PEG 6th Congressional District Newsletter 320
Saturday, June 10, 2023
Chuck’s Progressive Puzzle Project Comes to Life!
Over 60 Michigan-based activist groups highlighted the power of progressive collaboration
Protectors of Equality in Government was one of dozens of activists groups that participated in this inspiring and ambitious project. Distill Social brought the pieces and people together last week for a first look at this completed 61,000 piece puzzle.
“Activist groups play a crucial role in advocating for social and political change. By working together, we can amplify each others’ voices and increase our impact, influencing public discourse and policy decisions.” – Distill Social
Advocate and Change lives with a single letter!
Join us on Conversations this Sunday, June 11 at 7:30 pm ET to learn more
Thousands of Michigan prison inmates are serving sentences that are widely considered unjust, ranging from selling marijuana to defending themselves against their abusers. On Conversations this Sunday, June 11 at 7:30 PM ET, we invite you to join us and explore the stories of these individuals who pose no threat to society and are deserving of clemency.
Throughout the show, you will have the opportunity to hear about specific inmates, understand why they deserve clemency, and learn how you can participate in a campaign to support them by sending letters on their behalf. Campaign participants will be supplied with a customizable letter and clear instructions on where to send it.
By simply taking part in this effort, we can collectively lend a voice to the voiceless and their families. Register for this interview here, and following registration, you will receive a confirmation email with details on how to join the interview.
Join us in advocating for justice and compassion. Together, we can make a difference.
Events
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Silence the Violence Michigan and Moms Demand Action have organized 25 additional events through Michigan during June. Find an event near you by clicking here.
Saturday, June 10. Wear Orange Rally Orange
Join Moms Demand Action at Prospect Park, E Cross St & N Prospect Rd, Ypsilanti. Noon
Saturday, June 17. Silence the Violence Rally
Silence the Violence is an annual event that brings together local government, law enforcement, religious organizations, and the community to honor the victims of gun violence and to work towards gun violence eradication. Speakers and Serenity Walk in Nature Habitat (Partners: St. Aidan’s, Moms Demand Action, Physicians for the Prevention of Gun Violence, EGVMI) Please register here. St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church, 1679 Broadway St. Ann Arbor 11 am
Visit the PEG Events Page for all upcoming events at www.equalityingov.org/events!
Things to do, read, watch, and listen to
One Senator holds 168 Military Promotions in Limbo – Protectors of Equality in Government
Arkansas Senator Tommy Tuberville is holding 168 military promotions in limbo over paying for travel expenses for needed health care not available where they are stationed. This includes Abortion Services. Tuberville said he will keep the hold on the promotions until the policy is changed.
June Month of Action Against Gun Violence – Protectors of Equality in Government
On June 2 the “Rock” at Washtenaw and Hill was painted orange by supporters of Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety. Wear Orange honors survivors of gun violence and demand a future free of gun violence – and has been expanded from one weekend to the entire month of June.
Distracted Driving Legislation Passed Effective June 30
Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined state officials and advocates to sign bipartisan legislation aimed at reducing distracted driving by mandating that motorists in Michigan put down their phones when they’re behind the wheel. “Too many Michiganders have lost loved ones to distracted driving, and everyone should be safe on their way to school, home, or work,” Whitmer said while signing the legislation that goes bans drivers from using their phones without hands-free technology. Those who are caught using their phones while driving will face fines.
Whitmer signed House Bills 4250, 4251 and 4252, which were sponsored by state Reps. Matt Koleszar (D-Plymouth), Tyrone Carter (D-Detroit,) and Mike Mueller (R-Linden.) In the Senate, state Sen. Paul Wojno (D-Warren) and Sen. Kevin Hertel (St. Clair Shores) sponsored companion legislation Senate Bills 239, 240 and 241. Wednesday’s bill signing took place at Plymouth’s Mitchel Kiefer Memorial Rink. The hockey arena was dedicated to Mitchel Kiefer, who was killed at the age of 18 by a distracted driver on Interstate 96 in 2016.
Kiefer’s parents have gone on to found the Kiefer Foundation, which advocates for an end to distracted driving.
The Supreme Court Narrows the Power of the EPA
On May 25, the Supreme Court ruled in Sackett v. EPA that the EPA could only protect wetlands that adjoin rivers and lakes and other bodies of water, leaving many vital ecosystems vulnerable to development and exploitation.
This decision has been distressing to all those who care about the environment. Jim Murphy of the National Wildlife Federation minced no words: “I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say it’s catastrophic for the Clean Water act.” In addition, the two former chiefs of the EPA, William K Reilly who served under the second Bush administration and Carol Browner who served under Obama each expressed dismay at the ruling. Browner called the decision “a major blow to the landmark Clean Water Act and the federal government’s ability to protect our people from pollution and its negative health side effects.”
