PEG 12th Congressional District
Newsletter #110, Thursday, May 16, 2019
131 weeks down, 77 weeks to go until Election Day!
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Bad News: The new
Abortion Bans are definitely a setback and Michigan is not exempt
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We are seeing losses across the country with the recent abortion bans. The most recent, and arguably the strictest, ban was in Alabama. Michigan is not exempt from this pending wave across America. One of the organizations we hold in high regard, Michigan Resistance, is doing something this week about
Michigan’s two new Anti-abortion Bills # 4320 and 4321. Both bills have passed the House vote and now we must urge Governor Whitmer to veto these bills at (517) 335-7858.
Script for Calling Governor Whitmer:
Hi, I’m calling to urge Governor Whitmer to veto HB 4320 and 4321, as she has said she would. These bills make abortion inaccessible for many women and denies them the safest form of abortion for the second trimester. The government should not interfere with decisions between a woman and her doctors, and physicians need all the tools possible to make the right decision for a woman and her life.
Note: Information provided by Michigan Resistance writer,
Susan Gannon
.
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But, there is still good news and good people to Celebrate
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Secretary of State Benson (D) organized a Bipartisan Voting Rights Tour with Alabama Secretary of State Merrill (R)
In a bipartisan effort, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) and Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill (R) last week organized a three-day Voting Rights History Tour to three historic sites in Alabama -—Birmingham, Selma and Montgomery. According to
WABE,
the NPR Station in Atlanta, the group was scheduled to hear from civil rights activists and people who lived through the struggle for voting rights. “Together, this group of leaders is responsible for administering elections in 20 states across the country,” Benson said. “I hope this nonpartisan tour inspires us to come together while we learn about the hard-won struggle for voting rights that continues to impact our work in elections every day.”
-
Michigan Advance
Let's thank Senator Todd Young for standing up
Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.), the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, is pushing for the Foreign Relations Committee, on which he sits, to schedule
an immediate hearing
to demand answers from administration officials regarding the possible use of military force in South America. He said the Trump team must answer “very basic” questions, such as:
- What would our military's mission be in Venezuela?
- Would it be a stabilization mission, a humanitarian mission or some other sort of mission?
- Would we be seeking regime change?
- What would success look like militarily and then in the wake of military action?
- What legal authorities might the administration be considering to justify military force?
He was also one of seven Republican senators who voted for the resolution to cut off U.S. support for the Saudi-backed war in Yemen. It was the first time Congress has ever invoked the War Powers Act to rein in military action. Trump vetoed the resolution, which the Senate failed to override.
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Sunday, May 19. Author Elaine Weiss to discuss "The Woman's Hour: The Great Fight To Win The Vote"
As we celebrate the women who have been elected to public office and those who are currently seeking public office, it is appropriate to remember, says Weiss, that “None of this would be possible if not for the brave grass-roots activists of yesterday – the suffragists – who disrupted the political establishment as they fought for American women's right to vote.” Award-winning journalist and writer Elaine Weiss discusses the battle for the 19th Amendment and her book
The Woman's Hour: The Great Fight To Win The Vote
this Sunday afternoon at the Westgate Branch of the Ann Arbor Public Library. The event is free, and will be recorded.
AADL. 4–5:30 pm
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Michigan Resistance Calling Parties
This week we will call to p
rotect a woman's right to choose by opposing anti-abortion bills in the state house (anti-abortion bills 4320 and 4321).
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Friday, May 17. State Convention of the League of Women Voters of Michigan
This year's Convention will celebrate the 100th birthday of the League of Women Voters of Michigan and the 100th anniversary of suffrage for Michigan women. The Convention promises to be informative, productive and fun.
Click here
for a convention overview and
here
to register. Embassy Suites by Hilton,
19525 Victor Pkwy, Livonia
.
Friday, May 17. Representative Donna Lasinski Coffee Hour
Monday, May 20. Spring into action with Representative Donna Lasinski and Governor Gretchen Whitmer
It's time to bring activists across Washtenaw County together again to lay the groundwork that will bring us the wins we need in 2020. You can find the Facebook event
here
, and tickets can be purchased in advance
here
. You can also contact emily@voteDonnaLasinski.com to RSVP or to learn about being a host. Chelsea Depot,
125 Jackson St, Chelsea
. 5–6:30 pm
Monday, May 20. Allen Park Dems Monthly Meeting
Monday, May 22. Free Film:
The Human Element
In an arresting new documentary from the producers of
Racing Extinction, The Cove
and
Chasing Ice,
environmental photographer James Balog captures the lives of everyday Americans on the front lines of climate change. With rare compassion and heart,
The Human Element’s
coast-to-coast series of captivating stories inspires us to reevaluate our relationship with the natural world.
Click here
to watch the trailer. The film is sponsored by t
he Ann Arbor CCL and Washtenaw Climate Reality.
A discussion of comprehensive, bipartisan legislation in Congress to tackle climate change will follow the film. The New Center,
1100 N Main Street, Ann Arbor.
7–9 pm
Thursday May 23. Taylor Democratic Club Monthly Meeting
Monday, May 27. Eastern Washtenaw County Dems Meeting
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Things to listen to, read, and watch
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Why the controversy over the 2020 Census Census Citizenship question?
“Those who aim to suppress the enumeration of immigrants and minorities in the census are clinging by the threads of power in an ever-changing nation. Efforts to diminish the impact of those who renew our nation and make us economically and culturally vibrant are unwise and immoral. The preservation of our representative democracy hinges on inclusion of all people. Everyone counts.”
–Ruth Ellen Wasem, clinical professor of policy at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, the University of Texas in Austin.
To learn more about the citizenship question,
click here.
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Why changing the tax code won’t mean a thing
The IRS is completely outgunned by the ultra-rich. One study of income hidden from the IRS found that it’s the richest who hide it the most effectively: the top 0.5 percent of high-earning Americans account for one-fifth of the income unreported to the IRS, amounting to some $50 billion per year. Part of that is because for the bottom 90 percent of us, wages get directly reported to the IRS making it ultra-easy to verify accurate reporting. In 2009, the IRS planned a legion of elite accountants to audit the super wealthy, but thanks to budget cuts and lobbying this team never actually came together. Instead of the target of 240 expert auditors by 2012, it had only 96 by 2014, and as of last year had only 58. So change the tax code however you want, if the enforcement of that tax code is being deliberately shortchanged it won’t mean a thing.
Click here
to learn more.
-538
and
The New York Times
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Thanks to Newsletter contributors:
Leslie McGraw, Richard Gaeth, Bette Cotzin, Jen Hoffman,
Susan Burwen,
Susan Ayer and Chuck Newman
for their help preparing this newsletter. Write us at
info@equalityingov.org
if you would like help create our weekly newsletter. It’s fun and no ongoing commitment is required.
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