League Links - February 2020 - REVISEDEmpowering Voters. Defending Democracy.

President's MessageThe League of Women Voters is celebrating 100 years of ourmission to educate voters and enhance democracy. It was along and arduous effort to attain the passage of the Nineteenthamendment, but we did it. Many states, such as Michigan,achieved that coveted goal before the nation did. MichiganLWV was formed in April of 1919. We were among theleaders.

LWVUS organized a national day of recognition, Day of Action,to celebrate the monumental occasion as did many localLeagues in Michigan. Please take the time to enjoy the

wonderful stories and pictures on websites and Facebook – search out the parties andproclamations! (Go to the LWVMI local League websites from the link at the end of thisnewsletter to easily navigate.)

More celebrations!

LWVMI membership has grown by more than 1000 members in the past five years.This growth can be attributed to a combination of several factors:

The membership program of nurturing interested citizens from Geographicalunits to MAL Units to independent LeaguesThe membership/coaching team that conducts regular networking calls andconferences with local LeaguesThe 2016 election bumpThe successful advocacy efforts with ballot proposals 3 and 2 to the noteworthyresults in 2018 Our continued program of implementing the new laws established by thesuccessful ballot proposalsAnd simply engaging members to enhance democracy by our local Leagues

Thank you all for your efforts. We have just begun our next 100 years.

Another celebration!

As LWVMI continues our efforts beyond the passage of proposals 3 and 2, we areactively engaged in the implementation of the new laws through activities withcoalitions to make sure good information reaches our voters. The state board hasorganized programs to support those efforts.

Our point person for the voting rights law (proposal 3) is Betsy Cushman, VP of VoterServices. Many new sources of information are highlighted in her article that follows.Local League presidents have direct links to the information that can be shared onFacebook pages or websites or with each of you.

The program for supporting the Citizens’ Redistricting Commission (proposal 2) is ledby Sue Smith, VP of Advocacy . More details in this effort will follow.

The Make Democracy Work town hall presentations throughout the state have beenpresented by nearly all of our 27 local Leagues since last fall and have served tofurther educate our communities from a trusted source about the 2020 Census, theCRC (prop 2) and voting rights (prop 3). Our communities and membership have hadthe opportunity to learn and be engaged in learning about and sharing the new lawsand how they affect each Michigan voter. Good job LWVMI!

In League,Christina

Voter Services: MichiganVoting.org goes live!The website michiganvoting.org, anexcellent new resource sponsored by the ACLU withcontributions from LWVMI, NAACP and many voting rightsadvocate organizations, went live this month!Visit Michiganvoting.org for voting rights and electionprotection information.

Digital Digests Weekly are another resource created andsupported by the ACLU-Michigan and EngageMichigan. League Presidents and Unit Leaders have beenemailed the first 3 digests, and their names have been addedto the list to automatically receive them on Mondays. They

include ideas for social media, with digital photos and messages which can easily beposted on League websites, FB, Instagram, and Twitter pages.

Election Protection & Voting Rights Webinars – A series of 3 excellent webinarshave been presented by ACLU-Michigan and America Votes. They are each about 1hour. A link to those you may have missed will not be available until after all 3 arecomplete. We will send the link to Local League Presidents and Unit Leaders.

Voting Messaging Workshop – I was invited to participate with a group of staff fromlocal and county clerk offices and community organizations to work on creatingconcise, specific messaging tools. While I look forward to seeing their product, Ienjoyed interacting with the clerk staff from around the state. Some (unofficial) viewsexpressed:

College students will probably have a better experience voting before electionday by absentee ballot (this from a longtime advocate for holding polls oncollege campuses);non-urban voters often don’t know which township or village they live in;poll workers are paid hourly and work in shifts in some municipalities.

Making Democracy Work - Voting Rights PowerPoint, Script & Handout There areupdated; Feb. 10 versions available if you need them. Email me atbetsy.cushman@gmail.com for the latest version.

VOTE411 & MLive Media Group We are pleased that we will be partnering again thisyear with MLive Media Group for the August 4 Primary and November 3 GeneralElections. MLive covers much of the State of Michigan both online and with 8newspapers: the Ann Arbor News, Bay City Times, the Flint Journal, the Grand RapidsPress, the Jackson Citizen Patriot, the Kalamazoo Gazette, the Muskegon Chronicle,and the Saginaw News.

Thanks to the hundreds of volunteer hours devoted by League members to providingnonpartisan Voter Guides through VOTE411, voters in the areas the LWV cover haveaccess to what’s on their ballot, who is running, their views on issues, a list of ballotproposals and other important information to assist voters to prepare for eachelection. A public service to be proud of!! Thank you to all who help!

-- Betsy CushmanLWVMI VP, Voter Services

Membership: Holding Spring Workshops

Spring is on its way and time to think about the 2020 LWVMISpring Workshop. This year we are offering a day longSaturday Workshop at two different locations—Mt. Pleasanton April 25, and Escanaba on May 16. Plan to attend tonetwork with other Local Leagues and learn more about Howto Make Democracy Work in your League and communitywith sessions on DEI, Development and Local LeagueFundraising, Voter Service and Advocacy. Registration will be open on the LWVMI Website in mid-March

—watch for your opportunity to register to attend. Cost for the day which includescontinental breakfast, lunch and materials is $25.

-- Paula ManleyLWVMI, VP Membership

Program Planning

2023 LWVMI Convention- Host Wanted

LWVMI’s 2021 convention is already set to take place at theKellogg Center in Lansing on May 21-23. We know fromexperience that plans for the following convention in 2023 needto start soon. Is your League interested in being the hostLeague for the 2023 convention? We are looking for a Leaguethat can help us find a suitable location, provide volunteers forsome of the convention tasks and help organize the conventionand ancillary activities. Please contact Paula Bowman if your

League wants to be considered for the 2023 convention.

Ranked Choice Voting – Winter Blitz

A group called RankMiVote has been holding events about Ranked Choice Voting allacross Michigan in the last few months. They are contacting League members to helpspread information about their meetings. LWVMI has no position on Ranked ChoiceVoting, nor does LWVUS. This voting system is one of many that is included in theproposed concurrence of an Electoral Systems position that will be voted on at theLWVUS convention in June, but for now, there is no position.

It’s important for us to remember that though the presentation by RankMiVote may beinteresting, it is one-sided. Because of this, local Leagues should not be participating inthese events, though members are welcome to attend as individuals. We have alsodiscovered that RankMiVote is using the League’s name on their materials, implyingendorsement. A “cease and desist” letter has been sent to RankMiVote to discontinuethis practice immediately.

-- Paula BowmanLWVMI, VP Program

Day of Action! Celebrating LWVUS100Many Leagues around the state celebrated the 100th birthday of LWVUS!

Marquette had a presentation on LWV, and posted this video on YouTube.

Local League Spotlight: Copper CountryLWV of the Copper Country is a partnerin a group called riseUP “Recognizing theimportance of suffrage everywhere UP”that has formed to celebrate the year ofthe 100th anniversary of the19th amendment. There are manyactivities planned and these pictures atthe *Heikinpaiva parade in Hancock showsome of the group in the homespunparade carrying signs and the sunflowersymbol of suffrage adopted by the riseUPgroup.

The March picture shows board memberKristine Bradof in the women’s march onthe Lift Bridge (where all protest marcheshere happen) carrying both the sunflowerspinner and the LWVCC Vote sign. Thispicture was on the front page of the localpaper, Garrett Neese/Daily MiningGazette.

*Heikinpaiva is the Finnish word for thecelebration of the day the bear rolls overin his den – winter is half way done.

Local League Spotlight: LWV Kalamazoo AreaLWV of the Kalamazoo Area (LWVKA)held a reception recently at theKalamazoo Valley Museum to open adisplay League of Women Voters: First100 Years which traces the history ofWomen’s Suffrage and Leaguemilestones from 1920-2020. The Museummagazine museON included an article onthe League of Women Voters: First 100Years- Empowering Voters. DefendingDemocracy in the winter edition. LWVKAhas had displays at two other locallibraries as well.

Advocacy: Crime Down, Jail Populationat an All-time High

Why, with crime at an all-time low, has Michigan’s jailpopulation tripled in recentyears? A bipartisancommittee formed byGovernor GretchenWhitmer, with SupremeCourt Chief Justice BridgetMcCormack and Lieutenant

Governor Garline GilchristII as co-chairs, recentlyreleased thereport: Michigan JointTask Force on Jail andPretrial Incarceration. Thereport includes analysis anddata from over twenty jails,three years of jail data andinformation from state,national, and local lawenforcement and courts toanswer the question of why

the jail population is at this all time high.

The purpose of jails, as stated in the report, is to prevent an immediate dangeroussituation from escalating, and to enable courts to evaluate conditions of release.However, the use of jail as a tool is limited by the Constitution’s guarantees of liberty,“In our society liberty is the norm and detention prior to trial or without trial is thecarefully limited exception.” United States v. Salerno (1987). How do the data from thereport comply with our understanding of “limited exception” and due process? The keyfindings cannot be easily summarized here but what is clear is that the jail growth isrelated to increase in pretrial defendants and those serving a post-conviction sentence.Some of the specific causes for the increase are related to· arrests for traffic offenses and driving without a valid license;· defendants' inability to post bond causing many to be detained for weeks, monthsor years without going to trial; and· the rate of people admitted with mental illness accounting for over 23 percententering jails, with even higher numbers in areas lacking services to address seriousmental illness.

The full report can be found here Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration.While the LWVMI maintains a position on Prisons in Michigan (2010), the position doesnot apply to jails.

Local Leagues can submit a request during the LWVMI program review in January2021 for the League to revisit its position on prisons to include the jails to reflectthe state-wide recommendations of the Joint Task Force to include statewidelegislation, funding and investment across the counties for victim offender services,alternatives to jail time, increase in mental health services and statewide policychanges. Evidence suggests that incarceration is not an effective tool in reducingrecidivism and the report states unequivocally that the experience of incarceration, nomatter how short, disrupts the lives of many by impacting “their employment, housingand dependent children.”

- Carolyn MaddenLWVMI Advocacy Committee

Strength of Gun Laws Matters “The public health and welfare of the people of the state are hereby declared to bematters of primary public concern. The Legislature shall pass suitable laws for theprotection and promotion of the public health.” Constitution of the State of Michigan of1963.

States with stronger gun laws have lower gun death rates.

Evidence from the Giffords Law Center, among other sources, indicates that stateswith stronger gun laws have lower gun death rates. For example, California is assigneda gun law strength grade of A and a gun death rate of 7.8 per 100K individuals.Michigan is assigned a gun law strength grade of C and a gun death rate 11.2 per100K. An F grade was given to Alabama with a gun death rate of 22.9 per 100K.

California, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, New York and Hawaii have continuedto strengthen already strong gun laws. California requires a background check forevery gun sale and has enacted an extreme risk protection order. These and otheractions have cut California gun deaths in half.

Michigan gun laws are ranked just above the national average. The rate of gun deathsis ranked below the national average. This is reason enough to oppose any proposedlegislation that would reduce the strength of Michigan firearm legislation. Examples ofsuch legislation follow:

· In 2019, legislation was introduced in the Michigan House of Representatives thatwould repeal criminal sanctions for carrying a concealed pistol after an individual’slicense expired.

· A law that would allow concealed carry in pistol-free zones.

· A law that would repeal a current law that makes it a misdemeanor for apawnbroker to accept and sell a pistol that has been pawned.

Fewer people die from gun violence in states with strong gun laws.

Research and statistics that would further reduce gun violence should be reflected inMichigan Legislature. Gun violence is reflected not only in firearm deaths but inshattered families, life-altering injuries and the exorbitant cost of violence. Polls haveconsistently shown that the public supports laws that have been proven to reduce gunviolence. Michigan legislators must be encouraged to pass such laws.

Following are three gun laws that statistically make a difference in reducing firearmviolence and merit passage by the MI Legislature.

(1) Background checks on all firearm purchases.

(2) Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO), which can help prevent suicides and massshootings by allowing family members and law enforcement to petition the court totemporarily remove firearms from individuals in crisis. ERPO laws empower those mostlikely to recognize warning signs of an individual in crisis.

(3) Child Access Prevention (CAP) laws, which make it a crime to leave firearmsaccessible to minors.

Michigan legislators have introduced both ERPO and CAP legislation.

Facts about Michigan gun death

Michigan counties with the highest gun death rates are rural counties. (MichiganDepartment of Health and Human Services, Fatal Injuries, 2009- 2014)

54% of gun deaths in Michigan are suicides. (ibid)

There were suicides by gun in every Michigan county during this period. (ibid)

Suicides are strongly associated with the availability of household guns. (AmericanPublic Health Association, Reducing suicides by firearms, 11/13/2018)

Firearm trafficking from states with weak gun laws affect firearm violence in states withstronger gun laws. Without the equalizing factor of federal legislation, state legislatorshave a responsibility to pass laws that have statistically proven to support a reductionin firearm violence. Addressing urban gun violence has traditionally been neglected. Allstates should be aware of urban gun reduction programs. The Gifford Law Centerreport Healing Communities in Crisis and Investing in Intervention provides interventionstrategies and examples of successful implementation.

What can we do to advocate as individuals for goals that keep our families andcommunities safe?

1) Register and Vote.

2) Contact your legislator as an individual, andEncourage legislation that closes deadly loopholes on our background check system.Support enforceable laws that address gun trafficking and fraudulent purchases.Fight gun lobby efforts to allow guns into sensitive places like bars, parks, colleges, andmore.Promote the continuing interpretation of the Second Amendment that respects rightswhile protecting public safety.

3) Support League of Women Voter-MI Action Alerts.

Stronger gun safety laws lead to lower gun death rates.Firearm violence is a public health and safety issue.

Resources: Data from 50 states is available at https://lawcenter.giffords.org. Analysisof the data supports the statement “Gun Deaths Rise as Gun Laws Weaken.”

POLICIES OF LWV-US. POSITIONS ON GUN CONTROL• The LWVUS believes that the proliferation of handguns and semi-automatic weaponsin the U.S. is a major health and safety issue to its citizens.• The LWVUS supports strong federal measures to limit the accessibility and regulatethe ownership of these weapons by private citizens.• The LWVUS supports regulating firearms for consumer safety.• The LWVUS supports licensing procedures for gun ownership by private citizens toinclude a waiting period for background checks, personal identity verification, gunsafety education and annual license renewal. The license fee should be adequate tobear the cost of education and verification.• The LWVUS supports a ban on “Saturday night specials,” enforcement of strictpenalties for the improper possession of and crimes committed with handguns andassault weapons, and allocation of resources to better regulate and monitor gundealers.

Prepared by Dave Batten, Martha Couretas and the LWV-Lansing Area

February 2020Youth Voter MonthLocal Budget Committee shouldbe meeting. Include funds tosend delegates to Convention.Bylaws Committee should bemeeting. Look at bylaws forpossible amendments.Initiate plans for 2020 Elections Plan a fundraising eventMLD* Monthly Networking

Local LeaguesAnn Arbor Area (with the

Brighton Howell Geographical Unit)Berrien/Cass Counties

Copper CountryDearborn/Dearborn Heights

Delta County Detroit

Eastern UP State (MAL) Unit Flint Area

Grand Haven AreaGrand Traverse Area (with Crawford

County Geographical Unit)Grosse PointeHolland AreaJackson Area

Kalamazoo Area (with Grand RapidsGeographical Unit)

Lansing Area Leelanau County

Macomb State (MAL) UnitManistee CountyMarquette County

Midland Area Mt. Pleasant

Telephone Meetings

March 2020Women's History monthIn planning your annual meeting,celebrate accomplishments.Perhaps join with another Leaguewithin driving distance and have ajoint meal and breakout sessionsfor your meetings.MLD Monthly Networkingtelephone meetings

March 8 International Women's DayMarch 8 Daylight savings time beginsMarch 14 LWVMI Board meeting,League LInks to followMarch 10-16 Sunshine WeekMarch 31 Equal Pay Day

Northeast Michigan (formerly AlpenaCounty)

Northwest Wayne County (with BellevilleGeographical Unit)

Oakland AreaSaginaw County

Tecumseh/Lenawee County (MAL)Troy

For more information goto www.lwvmi.org

or check out Facebook pages for stateand local LWVs

LWVMI Board of Directors - 2019-2021 Christina Schlitt (Grand Traverse Area) - President Paula Manley (Kalamazoo) - Vice President for Membership Betsy Cushman (Dearborn/Dearborn Heights) - Vice President for Voter Services Sue Smith (Ann Arbor) - Vice President for Advocacy Paula Bowman (NW Wayne County) - Vice President for Program Denise Hartsough (Kalamazoo) - Treasurer Leah Bectel (Kalamazoo/Grand Rapids Geo) - Secretary Darlene Allen (Marquette MAL) - Director-at-Large Deborah Bunkley (Detroit) - Voter Service DirectorMegan Chenoweth (Northwest Wayne County) - Voter Services DirectorVicki Granger (Grosse Pointe) - Communications DirectorKen Manley (Kalamazoo) - Local League Development DirectorTera Moon (Oakland) - Membership/Leadership DirectorDiana Neering (Ann Arbor) - LWVMI Development DirectorMaria Rivera (Macomb State MAL) - Director-at-Large

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