PEG 6th Congressional District Newsletter 328
Special Edition
Trump indicted on charges related to efforts to overturn 2020 election – VIDEO Here
Read the full 45-Page Indictment PDF Here
Trump indictment: How Michigan, Detroit factor into charges over 2020 election | Bridge Michigan’Help me get this done in Michigan,’ a co-conspirator texted a key lawmaker. The latest indictment alleges pressure from the Trump campaign urging state officials to help overturn his 2020 election loss |
Our Planet on Fire: Utility Companies oppose Clean Energy
At a time when The New York Times reported the hottest three days in recorded history, after the hottest June ever recorded, utility companies are a force opposing the implementation of clean energy such as wind and solar energy. In many states, they’ve established policies which discourage customers from going to solar energy, or otherwise slow down the implementation of clean energy. Moreover, according to a more recent New York Times article, they’re using their customers’ money to lobby against the change from coal and natural gas.In a parallel article, The Guardian documented the organized way Matrix, a political consulting firm, operates behind the scenes in many states to undermine the promotion of clean energy. “Matrix affiliated groups have worked to advance power companies’ interests in Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia and in front of the Environmental Protection Agency.” When a Florida state senator proposed a law to advance solar energy, for example, Matrix spent heavily to undermine his reelection.
Clearly, utility companies are holding back progress in addressing the climate crisis.
Ohio “Issue 1” on Aug 8 – An Attempt to Defeat Reproductive Rights
On August 8, Ohio voters will be voting on Issue 1, a constitutional amendment that would require upcoming constitutional amendments placed on a statewide ballot receive at least 60% of the vote – instead of the current 50% – to be approved. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, “Issue 1 backers plan to use a $6 million TV ad campaign to pretend the GOP’s attempt to make the Ohio Constitution exponentially more difficult to amend is to counter supposed out-of-state influence — when it’s really to defeat a reproductive rights ballot issue in November.” A “no” vote on Issue 1 is critical and will insure that 40% of the voters can’t control the outcome of the majority. If you are able to get involved by making phone calls, go to VotenoinAugust.org
Local Elections are Tuesday, Oct 8: – Elbert Williams Voting Corner
The upcoming August 8th primary elections are coming up and here is a list of the candidates and proposals that you need to know about before you vote in the Washtenaw and Wayne County elections: City council members along with the Mayor are local legislators that are voted in by the citizens. The mayor leads the city council and as Council Members they perform the following duties of setting policies, codes, and ordinances for the city, Along with having the ability to approve spending and budgets for the city.
Events and Opportunities
July and August are months for representatives to share important legislative updates and focus on constituent input and feedback, as well as time for us to ask questions about what they have been up to for the past six months.
Tuesday, August 8. Election Day!There are dozens of local elections in Southeastern Michigan (two in Washtenaw County) that need your voice.
Thursday, August 10.
Deadline for Social Justice fellowship
As seen in Washtenaw Dems newsletter: 482 Forward and UM’s Youth Civil Rights Academy are currently recruiting southeast Michigan youth for a year-long social justice fellowship which will start in August 2023. This program will provide fellows with skills such as political advocacy, community organizing, social justice education, and connecting with others across geographic and demographic differences through project-based learning. The fellowship will pay a small stipend of up to $500 for full completion of the program. We encourage youth to apply in teams of 2-3, but youth are also welcome to apply on their own. Application materials are due August 10th. Grab the application and make a copy to complete. Email Lindsey@482forward.org for info.
Visit the PEG Events Page for all upcoming events at www.equalityingov.org/events!
Things to do, read, watch, and listen to
FOLLOW UP FROM 7/13/23 & 7/20/23 NEWSLETTERS – BIDEN meets with 7 major AI companies
During the administrative stay regarding Biden the court case banning Biden and officials of his administration from speaking with Social Media companies last Friday, July 21, 2023, President Biden engaged in discussions with leaders from seven major artificial intelligence companies, including Amazon, Anthropic, Google, Inflection, Meta, Microsoft, and OpenAI. The outcome of these meetings was a series of voluntary commitments by these companies to address the potential risks associated with the rapid growth of AI technology. The Verge reports that these commitments were established to ensure that innovation in AI does not compromise Americans’ rights and safety. The agreements between the Biden-Harris Administration and the companies highlight three fundamental principles for the future of AI development:
- Ensuring the safety of AI products before their introduction to the public.
- Prioritizing security in building AI systems.
- Earning the trust of the public by fostering transparency.
The White House released a Fact Sheet that provides more details on these principles, along with a Blueprint for an
AI Bill of Rights. To support this initiative, President Biden signed an Executive Order directing federal agencies to identify and address bias in the design and usage of new technologies, including AI. The Office of Management and Budget will also publish draft policy guidance for federal agencies, emphasizing the protection of Americans’ rights and safety when developing, procuring, and utilizing AI systems.
Moreover, the administration has been collaborating with other countries to create an international framework that governs the responsible development and use of AI technology.
The voluntary AI agreement aims to manage the potential risks associated with AI while safeguarding the rights and safety of American citizens. However, questions have been raised about the implications of these commitments. Time and commitment of the parties will be the ultimate judge in determining the effectiveness and benefits of these proactive actions.
Good News
Governor Whitmer is at the Maritime Edge of Climate ChangeGovernor Whitmer’s recent Fresh Coast Maritime Challenge (FCMC) is a grant program designed to help decarbonize and electrify Michigan’s marina’s and waterfront. This program is the first in the nation, putting her state at the cutting edge of “sustainable maritime transportation,” both recreational and commercial. This involves creating a network of electrifying charging stations all along Michigan’s extensive waterfront. But the FCMC includes promoting all other kinds of “alternative propulsion: hydrogen, hybrid, carbon capture, sustainable marine fuels, and more.”
‘Y’all means All; Miss Texas Fights for Diversity
Averie Bishop is the first Asian American contestant to win the crown in the pageant’s 85 years. She represents a rapidly diversifying state, one that is now a majority minority, influencing cities, rural areas, and hopefully new political alliances. Changing the faces of the new majority leads to more representation and a greater voice state leadership. Bishop has done her share of lobbying them. In Austin, she met with Republican leaders to talk about the state’s needs. She pressed North Texas lawmakers against the bill to ban college diversity and inclusion programs, explaining how she had benefited from them. “To be seen, that’s the first step in making a lot of change,” she said. For Bishop, being Miss Texas not only meant becoming a visual symbol for the state’s newest and least visible residents but also reflects her own experiences as the the only Asian student in her public school classes in Prosper near her primarily White hometown of McKinney. Her background included much political and religious conservatism from her family attending Dallas’s conservative Southern Methodist University She returned there for law school and worked for Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Tex.) in Washington, yet she always returned to Texas.
What influenced her activism?
One was the day of the school shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas; she posted a TikTok video, sobbing. “These things happen all the time and nothing changes.” Then after the Supreme Court overturned abortion rights, and her home state’s own restrictions, she posted again about reproductive rights’.
In March, she posted about the need for comprehensive sex education while mourning the 50th anniversary of Roe v Wade. In May, she posted videos touting the need for affordable health and reproductive care. Bishop (age 26) has spoken out while competing for, and as, Miss Texas. Going against the traditional role of apolitical pageant winners she has used her role as queen to push back against the far-right policies supported by Texas’s White male leaders. Her platform — diversity and inclusion — represents much of what Texas has been outlawing. In June alone, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed laws banning diversity offices and training at state universities, “sexually explicit” books at public schools, drag shows and gender-affirming care for youths.She learned to lean on a network to get things done. Pageant officials, she said, have been true to their promise to support her as she traveled to about 250 schools to discuss diversity and, at most high schools, gender identity.Mono Serif Sans Serif Comic Fancy Small CapsShe has also traveled about 70,000 miles, more often and farther than her predecessors. She has used her platform to speak out –from Las Vegas and Los Angeles, to New York, Connecticut, Ohio, Wisconsin and even England addressing scholars at Oxford. Closer to home she covered a lot of ground-45,000 miles across Texas, where she represented a state that looks more like her than the state’s current political leadership. nAverie Bishop is trying to change hearts and minds while uplifting those who remain faceless.
A special thanks to our Newsletter contributors:
Lisa Kamil, Bette Cotzin, Bernie Banet, Linda Bennett, Kayla Conrad, Ellen Halter, Leslie McGraw, Leslie Kamil, Mieko Preston, Fred Clark (CARTOONIST), and Chuck Newman for their contributions and help preparing our newsletters.
Cartoon of the Week
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