PEG 12th Congressional District
Newsletter #115, Thursday, June 20, 2019
136 weeks down, 72 weeks to go until Election Day!
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“
Children are the world's most valuable resource and its best hope for the future.
”
―
John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States
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Demand sunshine on ICE Detention Centers in Michigan
Business Insider
reports that last month Border Patrol apprehended 144,278 migrants at the southern border, including 11,507 unaccompanied children. Between October 2018 and April 30, 2019 more than 40,000 unaccompanied children have been taken into custody. The Trump administration will open a US Army base which was used during WWII as a Japanese internment camp as an “emergency influx shelter for children.” According to the
National Immigrant Justice Center
, lives are at risk in the DHS detention centers. With links on their website,
5 Calls
urges us to call our state lawmakers to seek and publicly report information on facilities housed or planned in Michigan.
Conspiracy theorist loses defamation lawsuit to father of child killed at Sandy Hook
Lenny Pozner, whose 6-year old son was killed in the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012, won a defamation lawsuit against the two authors of a book who claimed the massacre never happened, the death certificate was fake and the entire incident was a hoax perpetrated by FEMA to promote gun control. According to the
AP
,
this is the “latest victory for victims' relatives who have been taking a more aggressive stance against conspiracy theorists.” According to the
NY Times
, Pozner also founded
the HONR Network
for “people dealing with attacks from hoax and hate sites,” and “to push corporations to remove false posts and report hateful content.”
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TODAY. Thursday, June 20. National Call-In Day
Demand that Congress pass bold legislation to reduce prescription drug prices.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett’s H.R. 1046 would help to fix this problem by allowing generic manufacturers to compete with name-brand drugs if drug companies refuse to negotiate a fair price for their medicines with Medicare. Get up to speed
using our resource
, help us spread the word on social
using these graphics
, and use our call in number (
1-855-980-2355
) to make some noise for H.R. 1046.
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Come join Sheriff Clayton at the 2nd Annual Washtenaw County Sheriff Office Community Open House. WCSO Service Center,
2201 Hogback Rd, Ann Arbor
. Noon–3 pm
Saturday, June 22. Coffee Hour with State Representative Donna Lasinski
Saturday, June 22. 12th District Day of Action
June 23, 2019. Senator Jeff Irwin, 53rd District – Coffee Hours
June 24: Dearborn Redistricting Town Hall with Voters Not Politicians
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Michigan Resistance Calling Parties
This week we will call to see that
Michigan Republicans don’t cheat us out of non-partisan redistricting.
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June 26-27. Debates, Parties, and Pizza
Wednesday June 26th
Jolly Pumpkin,
2319 Bishop Circle East
Dexter, MI
Thursday, June 27th
Pizza House
618 Church Street
Ann Arbor, MI
They'll be there at 8:30 pm; debates are scheduled for 9 pm.
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Workshops and clinics on how to apply for citizenship
If you are ready to apply for citizenship, or have questions about the application process, the Detroit New Americans Campaign has 5 great ways to get started, keep going, and get to the finish line!
Click here
to learn more. One of the ways is to attend these free events:
- Thursday, June 27, 2019 Free Citizenship Clinic. International Institute of Metropolitan Detroit, 111 E Kirby St, Detroit. (313) 600-7618 10 am–5 pm
- Thursday, July 4. Citizenship Clinic. International Institute of Metropolitan Detroit, 111 E Kirby St, Detroit. (313) 600-7618 10 am–5 pm
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June 27, 2019. Taylor Democratic Club Monthly Meeting
Saturday, June 29.
Women and LGBTQ Justice Conference
Women and LGBTQ rights are under attack. Members of over 15 women’s and LGBTQ rights organizations are offering the public an opportunity to get informed and learn how to fight back. This Conference features a panel discussion on the Threats and Opportunities for Women and LGBTQ Justice in 2019 that includes Michigan House Minority Leader, Rep. Christine Greig and representatives from Planned Parenthood of Michigan, the Michigan ACLU, SAGE, Stand with Trans, and the Detroit Police Department LGBT Liaison. Workshops will include women's and LGBTQ policy briefings, and how to be a strong ally for women and LGBTQ people. Register for this conference at: www.uujustice.org. $30 registration fee; scholarships available. Free child care. For more information, call Randy Block at (248) 224-5572. Birmingham Unitarian Church,
38651 Woodward Ave, Bloomfield Hills
. 10:30 am–4:15 pm
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Call Republicans in Lansing and tell them to keep funding Prop 2 Citizens Redistricting Commission
- Jim Stamas(R) Senate Appropriations Committee Chair - (517) 373-7946
- Ruth Johnson(R) Election Committee Chair - (517) 373-1636
- Mike Shirkey(R) - Senate Majority Leader - (517) 373-5932
- Lee Chatfield(R) - House Majority Leader - (517) 373-2629
- Shane Hernandez(R) - House Appropriations Committee Chair - (517) 373-0835
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White House blocks testimony calling climate change "potentially catastrophic" because it didn't "jibe" with Trump administration views
The move comes as prominent scientists, senior military officials and intelligence staffers have doubled down on their efforts to warn the White House of the potentially disastrous impacts of climate change on America's national security, a position that Trump has vehemently opposed.
Trump may not believe in climate change, but scientists do and their information needs to be made public so that proper steps can be taken to mitigate damage.
Let’s tell our MoCs that we are counting on them to make sure that the blocked testimony is made public and included in the Congressional Record.
Read more here.
-
Newsweek
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Things to listen to, read, and watch
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The Majority of Michiganders support a Progressive Income Tax
Three-quarters of Michiganders support a statewide, graduated income tax. According to
Advance
magazine
, t
hat’s the result of a poll from the progressive State Innovation Exchange (SIX). It determined that the majority of Michigan residents support a “graduated income tax where millionaires pay more and working people get a tax cut.” This is as opposed to the current flat income tax of 4.25%, which is low compared to other states, and makes Michigan one of only nine states lacking a graduated income tax. The same poll found that the predominant concern of Michiganders is health care, and that 58% of people in the state support repealing the corporate tax cuts signed by Republican former Gov. Rick Snyder.
Access the Mueller Report in multiple ways
Additional ways to have access to the Mueller report include:
- a free pdf version here: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5955118-The-Mueller-Report.html;
- a facsimile reproduction of redacted edition, including both Volume I and II, is available on Amazon for about $10 in both Kindle and hard copy;
- a graphic novel version: https://minsky.com/muellerreportgraphicnovel.htm;
- visiting your local bookstore -- Bookbound Bookstore in Ann Arbor carries it!
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SPECIAL: Consultation on Conscience Recap
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by PEG's own Sonya Lewis, PhD
Last month, a delegation from Ann Arbor’s Temple Beth Emeth (Rabbi Josh Whinston, Cantor Regina Hayut, Abbie Egherman, Carol Freedman-Doan, Ken Wachsberger, Trina Fuller, and Sonya Lewis) traveled to Washington, D.C. to participate in the
Religious Action Center
of Reform Judaism’s 2019
Consultation on Conscience
. This three-day conference attracted over 1,000 Jewish leaders from across the country, and addressed numerous social justice issues including immigration, criminal justice reform, gun violence, reproductive justice, and the rise of anti-Semitism and white supremacy.
Notable presenters included Rev. Al Sharpton who spoke of the need to work collaboratively to combat all forms of bigotry in America. Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, described her tireless work providing emergency humanitarian services for refugees and asylum seekers in McAllen, Texas. Activist Desmond Meade described his personal journey through the criminal justice system and his triumphant emergence as a champion for the restoration of voting rights for felons who have completed their sentences. Author Eric Ward discussed the rise of white supremacy, and its particular manifestations through racism and anti-Semitism. Elias Rosenfeld, a college student and DACA recipient, spoke about the daily fear he endures, not knowing if he will be able to continue his studies or if he will find himself deported to a country he has never known. Matt Deitsch, a survivor of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting in Parkland, FL, and co-founder of the youth-led March for Our Lives, spoke about the urgent need to address rampant gun violence in our nation. University of Florida student, Zoe Terner, a leader in the Reform Jewish Youth movement and gun violence prevention activist, spoke about effective advocacy and youth engagement.
Breakout sessions gave participants the opportunity to discuss a variety of topics in smaller groups. Some examples of discussion topics included:
- Anti-Semitism, White Supremacy and White Nationalism: Charting a Path Forward
- Called to Coalition: Working in Partnerships Across Faith, Class, and Race
- Immigration Justice in a Time of Moral Crisis
- Enough is Enough: The Reform Movement's Gun Violence Prevention Campaign
- Implicit Bias is Everyone's Problem: Training Ourselves to See and Hear Past Our Biases
The final day of the conference featured compelling addresses from prominent politicians. Most notably, United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi encouraged participants to actively engage in civic life and social justice advocacy. Invoking the words of Abraham Lincoln, Speaker Pelosi stated, “Public sentiment is everything. With it we can accomplish anything.” Other politicians addressing the group included Senator Chris Coons (DE), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA), Rep. Ted Deutch (FL), and Paul Teller, representing the Trump administration. Rep. Kim Schrier (WA), a pediatrician as well as the first female physician elected to the US Congress, gave riveting remarks about the importance of protecting reproductive freedom.
The conference concluded as participants headed to Capitol Hill to lobby members of Congress directly. The Ann Arbor delegation met with staff members from the offices of Rep. Debbie Dingell and Senator Debbie Stabenow, to lobby for the Dream Act (S. 874), the Secure Act (S. 879), and the Fair Chance Act (S. 387/HR 1076).
The Dream and Secure Acts, if passed, will create permanent protections and a pathway to citizenship for 2.5 million DREAMers, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders and Deferred Enforcement Departure (DED) status holders, shielding them from the ever-present threat of deportation.
Passage of the Fair Chance Act, also known as “ban the box” legislation, will support successful re-entry into the work-force for nearly 10 million individuals released from American jails and prisons each year who are expected to rebuild their lives following incarceration. This legislation prohibits employers from inquiring about applicants’ past criminal convictions until they have passed the initial phase of the application/hiring process.
Although not originally part of the scheduled events, by coincidence, the Consultation on Conscience took place on the same weekend as the national coordinated day of action to stop abortion bans, a day on which pro-choice rallies took place in multiple cities throughout the nation. Prior to meeting with legislators, RAC participants, including all members of the Ann Arbor delegation, had the opportunity to rally outside the United States Supreme Court in support of reproductive choice. This spontaneous opportunity to publicly defend reproductive justice was one of the highlights of a powerful three-day experience.
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SCOTUS just killed off the Virginia GOP’s racial gerrymander
This week the Supreme Court ruled that the Virginia House lacked standing to appeal the lower court’s ruling against its gerrymandered districts. Virginia Democrats now seem poised to seize the legislature in November—and control the next round of redistricting which will affect elections for years to come. Read more
here
.
-Slate
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PEG is a non-partisan volunteer organization whose mission is to assure that our government will treat all Americans with equality and acceptance. We do our work by recruiting, educating and nurturing supporters for worthy organizations, actions and events that reflect our beliefs.
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Thanks to Newsletter contributors:
Leslie McGraw, Richard Gaeth, Bernie Banet, Susan Ayer, Leslie Kamil, Lisa Kamil, Ellen Halter, Sonya Lewis, Bette Cotzin, 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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