Senator Stabenow To Visit Houghton

Please join us next Monday, August 7th at 4 PM as we welcome Senator Debbie Stabenow on her visit to Houghton. Take this opportunity to meet our long serving Senator as she completes her last term.

Below are a few highlights from Senator Stabenow’s career shared from her website:

“Made in Michigan through and through, U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow continues to lead on public policy and improve the lives of the people of Michigan and Americans across our country. Her leadership is characterized by an unrivaled work ethic, the ability to build bipartisan coalitions to get things done, and a commitment to public service that has set the standard for constituent service.

Throughout her years in public service, she has blazed trails and opened doors for women and girls. Among her many ‘firsts’ – she was the first woman elected to the United States Senate from Michigan.

Senator Stabenow helped write the Affordable Care Act and has passed major reforms to bring down the cost of prescription drugs. Her bipartisan Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Act is transforming the way we deliver high-quality community behavioral health services in America. Because of her leadership, we are now going to be funding health care above the neck the same as health care below the neck.”

To RSVP for this event click the button below. Attendees will be emailed location information on Sunday evening.

The State Board of Canvassers meets today in Lansing to consider some of the eight recall petition requests filed against Michigan lawmakers. Requests have been filed with the Secretary of State to recall six Democrats and two Republicans.

The Democrats facing potential recall petitions are Betsy Coffia (Traverse City), Noah Arbit (West Bloomfield), Jaime Churches (Wyandotte), Reggie Miller (Monroe), Sharon MacDonell (Troy), and Jennifer Conlin (Ann Arbor).

The petition filers object to these representatives’ votes on either the Red Flag or the Hate Crimes legislation considered this spring. While the Red Flag legislation has been enacted, the specific Hate Crimes bill (House Bill 4474) the filers object to did not pass the Senate.

Should the Board of Canvassers approve the petition requests the filers have 60 days to obtain enough signatures to put the recalls before the voters.

When the petition filings first surfaced Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes stated that the party takes the recall effort seriously, but noted that “I honestly don't believe that we're going to have any trouble quashing these recalls for our members. Our members have done absolutely nothing wrong. The bills that they are being recalled about are things that the people of Michigan actually want."

All eyes will be on Ohio next Tuesday as the votes are tabulated for the special election on Issue 1 - a cynical attempt by Republican politicians and lobbyists to thwart a petition drive to put reproductive freedoms into Ohio’s state constitution.

Issue 1 attempts to defeat the reproductive rights initiative before it even goes to voters by increasing the barriers to amending the state’s constitution. Instead of a simple majority voting in favor of a ballot to amend (as has been the case in Ohio since 1912), the new requirement under the GOP’s proposed ballot Issue 1 would be a super-majority of 60% of voters necessary to amend the constitution.

Millions of dollars have poured into Ohio from Republican megadonors to push Issue 1.

This past Friday the Ohio Secretary of State certified that enough valid signatures were gathered to put the reproductive rights proposal on the ballot in November. Republicans then piled one cynical attempt on top of another and immediately filed a lawsuit asking the Ohio Supreme Court to block the proposal.

The GOP backed Issue 1 is now before the voters in early voting with Election Day this coming Tuesday. So, once again, we are asking for your help.

You can help your friends and family in Ohio preserve their right to majority rule, and push back the GOP-led effort to undercut the forthcoming ballot initiative to protect reproductive rights.

Take advantage of the opportunities below to call Ohio voters urging a “No” vote on Issue 1 - the supermajority requirement to amend the state’s constitution.

Call Voters - sign up here to join a virtual phone bank to call Ohio voters: Get Out the Vote for Ohio Special Election

Remove Transportation Barriers for Ohio Voters - sign up here to join a virtual phone bank calling Ohio voters to spread awareness of the Ride2Vote program, and offer them a free round-trip ride to the polls if they need it: GOTV Phone Banking with Rideshare2Vote

 The success of our county party relies on the participation of people just like you. Join the HCDP today and help us put Democrats on the ballot who’ll make a difference.

“We are Democrats because we believe that good government must rely upon and strengthen the bonds that make us a society: recognizing the richness of our diverse heritage, preserving what we have been given, and leaving to posterity a legacy greater than that which we received.” - HCDP Platform Preamble

More good news (and some bad) out of Lansing this past week, as the legislature resumes their summer break:

• Yesterday Governor Whitmer signed the $57.4B state budget bill, the first budget crafted by Democrats in 40 years. The Governor posted a video to social media outlining the major funding this new budget provides. See the Governor’s post and video here on Facebook.

• Michigan joined 21 states and the District of Columbia in banning conversion therapy for minors as Governor Whitmer signed off on House Bills 4616 & 4617 this past Wednesday. “Today, we are banning the horrific practice of conversion therapy in Michigan and ensuring this is a state where you can be who you are,” Whitmer said in a statement. “As a mom of a member of the community and a proud, lifelong ally, I am grateful that we are taking action to make Michigan a more welcoming, inclusive place.”

• Michigan House and Senate Republicans outraised their Democratic counterparts in the second quarter of this year according to campaign finance reports released last Tuesday. The Republican success is thanks to help from former Governor Snyder and wealthy donors like the DeVos family.

• A State Supreme Court ruling last Monday expanded the parental rights of same-sex parents. The court ruling means that unmarried LGBTQ parents previously banned from same-sex marriage can now fight for custody over their non-biological children.

Here are dates to hold for upcoming HCDP activities:  

• August 12th: Service Project: Paint Day

• August 19th: Pasty Fest Parade in Calumet

• August 24 thru 27th: Booth at Houghton County Fair

HCDP Monthly Meetings: First Wednesday of each month at 7 PM, in the conference room at the Houghton Super 8 and by Zoom.

NEXT MEETING: AUGUST 2ND

Thur 8/3

• The South Range Village Council meets Thursday at 6:30 PM in the South Range Community Building. For more information contact the Village at [email protected] or (906) 482-8833.

Fri 8/4

• This Friday the US Coast Guard celebrates its 233rd birthday. The Coast Guard traces its roots to the “revenue cutters” - a small fleet of vessels maintained by the Treasury department. The cutters were requested by Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton and approved by Congress on August 4, 1790.

  The modern Coast Guard is the result of the merger in 1915 of the US Revenue Cutter Service with the then separate US Life-Saving Service. The Coast Guard later also absorbed the Lighthouse Service and the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation.

  You can find out more about the history of the US Coast Guard on their website.

Is there a community commemoration or event we should recognize that's of particular importance to you? Just send an email to [email protected].