On March 16th, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a historic bill that expands the Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act to provide basic human rights to LGBTQ+ people. This means that members of the LGBTQ+ community can not be discriminated against for jobs, education, housing or public accomodations. This a reform that advocacy groups have been demanding for 40 years!
Thanks to all who responded to MUUSJN’s alert to advocate for this legislation.
On March 2nd, the Michigan House of Representatives voted to adopt HB 4006 and a package of other bills to REPEAL an old 1931 anti-abortion law that criminalizes abortion. On March 8th, this legislation was approved in the Michigan Senate without religious exemption amendments. MUUSJN filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court opposing this 1931 law. We argued that right wing religions that oppose abortions should not be able to impose their beliefs on other people of faith or on humanists. This legislation is going through further review to reach agreement on the House and Senate versions of this legislation. A spokesperson for the Governor’s office predicted these bills should be coming to the Governor for her signature by the end of March or early April. Another legislative achievement to celebrate!
Finally, MUUSJN was part of a large coalition that advocated for expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for low-income working families. This bill was adopted in both the Michigan House and Senate along with other tax bills. However, in order to allow the bill to take immediate affect so lower income people can use the EITC deduction for THIS YEAR’S taxes, bill sponsors are reintroducing EITC reform as SB 144. The Senate Housing and Human Services Committee is scheduled to vote on SB 144 TOMORROW (March 21, 2023) at 2:30 p.m.
YOU CAN HELP MAKE THIS TAX DEDUCTION FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES HAVE IMMEDIATE AFFECT BY SUBMITTING ELECTRONIC TESTIMONY TO THE COMMITTEE.
Email your comment to SenKMcDonaldRivet@senate.michigan.gov Senator Kristin McDonald Rivet will forward your testimony to the Senate Housing and Human Services Committee. In the subject of your email write: “Electronic Card: Senate Housing & Human Services Committee: Support SB 144. In the body of your email, write “Hello. I am emailing to electronically put in a card of support from (organization) for SB 144 that is up in the Senate Housing and Human Services Committee. List your name, your phone number and email. Thanks, (your name)
(This guidance provided by Adam Bitely, Senior Communications Specialist, Martin Waymire.)
BACKGROUND
On Thursday, March 2nd, the Michigan House of Representatives voted to adopt a package of bills to REPEAL the old 1931 anti-abortion law that’s still on the books. Even though voters affirmed a ballot proposal that enshrined abortion rights in the Michigan Constitution, legislators and reproductive justice advocates believe it’s important to remove the 1931 law from the books in the event that a court might strike down our newly affirmed reproductive rights.
I am proud to report that MUUSJN consultant, Nomi Joyrich, testified on Wednesday March 1st in favor of bills to repeal the 1931 law in both the House and the Senate.
On March 2nd, a package of bills (SB’s 2, 37, 38 and 93) were adopted by the Senate Health Policy Committee and were forwarded to the full Senate for a vote. If these bills are fully affirmed in the Senate they can be forwarded to Governor Gretchen Whitmer for her signature. A vote on these bills could happen soon.
Call or Email Your Michigan Senator (To get the phone and email of your Michigan Senator click HERE)
On February 28th, the Michigan Senate voted to adopt Senate Bill 4 that would expand the Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) to include rights of people from LGBTQ+ communities. YES! The ELCRA bans discrimination in employment, housing, and public services based on other categories such as: religion, race, color, national origen, age, sex, height, weight, and marital status. The Michigan Supreme Court ruled last year that discrimination based on sex includes sexual orientation and gender identity.
The Democratic controlled Senate refused to adopt a religious exemption amendment that would have allowed discrimination toward LGBTQ+ people under the guise of religious beliefs. Senator Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield), who sponsored this bill, said “we are not asking for anything more than anyone else has but we are not going to accept anything less than full protection under the law”. MUUSJN agrees with Senator Moss. Religion should be a source of love not an excuse for creating harm.
The next step for expanding LGBTQ+ rights is adoption of HB 4003 sponsored by Michigan Representative Jason Hoskins (D-Southfield). This bill is currently in the House Judiciary Committee chaired by Representative Kelly Breen.
ACTIONS: Call or email your Michigan State Representative. Click HERE to get the phone and email of your state Representative. AND call one or more members of the House Judiciary Committee (preferrably one with an “R” behind their name) listed below:
TALKING POINTS:
Dear Friends:
Today was a red letter day for low and moderate income Michigan families, The Michigan Senate and the Michigan House rapidly passed bills that would expand the Earned Income Tax Credit. This is legislation that Governor Gretchen Whitmer, in her state of the state address on Wednesday, called the “Working Families Tax Credit”.
The new bills would expand the amount of state match that Michigan would pay to supplement the federal income tax credit from 6% to 30%. Both the House and the Senate legislation would give the bills immediate effect and would expand the tax credit to low and moderate income working families from 6% up to 30% of the federal rate.
An example of what this state benefit increase could mean: A single mother earning $17,000 per year who has two children would receive $350 from the current credit. Expanding the credit to 30% of the federal credit would mean that she’d receive about $1,700. A married couple with no children would only be eligible if they earned less than $22,610 in 2022. But a couple with three kids would be eligible for the credit it they earned less than $57,187/year.
Governor Whitmer, who made this one of her priorities in 2023, is expected to sign this legislation. Last year, MUUSJN agreed to work for this goal in 2023 and joined a statewide EITC coalition.
Here’s part of MUUSJN’s testimony given to the Senate Housing and Human Services Committee earlier this week:
“One of the core principles of Unitarian Universalism is that each person should be treated with dignity. We support SB-3 because it would support low-income working people who often struggle with purchasing food, paying rent, buying clothes for their children and paying their utility bills. Increasing Michigan matching funds for the federal EITC from 6% to 30% will help families live with greater dignity.”
Dear Friends:
January 11th was the first day of the new Michigan legislature. On January 12th, Democrats wasted no time introducing House and Senate versions of six bills that address social and economic justice issues. Our statewide justice network has a history of advocating for three of these issues.
For more information about these bills and their sponsors, click HERE.
MUUSJN has been advocating for the repeal of a 1931 anti-abortion law that’s still on the books — in spite of adoption of the Reproductive Freedom for All ballot proposal. Two bills were introduced that would repeal parts of the 1931 law that makes it a crime for women to get an abortion.
Legislation to expand the Elliot- Larsen Civil Rights Act to include anti-discrimination protections for people based on their sexual oriention or gender identity. In 2020, MUUSJN supported a ballot proposal to amend this civil rights act that would have extended protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
The new bills would expand the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for low income working families from 6% up to 30% of the federal rate. Last year, MUUSJN agreed to work for this goal in 2023 and joined a statewide EITC coalition.
If you haven’t aleady done so …
Click HERE to find the name and contact information for your State Senator and your state Representative.
Dear Friends:
It’s been a challenging and a rewarding year for Michigan Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Network (MUUSJN) activists and our allies as we continue to work for justice for all people in Michigan. We mobilized volunteers to collect signatures to put voting and reproductive rights on 2022 ballot. And the voters agreed! We responded to hate and violence toward LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities with educational forums and advocacy. We organized in support of real climate change. We ‘ve worked in coalition to advocate for raising the wages of low income people. We are committed to make justice happen!
With your support, we will continue to work for justice in 2023!
Visit uujustice.org/become-a-member to make a payment by PayPal or credit card
OR
Write check payable to MUUSJN and mail to
Randy Block, Director
4220 Arlington Dr., Royal Oak, MI 48073
BACKGROUND
Assault weapons are considered to be the weapons of choice of those who wish kill large numbers of people in a short amount of time. In 2021, there were 692 mass shootings, according to the Gun Violence Archive. This source defines a mass shooting as one that results in four or more people being killed or wounded. As of November 23, 2022, there have been 608 mass shootings since the beginning of this year! While all mass shootings are tragic, the mass shooting of LGBTQ+ people at the Q nightclub in Colorado Springs is disturbing because the homophobic hatred fomented by some politicians toward LGBTQ+ people creates an atmosphere which promotes violence. It’s also disturbing that five people were killed and 18 injured at the Q with an AR-15 assault rifle.
For the third time this year, President Joe Biden urged Congress to pass a ban on assault weapons, This ban has already been adopted in eight states: Delaware, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. The U.S. House, in July, adopted such a ban. Now the next step for stopping needless deaths from assault weapons is to urge the passage of S. 736, which is in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sen. Debbie Stabenow is a co-sponsor of S.736 but Sen. Gary Peters has not yet done this.
S 736 would make it unlawful to import, sell, manufacture or transfer:
Individuals would be allowed to sell existing assault weapons but only after the completion of a Brady Background Check.
We must stop the epidemic of deaths by deadly assault weapons;
Assault weapons are meant to be weapons of war, not a killing machines for unstable people;
Urge Sen’s Peters & Stabenow to vote for an assault weapons ban NOW!
This week will be an important time to call Michigan’s two Senators. Urge them to support the “Respect for Marriage Act”.
This bill would protect same sex and interracial marriage. The right to marry who you love seemed to be established law. However, after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the door was opened to some conservatives who may want to take away these rights. The “Respect for Marriage Act” bill was adopted in July in the U.S. House in a vote that included 47 Republicans. Now a group of bi-partisan Senators have crafted language they believe can be adopted in the Senate. They’re starting voting this week.
LGBTQ+ people and their allies have fought long and hard for marriage equality.
Here are some talking points drawn from an action alert from the Interfaith Alliance:
GET REGISTERED – If you haven’t yet cast your ballot, there is still time to exercise your right to have your voice heard. Here are some tips for making sure your vote is counted:
* VERIFY THAT YOU’RE REGISTERED TO VOTE AND LEARN IF YOUR POLLING LOCATION CHANGED:
* IF YOU’RE NOT REGISTERED, DO SO ASAP:
*LEARN ABOUT THE CANDIDATES AND FIND OUT WHAT’S ON YOUR BALLOT:
* VOTE!
PLEASE SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH A FRIEND OR RELATIVE!
Shortly after 3 p.m. on Sunday, August 7th, the U.S. Senate voted 50 – 50 to adopt the Inflation Reductive Act of 2022. Vice President Kamala Harris cast the tie breaking vote. Senator Joe Manchin (D – W.VA) and Senator Krysten Sinema (D – AZ), two outspoken opponents of comprehensive Build Back Better proposals that Michigan Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Network and other progressive organizations supported during 2021, negotiated to make this historic legislation work for them and many others. Now the bill will be voted on next Friday, August 12th in a special session of the U.S. House.
The bill (HR 5376) includes what Senator Chuck Schumer called the “greatest pro-climate legislation in history”. To pay for $430 billion in new spending in this package, the bill would generate $730 billion in new revenue by closing tax loopholes on wealthy individuals and establishing a 15% minimum tax on corporations.(At least 55 of the largest corporations paid NO FEDERAL CORPORATE TAXES during the most recent fiscal year.) Also, the bill would generate savings allowing Medicare to negotiate prices on a limited number of prescriptions that benefit older and disabled persons on Medicare.
The Senate was able to pass this legislation with only 50 votes due to a Senate “reconciliation” rule that required the legislation to address federal budget matters. After a two day weekend marathon of debate, the Inflation Reduction Act maintained most of its key provisions. Here’s are highlights of those benefits:
