting Options Survey

The City of Ann Arbor just launched a survey about early voting options in the 2024 elections. The 6-question survey is available through May 22, 2023. You can answer if you live in Ann Arbor, a nearby city or township, are a student in Ann Arbor, if you aren’t registered to vote in the area, or if you’re unsure if you’re a registered voter in Ann Arbor.

Take the Voting Options Survey

Parkridge Park Spring Cleanup

SATURDAY, MAY 6, 2023 AT 12 PM – 4 PM
S.F. INC & HERITAGE PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION’S2ND ANNUAL CLEANUP
Map: Parkridge Park

Public invited!

This is going to be an Old School-themed Saturday morning clean up, just how we used to do back in the day. Music will be playing as we clean our park while Victoria Burton-Harris and her team cook and serve lunch. We will be picking up trash, pulling weeds and planting flowers–feel free to bring your own gardening tools. Our desire is to create and maintain a safe, drug-free, and sustainable park for our children and our seniors, to play and relax in a healthy environment in their own neighborhood. Our belief is that if our community has a safe and happy environment they maintain, and call their own, that attitude will reverberate throughout our community, neighborhoods and families, bringing a sense of pride and ownership. It will garner unity, leading to a reduction in community violence and substance abuse and fostering a healthier mental state of being and self awareness for the betterment of all.

The DNC Best Practices Institute is excited to announce the launch of our 2023 Train the Trainer Webinar Training Program!

This is a free six-week, twelve-part webinar course, covering aspects of grassroots campaigning. Each year we update Train the Trainer (T3) sessions so even if you’ve already participated there is still more to learn.

Click Here to Register for the 2023 T3 Program!

T3 trainings are held every Tuesday and Thursday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. ET, from May 16, through June 22.

The deadline to register is Sunday, May 14 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

CLICK HERE to submit your registration for the 2023 T3 Training Program!