Politics don’t just happen in Washington, DC! The purpose of this weekly newsletter is to promote progressive policies in the State of Michigan by contacting our state representatives and state senators directly.
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We put a lot of time into carefully researching these actions. But we can make mistakes. Send any corrections to miactionlist@gmail.com
Look up your state representative and state senator and put them in your phone book for all future calling.
We recognize that calling your representatives and senators can be intimidating. For the pieces of legislation we highlight each week, our goal is to provide you with some basic data, analysis, and talking points for you to steer the conversation, but we encourage you to personalize your message in ways that make sense to you. When applicable, it’s particularly powerful to share your personal experiences and expertise related to given legislation.
If you reach voicemail, we encourage you to leave a message; you should receive a call back. Make sure to include your city or town so that the office knows you are a constituent.
The more you call, the easier it gets!
~When calling your representative and senator, also ask them about upcoming coffee hours!~
Thank you to Indivisible Dexter for language for and research on this action.
We featured this action in our May 2 newsletter. Unfortunately, it’s cleared committee and will likely be up for a vote THIS WEEK.
The right to own guns comes with great responsibility and an awareness of the inherent dangers of possessing something that can cause such devastation. Currently, residents in Michigan must obtain a license to carry a concealed handgun, which entails a certain level of training and instruction on the laws. As a gun instructor with 40 years of training at Gunsite Academy said, “There are no gun accidents, only gun negligence.” If House Bill 4416 passes, then any citizen will be able to carry a concealed handgun without any gun safety training or study of the laws. This will inevitably open up more opportunities for those guns to be unsecured in more places and end up in the wrong hands.
Talking Points
Take Action
Let your representative know that you oppose House Bill 4416.
Press on the subject:
Gun-activism sites that question sensibility of constitutional carry and concealed carry without a permit/training:
We’ve fought against Senate Bill 163 in several of our newsletters so far. This bill has passed the Michigan house and senate and, if signed by the governor, would allow the secretary of state to issue “a fundraising plate recognizing the Choose Life Michigan Fund.” In particular, the funds from this plate could go towards any organization that promotes alternatives to abortion, even if they don’t provide health care. Further, legislators have made it clear that, although organizations like Planned Parenthood provide essential services to pregnant women, they would not be eligible for any of the funds.
Take Action:
Governor Snyder has not announced whether or not he will sign this bill. Now is the time to contact his office and let them know you oppose Senate Bill 163
Snyder’s office: 517-373-3400
If you reach voicemail, make sure to leave your name and phone number. Instead of giving all the reasons you’re opposed in the voicemail, simply express your opposition and then request a call back so that you can (1) find out what the governor plans to do when the bill hits his desk, (2) express more details about your opposition to the bill.
Talking Points:
The President’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement last week hit a nerve with many of us. As has been publicized widely, over 70% of Americans support the Paris Climate Agreement. You might have felt anger, dismay, nausea, sadness, disbelief, shock, horror, or any number of other emotions.
The only positive thing to come out of his decision was the rallying cry by a growing number of states and cities that (1) climate change is real, and (2) we have a responsibility to curtail it. This is good news because local and state policies and legislation can and do affect carbon emissions.
States are joining the United States Climate Alliance, to stand officially with the Paris Climate Agreement. Michigan actively supports clean energy research, but it has no vehicle emissions testing, and its Carbon Rule was suspended in February 2016 pending legal analysis. In short, there is more our state could be doing to curtail climate change.
Cities, too, can stand with the Paris Climate Agreement, by
Take Action:
Press on the subject:
We understand how hard it can be to make phone calls to your state legislators. Besides the myriad of everyday obligations competing for our time and attention, many of us are spread thin across other projects of resistance. If you have advice on how to find the time and headspace to make weekly phone calls, please share your wisdom with us so we can pass it forward. Email us at miactionlist@gmail.com with your tips and tricks. We will share them in upcoming newsletters.
Each week we share some recent media we’ve found worthwhile. We’ll keep it short! We know many of you already have long reading lists.
To go along with action (3), the suggested reading this week is the actual text of the Paris Agreement (English version on pp. 27-51 of the .pdf). Many of us are passionate about the importance of this agreement, but few of us have read it; educate yourself!
While the focus of this newsletter is “armchair activism” we’ll also share a featured in-person action each week for those interested and able.
As much as possible, we’ll try to share in-person actions that are happening in an array of localities, but we can’t avoid the fact that our state legislation is in Lansing and some actions will only take place there. There are two actions in Lansing this week we want to draw your attention to.