March at the Lift Bridge Tonight, Potluck & Monthly Meeting Tomorrow

HCDP News for March 4th

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Houghton County Dems
March 04, 2025

HCDP News for March 04 2025

POTLUCK & MONTHLY MEETING TOMORROW

Join us for our monthly meeting at 7 PM tomorrow evening at the Super 8 in Houghton.  

  • Potluck starts at 6 PM. Bring a dish to share if you can, or just stop in and enjoy some quality time with your fellow Dems before we settle down to business at 7. 

Membership in the Houghton County Democratic Party is encouraged, but not required, to attend meetings. We welcome all Houghton County residents who support progressive Democratic government to attend our meetings and events and also to become involved.

A NOTE FROM THE CHAIR ON TOMORROW’S MEETING:

The opposition energy is taking off! Multiple groups are organizing in the Copper Country, with efforts devoted to different approaches - tracking local government actions, keeping pressure on national elected officials, and of course recruiting candidates and building electoral strength. The HCDP is proud to be a coordinating partner with many of these groups, bringing our resources to bear where helpful, and making connections among organizers.  At our monthly meeting this week, you'll hear from several of these - come and find an avenue to act that suits your desires and abilities!

LOCAL ACTION - March at the Lift Bridge TONIGHT!

STANDING FOR AMERICAN VALUES

Support Ukraine and USA

TONIGHT AT 6 PM

Portage Lift Bridge Houghton

Once again, concerned citizens will march on the Lift Bridge, this time organized by local supporters of Ukraine, and in support of American values. This is part of a series of nationwide marches.

More info on the Facebook event page.

TAKE ACTION - Help Candidates in Special Elections that Could Tip Control of the US House

SPECIAL ELECTIONS COULD TIP CONTROL OF THE US HOUSE

Republican Mike Johnson is the Speaker of the House today because in November Republicans took 218 House seats while Democrats took 215. That’s a very slim three seat majority. And, since November three Republican House members have resigned or will do so shortly.

Two Florida representatives, Mike Walz and Matt Gaetz have resigned - Walz to become Trump’s national security adviser and Gaetz in disgrace.

In New York State, Rep. Elise Stefanik will be resigning to become Trump’s UN Ambassador.

Democrats would need to win all three special elections to replace these Republicans in order to tip control of the US House. That may sound impossible, but there is enough discontent with Trump and Musk across the country right now that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.

The Florida special elections to replace Walz and Gaetz take place April 1st. Early voting begins March 22nd.

  • Public school teacher Josh Weil is the Democrat running in the 6th District to replace Walz.

  • Mother and gun violence prevention activist Gay Valimont is the Democrat running in the 1st District to replace Gaetz.

YOU CAN HELP ELECT GAY VALIMONT & JOSH WEIL BY CONTRIBUTING TO THEIR CAMPAIGNS OR PARTICIPATING IN A PHONE BANK TO GET OUT THE VOTE.

Spring Fling May 3rd

JOIN US AT THE 63RD ANNUAL SPRING FLING BANQUET AND FUNDRAISER

SATURDAY, MAY 3

DINNER, AWARDS, AND SILENT AUCTION


To donate items for the auction or to place an ad in the program, contact Nancy Verive. Email: [email protected] ph: 812-573-1403.


This year’s theme:

MEETING THE MOMENT

Watch future newsletters for more details! 

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW!
$55 PER PERSON / $45 FOR STUDENTS AND SENIORS

Registration Now Open For the MDP Rural Caucus Summit

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN FOR RURAL CAUCUS SUMMIT

The Rural Caucus now has a theme and statement of purpose for their 3rd annual Rural Summit —

THE GREAT RURAL REVIVAL

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE:

This space is ours - to plan, unite, and resist harassment.

Through local leadership, community building, and organizing, our work starts now to build the power and strategies to move rural Michigan forward. We need your voice and energy in this effort. Join us to process what’s happened, and what’s next, and strengthen our collective commitment to our Democratic message.

News from Lansing

  • GOVERNOR WHITMER DELIVERS STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS: Last Wednesday the Governor outlined her priorities for the coming year: creating more jobs, lowering costs, and making the state government work better for its people.

    On the current occupant of the White House Whitmer said - as she had said during his first term - “I’m not looking for fights, but I won’t back down from them either.”

    Speaking of the political divides and economic uncertainty we find ourselves in, the Governor said, “Now, in a divisive national moment where America needs a new way forward, Michigan can lead. Because at our best, we’re strong and kind. And kindness is strength.”

    You can see the full address on the Governor’s YouTube channel. Find the full text of her prepared speech here.

  • STATE REPUBLICANS URGE OVERTURN OF SAME SEX MARRIAGE: It’s a reminder that Michigan still has language in it’s state constitution barring marriage for same-sex couples, despite the Supreme Court’s 10 year old ruling.

    Last week Republican Sen. Josh Shriver, along with several other state Republicans, backed a resolution requesting the US Supreme Court to revisit and overturn its ruling legalizing same sex marriage. Were the court to do so, same-sex marriage would immediately become illegal in our state, thanks to that language in our state constitution.

    Shriver would not take questions at his “press conference” announcing the resolution, instead immediately fleeing the room after his prepared remarks. That gave the opportunity for Democratic state Rep. Jeremy Moss to take the microphone and rebut the “buffoonish” proposal. While the proposal may indeed be buffoonish, it is only one such proposal being put forward by Republicans in 9 states over the last month. That renewed push by Republicans may be part of the reason why Democratic Rep. Moss is urging a ballot initiative in Michigan to remove the language in the state constitution which bans same-sex marriage.

News from Washington

  • TRUMP, VANCE AMBUSH VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY IN WHITE HOUSE VISIT: The crude verbal attack by the US President and Vice President on the leader of an ally fighting off the invasion of it’s neighbor Russia earned the Trump White House immediate blowback from leaders around the world. President Zelenskyy responded calmly and tried to answer the questions asked of him, but was drowned out by the shouted rejoinders of Trump and Vance.

    Leaders from the UK, the EU, Ukraine and Canada met on Sunday in a summit focused on Ukraine and European security. A plan coming out of that summit is for the UK and France to work with Ukraine on a peace proposal which they will then present to the US President. Some form of “security guarantee” from the US is still being sought by all these nations, which they feel is needed to deter Russia from simply re-invading Ukraine at a future time. MORE: USA Today

  • ECONOMIC BLACKOUT THIS PAST FRIDAY: Many of you participated in the “economic blackout” this past Friday. But did you know that the boycott grew organically from text messages and social media posts by 57-year-old Queens, N.Y. native John Schwarz, which quickly took on a life of their own? Schwarz and others are forming what they are calling “The People’s Union” to continue to advocate for and organize future economic stoppages. This story seems much like the story behind the 50501 protests. MORE: Consumer Reports 

  • ICE DETENTIONS NOWHERE NEAR TRUMP ADMINISTRATION GOALS: NPR ran an interesting report on Saturday detailing just how far behind ICE is falling against the Trump administration’s stated goals of daily detentions. The report details how the new Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is exaggerating ICE’s efforts. As one official says,"she's comparing apples to coconuts" in order to exaggerate the difference in arrests numbers in Trump’s first month as compared to those made in the Biden administration. MORE: NPR

  • TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FACES LEGAL WOES: According to an estimate by the New York Times the Trump administration is now facing legal action in 100 different cases. In 21 of those cases the presiding judges have issued restraining orders on the administration. The Times notes that “five of the judges who have ruled against the White House were nominated by Republican presidents, one by Trump himself.” Also from the article “‘The court process is forcing a lot of public exposure as to what the administration is actually doing,’ said Skye Perryman, the CEO of Democracy Forward, which has won 12 court orders stemming from more than two dozen legal actions it has filed.” MORE: NYT report via Seattle Times (no paywall)

  • OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CANNOT FIRE EMPLOYEES OF OTHER AGENCIES: In one of the most important legal rulings in the last week on Trump administration actions, a federal judge ruled that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) cannot fire employees at other government agencies. OPM was ordered by the judge to rescind memos that were the basis for firing probationary employees across several federal departments. In his strongly worded ruling the judge found that “(The) Office of Personnel Management does not have any authority whatsoever, under any statute in the history of the universe, to hire and fire employees within another agency.” MORE: The Hill

  • PATEL STARTS AT FBI: The start of Kash Patel’s tenure as head of the FBI was the subject of a report in the Wall Street Journal this past week. Its as weird and unsettling as you’d expect it to be. MORE: Wall Street Journal (via MSN - no paywall)

Governmental & Community Meetings

THUR MAR 06

The South Range Village Council meets Thursday at 6 PM in the South Range Community Building. For more information contact the Village at [email protected] or (906) 482-8833

This newsletter is paid for with regulated funds by the Houghton County Democratic Party, and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

Contact us by email at [email protected] or by text or voicemail at 906-523-1233