Rain Date for Adopt-a-Highway Clean Up / Government Shutdowns?

UPCOMING EVENTS COVERED IN THIS WEEK’S NEWSLETTER

ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY RAIN DATE

COME JOIN US FOR THE RAIN-DELAYED FALL HIGHWAY CLEAN UP!

Need a break from the headlines and a chance to reconnect with nature while doing a good deed for our community? Join the Houghton County Dems as we head out on the road for our rain-delayed fall highway clean up (originally scheduled for yesterday). We’ll be cleaning our stretch of highway as part of the Adopt-A-Highway program — M-26 from just past Goat Hill Rd heading out of Ripley, and on through to Dollar Bay. We provide gloves, safety vests and bags. 

Join us on Monday, September 29th at 5:30 PM. Parking is available at the Adopt-A-Highway sign just past Goat Hill Rd on M-26. Not sure where that is? Here’s a handy link to a Google Maps page for directions to the meeting point. (Please do not block the driveway on the Canal side of M-26.)

Questions? — Need any clarifications? Call Barb Turuc at (906) 370-5496.

OCTOBER POTLUCK AND MONTHLY MEETING NEXT WEDNESDAY

Join us for our October monthly meeting at 7 PM, next Wednesday October 1st 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. 

• Remote attendance is available by Zoom. Click here at 7 PM Wednesday to attend by Zoom. 

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.

HEALTHCARE FOR ALL TOWN HALL OCTOBER 15

JOIN US ON OCTOBER 15TH AT FIFTH & ELM IN HANCOCK TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MICARE PROPOSAL BY MICHIGAN DEMOCRATS.

The Houghton County Dems have partnered with other local progressive groups to sponsor a Healthcare for All Town Hall.

MiCare is a proposed universal, publicly funded health care plan that would provide every Michigander comprehensive, high-quality coverage, without deductibles, co-insurance, co-pays, or caps. MiCare would maintain and add to today’s health care provider network, bringing savings to patients, employers, and providers by reducing administrative costs, resulting in direct savings for the vast majority of Michiganders.

WHEN: 7 PM Wednesday, October 15th

WHERE: Fifth & Elm, 426 Quincy Street, Hancock MI

RSVP: We respectfully request your RSVP so we have an accurate headcount for Studio Pizza and refreshments! (Click the button below or scan the QR code in the flyer above).

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNS?

STATE OF MICHIGAN

Michigan’s new fiscal year begins next Wednesday, October 1st, and the state legislature still has not finalized a budget. If no budget is in place by Wednesday the state government will shutdown for the first time since 2009.

The Republican controlled Michigan House missed a number of budget deadlines this year, and then on August 26th introduced a budget proposal and, with little debate, and almost no time for review, passed it along party lines during the same session. The bill includes wide-ranging cuts, and is more than $5 billion less than the budget that had already been passed by the state Senate. Negotiations between the two houses have been on-going, though what, if any, progress has been made is uncertain.

Notably, at their September meeting last Wednesday the Keweenaw County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution opposing the Republican House budget. County governments, schools and other local entities will face funding challenges if state support is cut as the Republican House bill puts forth.

Last week Gov. Whitmer weighed in on the pending crisis during a speech on the state economy. “Failing to get this done means more uncertainty, higher costs and less jobs,” the governor said. You can find the text of the full speech here.

In 2019 when Michigan neared a shutdown (which was averted), about 30,000 state employees, or 62% of the workforce, were notified of potential temporary layoffs. This time, in an attempt to avert layoffs and service disruptions, the governor is reportedly working with her cabinet to find ways to allow state services to continue despite the lack of a budget.

It’s still possible that, rather than force a shutdown, the legislature will pass a “continuation budget”, which would provide state funding for an interim period while the full budget negotiations continue.

One big question about a shutdown is state aid to local schools. The next state aid payment is due October 20th.

You can find even more on the budget negotiations and the effects of a state government shutdown in this article from yesterday’s Detroit Free Press.

UNITED STATES

Passing a federal budget for 2026 has proven very contentious. Republicans have control of all branches of the federal government and show little inclination to negotiate with Democrats. In fact, President Trump has demanded that Republican lawmakers NOT negotiate. Yet the Republican leaders still have no budget decided amongst themselves.

Rather than risk a shutdown, on Friday Republicans in the US House passed a seven week stopgap funding bill along party lines. Republicans have tried to call this measure a “bipartisan” solution, but Democrats vehemently disagree. This budget continuation reflects the priorities of the Republican’s Big Bad Billionaire Bill and will mean healthcare cost increases for millions of Americans.

The House bill failed in the Senate on Friday by a vote of 44 to 48. Democrats demanded that any funding measure must include an extension of expiring enhanced subsidies for ACA (Obamacare) insurance, and put forward their own bill with ACA funding restored, but that bill also failed.

Congress is now taking a week-long break for Rosh Hashanah. When they return a shutdown will be just two days away - the legislature only has until September 30th to act.

BARAGA COUNTY DOOR KNOCKING

From Baraga County Dems Chair Lisa Philip:

ORIENTATION & TRAINING FOR BALLOT INITIATIVES TONIGHT

The local group Keweenaw Against the Oligarchy or KATO, a part of Michigan United Action, has organized an orientation and training session for folks interested in supporting two ballot initiatives - Money Out of Politics & Invest in MI Kids. Learn more about these initiatives and volunteer to become a petition circulator.

These are two of the initiatives that were discussed at our annual Labor Day Picnic (the other being Rank MI Vote) and are well worth your support.

KATO intends to hold this session again, on a bi-weekly basis. More information can be found by clicking the RSVP button below.

WHEN: 6 PM tomorrow night, Tuesday, September 23rd

WHERE: Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 604 Bridge Street, Houghton MI

AWAVE HOSTS TALK ON AI DATA CENTERS IN THE UP

Local group AWAVE: Adovcates for Those Without a Voice Everywhere is hosting Dr. Chloe Kannan at their monthly meeting tomorrow evening. Dr. Kannan is coming from Sault Ste. Marie to talk about the threat/dangers of AI data centers coming into the Upper Peninsula along with bitcoin mining. If time permits Enbridge Line #5 will also be discussed.

Dr. Kannan says in her experience people may not want a data center or bitcoin mining operation in their area, but often aren’t even aware it’s happening.

WHEN: 6 PM tomorrow evening, Wednesday, September 24th

WHERE: Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 604 Bridge Street, Houghton MI

NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY IS SEPTEMBER 27TH

Locally, the Keweenaw National Historical Park is looking for volunteers to join a clean up effort at the Industrial Core, located within Keweenaw National Historical Park boundaries and adjacent to the village of Calumet. The clean up effort will take place from 9 AM until noon on the 27th.

For more information and to volunteer for this clean up effort, please visit the National Environmental Education Foundation event posting.

“NO KINGS DAY 2.0 IN THE COPPER COUNTRY” ON OCTOBER 18

Come on out on Saturday the 18th for No Kings 2.0 in the Copper Country, organized by Keweenaw Indivisible and the League of Women Voters of the Copper Country. The event will be held at noon on October 18th. RSVP at the Facebook event here.

THE ONLY WAY TO PROTECT OUR FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS TO EXERCISE OUR FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

If you’d like to assist with this event or otherwise become involved with Keweenaw Indivisible, you can fill out the interest form here. 

Governmental & Community Meetings

WED SEP 24

The Houghton City Council meets at 5:30 PM on Wednesday. Meeting Agendas are typically posted to the Council’s Searchable Document Center on their website.

UPDATE: COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS TIME CHANGE

Following up on our item a few weeks back about the Houghton County Board of Commissioners asking for citizen input on the time of their monthly meeting. The Board has decided to change meeting times. Monthly Board meetings will now be held at 6 PM rather than 3 PM. The new meeting time has been updated on the Board’s web page.

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