MAY 5TH PRIMARY COULD OPEN DOOR TO STRONGER, SAFER PARTICIPATION IN ELECTIONS
Michigan’s May 5th primary election, without having any candidates on the ballot, is making history!Presidential candidates Joe Biden (D) and Donald Trump (R) have already been chosen by their parties. What makes this primary election unique is that is being held in the middle of a COVID-19 pandemic. The Secretary of State (SOS) Jocelyn Benson wants to prevent voters and poll workers for catching this terrible disease. Local governments were given the option of postponing their election or holding it with a proactive approach to encourage citizens to vote absentee. After being given this option to postpone, 34 of 55 counties are moving ahead with elections for mostly school millages or local bond issues which they believe can’t wait until the fall. Click HERE to see which Michigan counties are holding primary elections and see what issues are on their ballots.
The historic change in this election is that the SOS is mailing absentee voter applications to each registered voter in the jurisdiction holding a May 5th primary. The State is providing postage paid return envelopes so people can vote from home. In an April 24th press release, the Secretary of State urged voters to cast their absentee ballots by mail as soon as possible. Approximately 740,000 voters were mailed applications for absentee ballots; 213,000 submitted their applications and already 66,355 people have mailed their ballots. Local clerks still must keep at least one polling place open for people who want to vote in person. Clerks’ offices must be available for same day registrations or ballot drop-offs.
Scott Reilly, a UU voter registration activist from Southfield, said that this experiment in absentee voting will provide a precedent for how things may go in the big 2020 election this fall. A strong turnout now can set the stage for a better voter turnout in the fall. Also, this election will test how local officials can hold live elections that may involve social distancing and using proper health precautions.
CALL TO ACTION #1: People in the 34 counties where the May 5th elections are being held (click HERE) should encourage their friends and neighbors to request a ballot and vote absentee. If the COVID-19 returns — or hasn’t fully left us in the fall — absentee voting likely will be very smart way to vote.
CALL TO ACTION #2: If you know someone who has not registered to vote (maybe a young person or a newcomer to Michigan) or if someone who has changed their address, tell them they can take care of these things on the SOS website. Click HEREto register to vote or to update their voter registration.
MUUSJN will soon be launching a statewide Get Out the Vote campaign. People from 17 UU congregations have expressed an interest in promoting the vote. We’ll be providing actions people can take from their own homes. For more information about volunteering to Get Out To Vote, contact Randy Block at 248-224-5572 (cell).
Tell Governor Whitmer:
During our current COVID-19 crisis people in Michigan prisons are at high risk of dying from the COVID-19 virus. As of April 16th, 472 people in Michigan prisons have tested positive for the deadly respiratory disease. Ten inmates and two staff have already died. The Macomb Correctional facility, where Temujin Kensu is held, has 42 known COVID cases! There are two prisoners known to be infected with the COVID- 19 virus one cell away from Mr. Kensu.Dave Sanders, a Board member of the Innocence Project, has said that “it would be an incredible and unforgiveable tragedy for Temujin to succumb to COVID-19 when he was wholly innocent and nearing freedom after 34 years”.
Temujin, who turned 56 years old in December of 2019, has been plagued with chronic health problems many of which were caused or exacerbated by life in prison. Temujin’s won a $320,000 lawsuit against the Michigan Department of Corrections concerning his medical care or the lack of it. To learn what it’s like inside a Michigan prison, click HEREto read Temujin’s graphic description. His cell, reportedly, is next to two other men who are infected with COVID-19.
There are a whole group of people who have been appealing for Temujin Kensu’s freedom for many years. I am one of them. Another more well known advocate for Temujin’s release is Nolan Finley, editor of the Detroit News. Click HERE to read Finley’s views about why Governor Whitmer should release from prison innocent people like Temujin. If you’d like more information about the life and trying times of Temujin Kensu, click HERE listen to weekly podcasts being provided by the Innocence Project.
The U.S. is in the midst of a health and an economic crisis that resulted in passage of a $2.3 trillion economic stimulus bill called the CARES Act. This act is meant to benefit both consumers and businesses. Direct economic relief to consumers, through tax rebates, should not create a hardship forthe most poor and people with disabilities, due to a glitch in the way the program is administered.
People on SSI (a program for very low income persons) and people on VA disability assistance receive federal funding just like people on Social Security. They too should be able to benefit from direct depositelectronic benefit payments. For some people, this will require them to open a bank account. However, our national response to the COViD-19 crisis will be more humane and efficient if we extend direct deposits to the most vulnerable in our society. These are the people who most need the money and who are most likely to spend it — keeping keep our economy going.
This Friday, March 27th, the House passed and the President signed the $2.3 trillion CARE (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act), the largest financial relief bill in history. The purpose of this major economic package, which got high levels of support from both Democrats and Republicans, was meant to protect families, businesses, hospitals and states in the middle of an unprecedented coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. On March 18th, the $104 billion “Families First Coronavirus Response Act” was adopted by Congress. In the last few weeks, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared an emergency and issued several executive orders, including restoring water shutoffs; closing Michigan schools, restaurants and non-essential services. We’ve been called to stay at home and maintain a social distance from others to help control the spread of this deadly virus. Through a social justice lens, this email attempts to provide an outline of what’s in this massive bill and start to think about other policies that are needed to sustain our communities. (See pie chart at bottom of this email to see how the dollars are being allocated.)
A group of about 500 progressive organizations, including the Center for Popular Democracy, Indivisible, MoveOn, SEIU, Sierra Club and the Sunrise Movement, agreed on five “Principles for Just COVID-19 Relief and Stimulus” to contribute to a just recovery. These principles are:
For more information on these principles and organizations that signed on to them, click HERE.
Deborah Weinstein, Executive Director of the Coalition on Human Needs, wrote:
“The situation we are in is very grave…Congress has taken important steps, but this is only the beginning, sadly. We are all in this together– maybe socially distant, but morally and economically connected. If we cast aside any of us — whether incapacitated, homeless, immigrant, poor — it will hurt us all. Congress may have disbursed, like all of us, but we still must work together to get out of this”.
Some of the estimates for the actual cost for this massive bill are still being calculated. However, the above Roll Call article indicates that both Republican and Democratic lawmakers say that more legislative responses to the Covid-19 virus will be necessary. This means that advocates for health care workers, the unemployed, the poor, persons with disabilities, women, LGBTQ persons, immigrants and the homeless will have much more work ahead of us
This weekend, Congress is negotiating a major economic package that both Democrats and Republicans agree is needed to avoid a recession and great suffering of the American people. Unfortunately, our nation’s leaders have been slow to halt the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic which is now having a major impact on businesses, our health systems, our schools and the health and economic well being of people of his country. This email will providesan update on two pieces of legislation put together quickly to respond this crisis:
THANK YOU to people who responded to MUUSJN’s first email and urged their Senators to adopt the “Families First Coronavirus Response Act” (HR 6201) without including #45’s six month payroll “tax cut” that would have undermined funding for our Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds. This Act is a first step toward supporting U.S. families by providing most workers with paid two weeks of paid sick leave for workers in companies with less than 500 workers; free testing for coronavirus; expanded unemployment benefits; expanded funding for Medicaid; and expanded food assistance. Click HERE for a summary of this Act.
Reportedly half of the $1 trillion+ CARE bill would provide financial relief for large (e.g.,airline industry and cruise ships) and small businesses being harmed by the coronavirus crisis. The other half was to put money in people’s pockets so they can take care of basic needs and stimulate the economy. An important part of those consumer benefits include cash payments from $600 – $1,200. The lowest amount of this payment is for people who are too poor to pay taxes.
Click HERE for principles drawn from the Coalition for Human Needs and other sources:
Most of you have heard this many times already, but older persons with underlying health conditions are more vulnerable to becoming infected with the coronavirus and passing it on to others. For more information from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention on ways to avoid becoming a victim of coronavirus, click HERE.
(World Water Lobbying Day in Lansing was cancelled due to the Coronavirus threat. But the Fight Goes On!)
Everyone in Michigan must have access to safe, affordable drinking water service and sanitation to combat the spread of diseases including COVID 19, coronavirus.
On February 28th, members of the People’s Water Board (including MUUSJN) signed a petition/letter to Governor Gretchen Whitmer urging her to call for a moratorium of water shutoffs, to restore water service to all residents where water has been turned off and to implement an income based water affordability plan as a longer term solution to stopping the spread of water related diseases which spread when households are deprived of water. Various sources indicate there are 9,500 households without water in Detroit. Low income people in other Michigan communities also have no water due to inability to pay their water bills.
On March 9th, Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued one of several declarations in the middle of the coronavirus crisis that called for turning the water back on in the City of Detroit. WE THANK GOVERNOR WHITMER FOR THIS PRACTICAL, HUMANE RESPONSE. On March 11th the City invited people to call 313-386-9727 to request that their water be turned back on.
The Peoples’ Water Board recently sent a LETTER to the Governor that makes several recommendations for addressing the Detroit water/coronavirus crisis:
Water justice is one the priorities of the Michigan Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Network. This statewide interfaith social justice network also works for women’s and LGBTQ rights, racial justice, immigration and environmental justice, gun violence prevention and election reform.
It’s almost impossible to mistake that our country is in the middle of a national crisis. All states, except West Virginia, have cases of the coronavirus. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared that all Michigan K-12 schools will be closed starting on March 16th. She also ordered limits on who can visit our state’s care and juvenile justice facilities and public meetings. Thousands of events have been cancelled or postponed to prevent the spread of this deadly disease. We are being urged to frequently wash our hands and get tested if we have coronavirus symptoms (see end of this action alert). Schools, religious places of worship and public facilities are being closed. Workers have been told to stay home if they are sick or may be required to care for their children if their kids can’t go to school. Wall Street experienced massive sell offs as stocks plummeted with the disease’s impact on major businesses.
During the first week of March, Congress almost unanimously passed an $8.3 billion supplemental appropriation package to: support vaccine research; assist state and local governments in disease prevention and public health efforts; support small businesses affected by the pandemic; etc. On Friday, President Donald Trump declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency, freeing up money and resources to fight the outbreak.
Early Saturday morning, on a bi-partisan basis, the U.S. House adopted a coronavirus relief package called “The Families First Coronavirus Response Act” that dedicates billions to assist impacted families. The Act will provide more paid sick leave, unemployment insurance, free testing, expanded Medicaid for states; and more money for Food Stamps. Click HERE for more information.
The good news is that Pres. Trump’s “solution”, a payroll “tax break”, was NOT included in this relief package that was vigorously negotiated by Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. No matter how seductive it might seem for workers to keep more money in their paycheck, this proposal would undercut the future of Social Security and Medicare by diverting premiums workers and employers pay into these systems.
Although #45 supports the House coronavirus Response Act bill, he’s been pressuring Congress to institute a nine month payroll “tax holiday”. He’s said that withholding these payments (into Social Security and Medicare) would be essential to any recovery package. He’s written, “Only that will make a big difference”. For more information, click HERE.
Senator Mitch McConnell cancelled a planned recess so Senators can act on this issue. A vote on the Families First Coronas Response Act may come as soon as 3 p.m. Monday, March 16th.
Most of you have heard this many times already, but older persons with underlying health conditions are more vulnerable to becoming infected with the coronavirus and passing it on to others. For more information from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention on ways to avoid becoming a victim of coronavirus, click HERE.
During Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s January 29th State of the State message she supported several important “Healthy Mom’s, Healthy Babies” initiatives that could increase the survival rates of Michigan women and their babies. Michigan’s death rates of mothers and their infants are unacceptable. The death rates for infants and their mothers is about three times greater for African American and Native Americans. The good news is that Michigan has a plan to reduce these death rates.
The Interfaith Reproductive Justice Coalition, a group organized by MUUSJN that includes over 16 women’s and LGBTQ organizations, urges the public to call Michigan Senators to support this life saving $37.5 million investment to protect mothers and their children.
Forty-four (44) percent of pregnancy related deaths were preventable, according to the Michigan Maternal Mortality Surveillance Committee. The Governor’s proposal is an important plan for reducing excess deaths of mothers and their children.
The Governor has proposed a $37.5 million package of investments in her FY 2021 budget for Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies to improve care women need to have a healthy pregnancy. Less than half of these funds come from Michigan’s General Fund. It includes:
Click HERE for more details
This proposal is expected to be voted in the Senate Appropriations committee chaired by Senator Jim Stamas. Click HERE for a list of the Appropriations Committee that includes Senators’ Districts, phone numbers and emails. Please contact these three Senators and YOUR Senator, especially if your Senator is on the Appropriations Committee:
Sen. Jim Stamas (Midland), Chair: 1-855-347-8036; SenStamas@senate.michigan.gov
Sen. Jon Bumstead (Newago), V. Chair: 1-855-347-8034; SenJBumstead@senate.michigan.gov
Sen. Curtis Hertel (Lansing), Minority Chair: 1-855-347-8023 or SenCHertel@senate.michigan.gov
A growing coalition of community organizations, faith communities, businesses, LGBTQ organizations, and elected officials in Michigan are coming together to prohibit discrimination against LGBTQ Michiganders. This month, this coalition launched a Fair and Equal Michigan campaign to put a proposal on the 2020 ballot to amend the Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act to protect the rights of people based on their gender identity (who they are) and their sexual orientation (who they love).
According to an April 2019 Quinnipiac poll, 92% of Americans do NOT think that “employers should be allowed to fire someone based on their sexual orientation or sexual identity”. Currently, 21 states have provisions in their laws to protect their LGBTQ residents. Leaders from Michigan companies, e.g., DTE Energy, Herman Miller, and Dow, Inc., who want to hire and retain their best people, are backing the petition drive. 40 Michigan communities have adopted ordinances to protect the rights of their LGBTQ citizens. Mayors from the following communities have endorsed this campaign: Kalamazoo, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Ferndale, Traverse City, Lansing, Jackson, Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti.
The MUUSJN Board of Directors voted to support this campaign. We encourage and will support people from Unitarian Universalist and other faith groups statewide to collect signatures on Fair and Equal Michigan petitions. MUUSJN is Working with Inclusive Justice, an interfaith LGBTQ welcoming and advocacy organization, to engage various faith groups in taking this campaign over the top. Now volunteers are needed to help gather 500,000 signatures by the end of May 2020.
EASTERN MICHIGAN: Contact Raphael Mojica, (810) 875-1129, raf@fairandequalmichigan.com
CENTRAL MICHIGAN: Contact Egypt Otis. 810-286-5432, egypt@fairandequalmichigan.com
WESTERN MICHIGAN: Contact Brad Langerak, 616-485-3024, brad@fairandequalmichigan.com
NORTHERN MI: Statewide Volunteer Director: Alex Cross, 203-841-9458, alex@fairandequalmichigan.com
UU’s are encouraged to request petitions from Randy Block and to return signed petitions to him so we can hold ourselves accountable to do our part on this campaign. Call or text me at 248-224-5572. I will assure that your signed petitions are turned in to the campaign. Please let me know if you have started or plan to encourage people within your faith or community group to get involved with this campaign. With permission of the church, congregation or community group you can collect signatures at an information table. You could also collect signatures outside a post office or near a Secretary of State so long as you don’t block the entrances.
You are invited to attend a Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Voting Rights Town Hall in the one of four Michigan communities:
Message from Christina Rissman, HRC Michigan Lead Organizer:
Join us at one of these events next week to connect with other folks passionate about equality in our communities and meet HRC’s new fellows in your county!
02/24 – Ferndale, @ Affirmations. 6pm. https://www.mobilize.us/hrcmi/event/234331/
02/26 – Kalamazoo, @ Stetson Chapel. 6pm. Partnered with OutFront Kalamazoo, speakers and open mic opportunities! https://www.mobilize.us/hrcmi/event/236084/
02/26 – Pontiac @ Liberty Bar. 5:30pm.Karaoke after speakers!https://www.mobilize.us/hrcmi/event/231915/
02/27 – Grand Rapids @ City Built Brewing. 6pmhttps://www.mobilize.us/hrcmi/event/234452/
Looking forward to seeing y’all there and to working with you in the continued fight for equality!
Christina Rissman | she/her/hers |Regional Organizing Lead, Michigan | HRC Rising | Human Rights Campaign |
The Michigan UU Social Justice Network (MUUSJN) Board of Directors voted to make Get Out the Vote (GOTV) a priority during 2020. Voting is not just political, but a moral action. UU’s uphold the right of every person to have their voice heard. Elections have consequences for our environment, for people of color, women, LGBTQ people, immigrants and low income families.
