PEG 12th Congressional District
Newsletter #136
172 weeks down, 50 weeks to go until Election Day!
Testing the limits of gun immunity
for gun manufacturers
A PEG Exclusive by Sonya Lewis, MD, MPH
This week, the United States Supreme Court refused to hear the case Remington Arms Co. v. Soto, and in doing so, paved the way for victims of gun violence to sue gun manufacturers whose firearms have been used in the commission of crimes. Remington Arms Company manufactured and marketed the Bushmaster AR-15 style rifle that was used to murder 20 children and 6 educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012. For years, families of the victims have been attempting to hold Remington accountable for its role in the massacre. 

By declining to hear this case, SCOTUS set the stage to test the limits of the 2005 Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), championed by the National Rifle Association, that grants gun manufactures wide immunity from prosecution. In fact, thanks to PLCAA, the gun industry currently enjoys far greater protection from liability than any other consumer product industry in the nation. 

While PLCAA affords wide immunity, there are still some limitations. Industries are prohibited from intentionally violating state and federal laws governing the selling and marketing of products. Sandy Hook families specifically decry the manner in which Remington advertised the Bushmaster AR-15 style rifle, stating that the weapon was marketed recklessly, purposefully targeting disturbed individuals likely to be enticed by the violent, war-like imagery featured in the weapon’s ad campaign. In touting the firearm’s “military-proven performance” and its reputation as the “'ultimate combat weapons system,” as well as provocatively claiming owners of the rifle could “ consider your man card reissued ,” families argue that Remington violated Connecticut’s Unfair Trade Practice Law by knowingly portraying this weapon as an effective means of assaulting human beings and intentionally directing these messages toward individuals who are at risk of committing violent acts. 

As this case moves forward, details of Remington’s research and marketing strategies will likely be exposed to the public in the discovery process, a process that may prove to be damaging and embarrassing to the company. Furthermore, this case opens the door for others affected by gun violence to take legal action against gun manufacturers and sellers, a prospect that may have far reaching implications for an industry previously unconstrained by any threat of accountability for the nearly 40,000 gun deaths that occur annually in America.
Events
Thursday, November 14. Eastern Washtenaw County Dems
For info, contact Michael White at electmichaelwhite@gmail.com
WCDP Office . 418 W Michigan Ave, Ypsilanti. 7–8 pm
Thursday, November 14.  ICPJ Racial & Economic Justice Task Force Meeting
Interfaith Council For Peace and Justice, 1414 Hill St, Ann Arbor . noon–2 pm

Thursday, November 14. 12th District Dems Monthly Meeting
Poor People’s Campaign Washtenaw County Weekly Coffee & Catch Up
B-24's Espresso Bar Eats and Entertainment, 217 W Michigan Ave, Ypsilanti .  
  • Friday, November 15. 2:30–4 pm
  • Friday, November 22. 2:30–4 pm
  • Friday, November 29. 2:30–4 pm
Saturday, November 16. Coffee with Jeff Irwin
Carrigan Cafe, 101 S. Ann Arbor St, Suite 107, Saline. 10:30 am–12:30 pm
Milan Coffee Works, 508 County St, Milan . 1–3 pm
Sunday, November 17. Postcards for America event
Postcards for America is promoting a postcard campaign to encourage whistleblowers at the Department of Justice to step forward. In their recent Facebook post they suggest wording for the postcards. Join the effort! Cards and postage will be provided — or you can bring your own — at Panera Bread, 903 W Eisenhower Pkwy, Ann Arbor . 2 pm
Sunday, November 17. March for Housing NOW
The need for affordable housing in Ann Arbor has increased exponentially, especially as the average rent has risen significantly in recent years. According to a report to the city council, Ann Arbor needs to build 140 units a year through 2035 to meet a goal of 2700+, however, only 50 have been built in the last 5 years. This is disappointing proof the city is remiss in meeting the growing need despite the city council’s recent decision to incentivize developments. To bring awareness regarding this disparity and demand the city better address this pressing issue, the Washtenaw Defense Committee is sponsoring a march on November 17 at Liberty Park. 255 E Liberty St, Ann Arbor . 1–4 pm
Tuesday, November 19. Abortion legislation townhall conversation
This program is presented by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan and will discuss the Reproductive Health Act (RHA) unveiled in the Michigan legislature. This ground-breaking legislation would ensure all Michiganders can make personal decisions regarding their health and pregnancies without interference from politicians. Learn more and take action here . Location TBD, 5–7 pm
Wednesday, November 20. Workshop to help citizens apply for Michigan's new redistricting commission
Thirteen Michigan voters will be randomly selected to serve on Michigan’s first Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission — and you could be one of them! The Commission will be tasked with drawing Michigan’s next set of election district maps following the 2020 Census.
The application process is now open and Voters Not Politicians is hosting a free application workshop. Just bring your photo ID. VNP willl have everything else you need to complete your application including: Applications, access to free notary services and volunteers available to answer questions about the application proces
  More information about Michigan’s new redistricting process is available here and more information about applying to serve on the Commission is available here . Ypsilanti Downtown Library, 229 W Michigan Ave, Ypsilanti. 10 am–noon   
Friday, November 22. "Is it time to replace the Electoral College? If so, with what?"
The League of Women Voters is presenting hosting John R. Chamberlin, a professor emeritus of political science and public policy at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at UM. His research has included evaluating the performance of various election methods, including those covered in this edition of Lunch & Learn. A sandwich and salad or vegetarian lunch with coffee and soda is available for $8 cash or BYO lunch. Please indicate if you will be purchasing lunch when you make your reservation. Seating is limited to 30 and reservations are required. Make your reservation here. Cedars of Dexter Clubhouse, 411 Cedars Ln, Dexte r. noon–2 pm
Call with MI Resistance
Pass the Supplemental Budget!
Last Thursday, the Michigan House reached an agreement on the $975 million left on the table after Governor Whitmer was forced to line-item veto the GOP last-minute budget.
  But Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R) has rejected the deal, saying he doesn’t trust the Governor. He wants her to give up the Administrative Board's power to move money within departments. This is a blatant attempt to strip power from the Governor's office.
Things to do
Make an important contribution to our democracy by working in a polling place on Election Day
Almost every city/township needs more qualified election inspectors, but some places have particular needs, e.g. in 2020, Detroit will open 6 satellite clerk's offices, in addition to the main clerk's office, where people can register and vote early via absentee ballot. They plan to have these offices open for at least 30 days before Election Day, including some weekend hours, and will be hiring temporary staff before each election (including the March 2020 presidential primary) to staff all of these offices. These won't be poll workers — they'll be temporary clerk staff who will be asked to commit to a month or more. For more information, contact Deb Olson at dgolson@c2be.org .
Tell them we need a pathway to legal status for immigrant farm workers
This legislation is a fix for the Farm Workforce Modernization Act ( Read H.R. 4916 here . ) It would help “undocumented immigrants who have already been working in the farm and agriculture industry- for at least two years and plan to continue in this sector.” MoCs, particularly in agricultural areas, will be receptive to the need for, and the value of, these workers. Read more here. - McClatchyDC.com
Help reduce voter suppression
21 million eligible voters in the US do not have photo ID
Help more new voters get one before the 2020 primaries. The Project ID initiative helps citizens obtain the IDs they need in order to vote.
Don’t let language be a barrier to voting
Tell your state-level voting official to provide support ( look them up here ).
Script: The Voting Rights Act requires that jurisdictions with significant communities of people whose   first language is not English be provided ballot information, instructions, and voting support in their language. Even if communities in [your STATE] are below the required threshold of 5% or 10,000 voters, I urge you to proactively welcome all voters to the polls with familiar-language ballots and instructions. Thank you.
Tell them you want federal Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) legislation
Ranked choice voting promotes positive, inclusive and fair elections. It’s already being used in 11 U.S. cities and Maine. ( See 2 min video on what it is ) These benefits are not merely theoretical. To see how they have improved democracy in recent U.S. elections, see:
New York City just voted on RCV and it won easily.
Ask for RCV in our area using these guidelines:
Call: Your one House rep ( look up ).
Script: Hi, I’m a constituent from [ZIP], and I believe congressional elections would be fairer if they used ranked-choice voting. The Ranked Choice Voting Act would encourage civil campaigning and increase voters’ trust in elections . Can I count on [NAME] to cosponsor H.R. 4464 ? Thank you.
Bonus: Contact your two senators ( look up ) to ask them to introduce companion legislation to H.R. 4464 in the Senate.Thanks to FairVote.org
Things to read, watch, or listen to
Republicans funded an effort to jam phone lines of House Democrats
The New York Times   reported that the Republican National Committee (RNC) funded an effort to make “about 11,000 calls to almost three dozen House Democrats to influence public opinion on the impeachment inquiry and clog the representatives’ phone lines.” If you haven’t been able to reach your MOC at their Washington office to tell them to support the impeachment because the phones are busy, you can email, tweet or call their local office. Be sure to tell them your zip code and that you are a voting member of their district.
Vindman out for speaking out
After testifying on the Hill, reportedly having told investigators that the White House transcript of Trump’s phone call with the Ukraine president contains multiple omissions, Alexander Vindman, a decorated lieutenant and top Ukrainian expert on the National Security Council will be removed from his job This despite the fact that multiple observers have called Vindman the consummate patriot. According to David Leonhardt of the New York Times, Vindman had the courage to put the country’s interests before his own” at “obvious risks to his career.
Billionaire Dan Gilbert got tax breaks meant for disadvantaged areas of Detroit
How did real estate mogul Gilbert receive tax breaks meant for Detroit’s poorer neighborhoods? The billionaire founder of Quicken Loans, Dan Gilbert, lobbied for and won special tax status for wealthy areas of downtown Detroit where he owns property worth billions of dollars. The Gilbert opportunity zone is one of a handful around the country that were included, despite not meeting the eligibility criteria, according to an analysis by ProPublica. He has asked for public money to improve his part of Detroit while leaving the rest ignored. Read more here. - Bridge
Declining state funding for Michigan’s Universities
Writing in Michigan’s Bridge Magazine, Phil Powers telegraphs his concern about the declining enrollment in Michigan’s universities (with the exceptions of the University of Michigan and Michigan State) as well Michigan state legislators failure to provide adequate support for their institutions of higher learning. This year, they approved an increase in annual funding for universities of only .9%, which, given inflation, amounts to a budget cut of .5%. Thus, our universities face both declining enrollment, and hence tuition money, and state money. (Michigan is 44th in the nation in its per resident support for higher education.) How will our state compete in the next century with its high tech demands, when only 44 % of the workforce will have post high school education? – Bridge Magazine
Good News
Proposal 3 resulted in increased voter registration prior to November 2019 election
According to the  Secretary of State’s office , the change in Michigan election law which allows citizens to register to vote up to and including Election Day, resulted in 2,000 voters registering in the 14 days prior to the election. In the two previous elections, there were approximately 600–700 people who registered during that same time period. Half of those were 30 years old or younger, and one-third of those who registered on Election Day were between 18 and 21!
Absentee Voters can have their badge too
Now, absentee voters can also have a badge by going to the A2Votes page of the city web site. And on election day, all voters can stop off at Larcom City Hall or at their precinct for an “I voted” selfie. While they are there they can view banners and posters touting voting.
With Michigan’s expanded preschool funding, learning scores have improved
In 2013, Michigan embarked on the largest expansion of taxpayer-funded preschool in the nation, with the goal of improving academic achievement among low- and moderate-income students. According to a  report by Bridge magazine , the 4-year old students in “every racial group and among students with disabilities” who attended the Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) had higher scores than those who didn’t participate. The report also notes that “the biggest downside, for now, is that about one-third of students eligible for the program remain unenrolled in either the state-funded preschool or federally-funded Head Start.” Michigan’s preschool program now is ranked as one of the best in the nation, according to an   annual report by Rutgers University , but availability throughout the state is still highly variable. The Republican-led Legislature and Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer increased GSRP funding by $5 million in the current budget.
Why should I WAVE?
Relational Organizing - A Proven Method
Working for any kind of campaign is a way for anybody to directly help create governmental change. Volunteers have integral roles in the outcome of the election by registering and mobilizing new voters. A June 2012 Gallup survey found that just 12 percent of Americans had volunteered for a political campaign, donated to a campaign or attended a political rally. By contrast, nearly 60 percent of all Americans eligible to vote turned out in 2012. Imagine what that 60 percent number could be if we all vowed to get more politically involved?

If you or another organization you are affiliated with would like to learn more about the WAVE initative, give us a WAVE at ContactWAVEMichigan@gmail.com or check out Wave-Michigan.com . Also, now you can find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/WAVEMichigan !
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About PEG and WAVE
WAVE  (We All Vote Every time)  is its own entity. However, to alleviate redundancies, information is distributed via the Protectors of Equality (PEG) Newsletter. The PEG Newsletter typically goes out each Thursday, with a repeat send on Sunday to recipients that have not opened it Thursday. PEG is a non-partisan volunteer organization whose mission is to assure that our government will treat all Americans with equality and acceptance. PEG's work is primarily done by recruiting, educating and nurturing supporters for worthy organizations, actions and events that reflect our beliefs.

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Thanks to Newsletter contributors: Bernie Banet, Leslie McGraw, Richard Gaeth, Ellen Halter, Lisa Kamil, Bette Cotzin, Susie Ayer, Mieko Preston, Sonya Lewis, 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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