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.
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.
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 this past week 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.
~When calling your representative and senator, also ask them about upcoming coffee hours!~
As we highlighted in our May 2 (action 2) and May 16 (action 1) Newsletters, both the Michigan house and senate have passed appropriation bills for the Department of Health and Human services that start the process of integrating the Medicaid behavioral and physical health benefits and services by the year 2020. This would privatize the public, locally-focused community mental health (CMH) agencies which currently provide behavioral benefits and services. It’s important to understand why the proposed integration of benefits and services is a problem. In short, Medicaid Health Plans are not equipped to provide the person-centered care needed for behavioral and mental health-care and this proposed integration will significantly hurt our most vulnerable residents--persons with serious and persistent mental illness, developmental disabilities, and addictive disorders who have Medicaid, or are uninsured, or have little or no income.
Take Action:
Talk to the Governor: Probably the most effective way to stop this piece of budget legislative is at the executive level. These pieces of the House and Senate budgets are in direct contradiction with Governor Snyder’s originally proposed budget.
Call and email the governor and let him know you oppose the integration of physical and behavioral benefits and services in the DHHS budget.
If you reach voicemail, make sure to leave your name and phone number and request a call back.
In contacting the governor you may want to emphasize the following:
Talk to Conference Committee members:
These members are the last six legislators who can amend any pieces of the budget. Call one, or all six! They have their final meeting and vote Tuesday, June 20 (probably around noon) so call/email FIRST THING Tuesday, 6/20 and let them know you oppose the integration of physical and behavioral benefits and services in the DHHS budget in the omnibus bill.
We found, when talking to some of the staffers over the phone, that they may try to talk you out of your point of view. Stand strong that you think integration of these services is a bad idea:
Talk to your Representative and Senator:
Your representative and senator will likely vote on the Omnibus Bill (the WHOLE budget package, other than schools) on Tuesday or Wednesday (6/20 or 6/21). They can’t propose any amendments at this point, but they can vote on the entire budget. Call your state representative and senator and ask them to vote NO on the omnibus bill if it includes the objective to integration behavioral and physical health by 2020.
Democratic legislators are already likely voting NO on the bill. For Republican legislators, emphasize:
Other Voices:
From NAMI-Lansing (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
MLPP (Michigan League for Public Policy): Now is the time for investing, not cutting taxes
We’ve fought against Senate Bill 163 in several of our newsletters at different points in its development (April 11, April 25, May 23, May 30, June 6). 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:
Although this bill was passed almost two weeks ago, it has yet to be sent to Governor Snyder’s desk Edit: It was sent to his desk the day this letter was written, June 19 at 2:15pm. Governor Snyder has not announced whether or not he will sign this bill once it arrives. Now is the time to call and email Governor Snyder and ask him to VETO Senate Bill 163.
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 when the governor plans to act on this bill once it’s put in front of him, (2) express more details about your opposition to the bill.
See longer discussion of this bill in one of our early newsletters. If you want to focus on one or two points, emphasize:
Recent Press:
On Thursday, June 15, both the house and senate passed versions of bills (SB 401 / HB 4647) that alter the retirement system for new teacher hires in the public schools. While the bills have been revised several times in the last few weeks, several worrying pieces of the bills remain, according to democratic state senator Hoon-Yung Hopgood (District 6):
Take Action
Both houses have to officially pass each others’ bills, but this will be a perfunctory vote. The legislation will then arrive on Snyder’s desk for approval, probably sometime this week. As Snyder was a part of the team that created the current versions of these bills, he will almost certainly sign them. But it is nonetheless important for us to voice our objections. Call and email the governor and let him know you oppose Senate Bill 401 and House Bill 4647.
If you reach voicemail, make sure to leave your name and phone number and request a call back.
If you want to focus on one or two points, emphasize:
Press on the subject (all from Thursday, June 15):
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. This week’s action is only happening in Ann Arbor, and it’s federally focused, but we think it is important and worth sharing. We hope some of you can attend!
On June 21, Planned Parenthood patients and supporters will “Pink the Night Out” all across the country. They are calling on the Senate to protect access to health care by rejecting the AHCA. Planned Parenthood supporters nationwide will rally at sunset to light the night sky with PINK and send one message to the Senate: “Do not take away my health care.”
If this bill passes, people will be unable to come to Planned Parenthood for care; millions will lose their insurance; and the price of insurance coverage will skyrocket to being unaffordable for too many.
Date: Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Time: 7:30pm-8:30pm
Location: Kuenzel Room, Michigan Union, 530 S State St, Ann Arbor
Registration link: http://plannedparenthoodevents.ngpvanhost.com/ngpvanforms/25023
If you are on the west side of the state, there is also an event in Merriville, Indiana.
Date: Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Time: 8:00pm-9:30pm CT (9:00pm-10:30pm ET)
Location: Merrillville Health Center, 8645 Connecticut St, Merrillville IN
Registration link: http://plannedparenthoodevents.ngpvanhost.com/ngpvanforms/25848