CONTACT CONGRESS IN SUPPORT OF VOTING RIGHTS

Congress must pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

This week, hundreds of League members from across the country will gather in Washington, DC, to meet with their members of Congress in support of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (JLVRAA).

Passage of the JLVRAA is necessary to repair the damage done to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) by the 2013 US Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder. The VRA was instrumental in ensuring that no state or local government could prevent individuals from voting based on race. It remains necessary to this day to prevent voter discrimination for all people, no matter what language they speak, the color of their skin, or the zip code they live in.

It has been over half a century since the passage of the VRA, yet we are still engaged in the fight against voter discrimination.

This week’s “Lobby Day” will bring the local expertise of League members directly to members of Congress as we urge them to take bipartisan action to protect voters.

Join our lobby day participants virtually by telling your Members of Congress to support the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

At this critical moment in our nation’s history, we need the JLVRAA!

Tell Michigan Lawmakers to Vote for National Popular Vote

The Michigan House of Representatives is considering Michigan joining the National Popular Vote Compact so we apply the concept of “one person, one vote” to our presidential elections.

The League of Women Voters supports House Bill 4156, which would add Michigan’s 15 electoral votes to a growing number of states supporting National Popular Vote.

We know voters in the last election sent a clear message rejecting efforts to undermine our elections and holding politicians accountable for weakening our democracy. Enacting the National Popular Vote is the important next step for those of us who want to protect our democracy and ensure that the candidate with the most votes is elected president.

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Please email your state representative today and ask them to vote for House Bill 4156 by using the template email below.  Note: You can edit it before you send it.

Support the Board of Health at County Meeting

The local Board of Health (BOH) continues to be a focus of concern. Recently, the BOH imposed a requirement that all grant applications must have BOH approval prior to applying for the funds. This was a departure from the grant process that had been in place for over 50 years and hinders the Health Department (HD) from acting quickly to obtain program funds that make up a large portion of the (HD) budget.  

In a recent subcommittee meeting of the BOH, two of the four commissioners voted against a private grant that provides $500,000 over 2 years for schools in Antrim, Charlevoix and Emmet counties. The grant involves schools using locally grown produce in their lunch programs and funds other healthy nutrition HD initiatives such as classroom nutrition education. Participating schools receive 10¢ for each lunch purchased that included local produce, resulting in thousands of dollars in revenue for the school. The deadline for applying for this grant is May 4th - just two days after the next BOH meeting. 

There’s still a chance that this program can be funded. The full BOH meets on Tuesday, May 2 and grant application will be on the agenda for approval or rejection. Here’s what you can do to help:

1. Attend the BOH meeting on May 2 and tell them you want the program approved. There are two opportunities for public comment: before and after the agenda items. The meeting will be held at the Shirley Roloff Center at 13513 Division St., Charlevoix.

2. Contact the commissioners on the BOH by phone or email and encourage them to approve the grant. Updated contact info for 2 commissioners: Otsego - Henry Mason 989-619-7611, hmason@otsegocountymi.gov -Jonathan Turnbull 912-655-4550 turnbull@otsegocountymi.gov All others are correct.

Tell Congress That Equality Belongs in the Constitution

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) will update the US Constitution to protect the equality of rights under the law regardless of sex.  

The ERA passed through Congress over 50 years ago with more than the 2/3 majority vote needed, and in 2020 Virginia became the 38th and final state needed to ratify the amendment. Yet today, the ERA still isn’t included in the Constitution. 

The League has been committed to the ratification of the ERA since it was first passed by Congress in 1972 because the freedoms of our democracy must apply equally to all people, no matter their sex or gender. Tell your elected officials that equality belongs in the Constitution. 

The 118th Congress has just introduced joint resolutions in both chambers that will remove the ERA's ratification time limit and affirm that the amendment has met all the requirements to be added to the Constitution.  

There should be no time limit on equality. 

Despite the significant legal and legislative advances that have been made in recent decades, women and other individuals continue to face discrimination based on sex. This systemic discrimination is clear in the ongoing fights against unequal pay, workplace harassment, pregnancy discrimination, domestic violence, and limited access to comprehensive health care. It is not enough to treat the symptoms; we must address the root cause of inequality by amending the Constitution. 

The inclusion of the Equal Rights Amendment in the Constitution is long overdue. Please take one minute for equality and urge Congress to assert that the ERA is part of the Constitution! 

Lack of Transparency at the Emmet County Board of Commissioners

Hello LWVNLM members from Emmet County, 

This is the first time the LWVNLM BOD has issued an action alert with regards to local government. Please consider the following information as a concerned citizen. The Emmet County Commissioners represent all of us and it can help their proceedings if they know citizens are paying attention. This is of particular concern with regards to the LWVUS position on health care, among other issues related to healthy representative government.

The Emmet County Commission has four new commissioners.  At last week’s organizational meeting Rich Ginop was chosen to be chairperson in a 4-3 vote. 

Of concern is that as soon as he took the chair, Mr. Ginop presented a prewritten slate of committee appointments for 2023 that he had prepared with no input from the 3 in the minority.  This is a radical departure in procedure from previous chairpersons, who always sought input and discussion from the entire board, before votes were taken and final decisions were made.
Key committee appointments were given to select members in the majority.  Others were given appointments in which they have no interest and/or are unable to serve due to scheduling conflicts, and one was removed from the Board of Health.  Emmet County will now be represented on the Board of Health by two new commissioners who have voiced active opposition to the mission of the health department in the mold of the current BOH members from Antrim, Otsego, and Charlevoix Counties.

The first regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners will be held on Monday, January 9 at 6:00PM in the Board of Commissioners room at the county building.  Please consider attending if you can as a concerned citizen.  

Thank you, 

LWVNLM BOD

Tell the Senate to Reform the Electoral Count Act This Year

Before the end of the year, the Senate has an opportunity to reform key elements of the electoral count and presidential transition processes through the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022. Our democracy faced a historic threat when violent insurrectionists stormed the US Capitol in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election. This legislation reforming the outdated Electoral Count Act of 1887is a step toward ensuring that these actions will not happen again.

The bipartisan cooperation in the Senate shows a commitment to finding common ground and putting forward necessary reforms to protect our elections from future threats. The reforms proposed will help to further clarify the role of elected officials in submitting a slate of electors and will reiterate that the Vice President plays an exclusively ceremonial role in the electoral count process.

Contact your senators today and tell them now is the time to reinforce our election system and reform the Electoral Count Act.

Bipartisan agreement has been uncommon in the 117th Congress. In the days remaining in this session, we must urge members of Congress to come together around these measures which have been so carefully considered. This bipartisan effort recognizes the need to protect our future elections from the specific tactics deployed in 2021 to disrupt the electoral count process. We must not allow our elections to become invalidated. The will of the people must stand in an election that was proven fair and secure.

Contact your senators and tell them that now is the time to improve the electoral count and presidential transition processes to protect our elections.

Protect the Freedom to Vote

A ballot initiative to improve voting security and access to the polls has been launched by a coalition of voting rights advocacy groups that includes the LWV of Michigan. The proposal will enshrine ballot access for all eligible Michigan citizens, make voting more secure, and secure the freedom to vote without fear of intimidation.

The LWVNLM will be providing educational forums and organizing petitioners in the next few months. Read the entire press release here.

Oppose SB 460

Voting rights and redistricting are two of the League’s priority issues, but we also take action on issues supported by our positions concerning natural resources, government, and social policy.

League volunteers monitor state legislation and alert us to the need for action. Currently, the Michigan Legislature is recessed until 2022. We will resume our calls for action at that time.