miactionlist, 7/11/2017

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.

First Steps

Look up your state representative and state senator and put them in your phone book for all future calling. Also look up their mailing addresses and email addresses and have them on hand for easy reference.

Tips for Making Contact

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!

And don’t just call, email! We learned from a former state representative how effective emails can be. This is because, when a representative or senator is getting summaries of constituent contact from their aides, the text of emails is more tangible and specific than simply knowing how many people called about a particular bill. Even better is to do both---call and email. Use the phone call to follow up on the email you sent. And when an issue is not time sensitive, a letter or postcard can be a very personalized way of sharing your opinion.

This Week’s Actions

~When calling your representative and senator, also ask them about upcoming coffee hours!~

(1) Michigan’s civil rights law should include protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.

Michigan’s civil rights law—collectively referred to as the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, Public Act 453 of 1976, or ELCRA for short—currently does not prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.  In an effort to amend ELCRA to prohibit discrimination against members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community, bills were introduced into the Michigan Legislature in 2012 (Senate Bill 1063) and again in 2014 (SB 1053 and House Bill 5804 and HB 5959) and 2015 (SB 315 and HB 4538). However, each bill died in committee at the end of the bill’s legislative session. Therefore, at the state level (as well as at the federal level), it is perfectly legal to refuse employment or housing to someone based on that person’s actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.

As of now, 34 cities in Michigan have enacted local ordinances---commonly referred to as non-discrimination ordinances or NDOs---to protect these civil liberties. However, these 34 cities make up only around 21% of Michigan’s population and the level of enforcement of the NDOs may vary by jurisdiction. Recently, Senate Bill 424 and House Bill 4689 have been introduced into the Michigan Legislature in order to expand ELCRA to include sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. By enacting these bills, Michigan would join the 20 U.S. states that, as of 7/7/2017, already have similar comprehensive statewide anti-discrimination laws in place.

Talking Points:

• Discrimination Does Exist: According to a 2015 report by the Williams Institute, survey research shows the existence of widespread and continuing discrimination against members of the LGBTQ community.
• Public Opinion is Trending: According to a 2013 report by the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, a consistent and consistently growing majority of the American public supports workplace protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity/expression.
• The Other Side of the Argument: Arguments against non-discrimination clauses focus on how small businesses and landlords will become “victims” of false claims. However, we strongly believe that the only people who would be negatively affected by the proposed amendments to ELCRA are the people who purposefully intend to discriminate. Civil rights laws have helped make important change in this country and we should not stop short of full protections in our state.

Take Action:

Make sexual orientation and gender identity/expression discrimination illegal in Michigan by helping these important bills get out of the committee phase and onto the floor.

• Let the Senate Committee on Government Operations know that you support Bill 424. If your state senator is on the committee, call and email them directly. Otherwise, focus on contacting the Chair and the Minority Vice-Chair. (See committee information below.) Request that each bill be put on the agenda or scheduled for a hearing. Make sure to thank the committee members if they tell you they will vote in favor of these bills!
• Let the House Judiciary Committee know that you support Bill 4689. If your state representative is on the committee, call and email them directly. Otherwise, focus on contacting the Chair and the Minority Vice-Chair. (See committee information below.) Request that each bill be put on the agenda or scheduled for a hearing. Make sure to thank the committee members if they tell you they will vote in favor of these bills!

Senate Committee on Government Operations:

House Judiciary Committee:

If you have time, thank the Bills’ sponsors!

House Bill 4689

Jon Hoadley - (primary), Jeremy Moss, Tim Sneller, Winnie Brinks, David LaGrand, Pam Faris, Tom Cochran, Frank Liberati, Patrick Green, Henry Yanez, Andy Schor, Christine Greig, Jewell Jones, Erika Geiss, Stephanie Chang, Yousef Rabhi, Kristy Pagan, Ronnie Peterson, Jim Ellison, Brian Elder, Wendell Byrd, Cara Clemente, Darrin Camilleri, Sherry Gay-Dagnogo, Abdullah Hammoud, Kevin Hertel, John Chirkun, William Sowerby, Fred Durhal, Terry Sabo, Robert Wittenberg, Phil Phelps, Vanessa Guerra, Samir Singh, Donna Lasinski, Rose Mary Robinson, Scott Dianda, Tim Greimel, LaTanya Garrett, Sheldon Neeley, Adam Zemke

Senate Bill 424

Rebekah Warren - (primary), Steven Bieda, Curtis Hertel, Hoon-Yung Hopgood, Jim Ananich, David Knezek

Press on the subject:

• http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2017/05/30/two-legislators-fight-uphill-battle-for-lgbt-protections-in-michigan
• http://michiganradio.org/post/trump-era-michigan-advocates-say-protecting-lgbt-rights-has-be-state-issue

(2) Citizens United is a threat to democracy that should be fought, not supported, in our state

Senate Bills 335 and 336 have passed committee and now go to the full senate for a vote.

Among other things, these bills would:

• Allow Michigan candidates to solicit unlimited contributions from Super PACs that support the candidates and are supposed to be independent.
• Not only attempt to codify Citizens United but also expand on it.
• Provide a way for candidates to circumvent campaign contribution limits.
• Allow even more influence of big money on our elections at a time when most voters are calling for a reversal of Citizens United and more restrictions on campaign finance laws.  

Take Action:

Call and email your state senator and ask them to oppose Bills 335 and 336.  

Press On the subject:

http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/05/michigan_candidates_could_soli.html

http://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2017/05/04/michigan-campaign-finance/101282142/

(3) Healthcare is a human right

In response to changes at the national level regarding healthcare, it’s important that we protect important healthcare rights in our state. The “Michigan Health Care Bill of Rights” is a resolution that would:

• Protect People with Pre-existing Conditions. The legislation would prevent people with pre-existing conditions from losing their protections. Current plans proposed at the federal level have proposed getting rid of or reducing essential health benefits, which includes pre-existing conditions like cancer or asthma.
• Stop the ‘Age Tax.’ The legislation would protect seniors and older people who aren’t eligible for Medicare by banning insurance companies from jacking up their rates. Under the proposed federal plans, seniors would be forced to pay five times more than what other people pay.
• Prevent Massive Rate Hikes on People. The legislation would stop insurance companies from being able to jack up rates on people who get sick and need treatment or add coverage caps, which leave people with massive out-of-pocket costs.
• Protect Essential Health Benefits. Under this legislation, insurance companies wouldn’t be able to deny Michiganders coverage for: Maternity and newborn care; prescription drugs; substance use disorder services; preventive care; pediatric services; hospitalization; and emergency services.
• Prevent Annual or Lifetime Health Care Coverage Caps. Insurance companies would not be allowed to go back to the days where they could impose coverage caps on health coverage, forcing many people, even those with employer-based health insurance, into bankruptcy in order to get treatments they need.

Take Action:

Sign a petition in support of the Health Care Bill of Rights by visiting www.protectmihealthcare.com.

Call and email both your representative and senator and ask them to co-sponsor this legislation (which will soon be formally introduced).

Press on the subject:

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2017/05/22/michigan-dems-propose-healthcare-bill-of-rights-to-protect-people-from-gop-plan/

http://wgvunews.org/post/michigan-democrats-draft-health-care-bill-rights-oppose-gop-bill

Suggested Reading

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 1, we suggest reading GLAAD Media Reference Guide Glossary of Terms (pp. 5-16). While this is aimed as a usage guide for the press, it defines quite a few terms about sexual orientation and gender identity that are becoming more and more common in the press and everyday language. Educate yourself!

In addition, we recommend reading this Huffington Post article to gain perspective on equality.

Other Actions

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.

Project Candidate MI7D is holding event of interest this Saturday, July 15, 2-5pm at St John's United Church of Christ, 801 South Mechanic Street, Jackson, MI 49203. While the event is located in Michigan’s 7th congressional district, the event is open to anyone in any district.

If you have ever considered running for office or working on a campaign, this event is for you.  Hear from local elected officials, local groups, and former campaign workers on what you need to get started. This district needs your voice and your talents. The goal is that no seat in the district run unopposed. No experience necessary. They will have a very special keynote speaker. 

Tickets are free but you are asked to pre-register here:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/7th-district-project-candidate-tickets-34782271711