Upcoming Events & Dana Nessel's Visit

HCDP News for August 15th, 2023

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Houghton County Dems
August 15, 2023

  • Party News

    • Volunteers Needed for Events in the Next Two Weeks

    • Attorney General Nesssel’s Visit

    • Victory in Ohio

    • Meme of the Week

    • More Good Things Happening in Lansing

  • Upcoming Events

    • Labor Day Eve Picnic

    • Save the Date - Upcoming HCDP Events

    • Marquette Dems Announce Reception with Elissa Slotkin

    • Community Events

Volunteers Needed for Events in the Next Two Weeks

We have LOTS of activity coming up - you can find out more in the Upcoming Events section below.

But right now we need your help with events THIS WEEKEND AND NEXT. Please consider volunteering for one of the following:

AUG 19: Summer Service Project

Rain delayed the planned final house painting session this past weekend and some of our volunteers can’t make the rescheduled rain date this Saturday. So WE NEED YOU to support this worthwhile effort in collaboration with Let’s Rebuild.

If you can volunteer to spend some time Saturday painting in Laurium please email William Keith at [email protected] to sign up.

AUG 19: Pasty Fest

We will have a table at Pasty Fest this year, alongside other local community groups and businesses.

If you can volunteer to staff the table for a period of time this Saturday between 10 AM & 4 PM please email William Keith at [email protected] to sign up.

AUG 25 thru 27: Houghton County Fair 

We are looking for volunteers to staff our Houghton Dems booth at the County Fair Friday, August 25 through Sunday, Aug 27. Booth hours will be 11 AM to 10 PM on Friday and Saturday, and on Sunday from 11:30 AM to 5 PM. Volunteers will need to cover at least a two hour shift, and will receive a pass for free entry into the fairgrounds.

 If you’d like to volunteer please email Horst Schmidt at [email protected] to coordinate your shift and get your pass.

Attorney General Nesssel’s Visit

We had a packed house for our visit with Michigan’s Attorney General. Dana Nessel spoke for just over five minutes before spending almost an hour answering questions in a way that was both informative and engaging.

A packed house for Attorney General Nessel

Some of the topics covered in the Q&A:

  • Election safety and steps being taken to protect local election officials. In her response the AG noted that Michigan is one of the few states with domestic terrorism laws, that even the Federal government does not have.

  • The vandalism at Temple Jacob and the recent passage of hate crimes legislation including desecration of property based on bias.

  • The importance of including age as a protected class in the recently passed hate crimes bill, and the need to protect seniors against fraud and abuse.

  • Work by the AG’s office to reduce robocalls, and advice on handling telemarketing scams

  • The status of Line 5 and the state’s lawsuit against Enbridge.

  • The importance of having Democrats run for local office, and how it helps not only locally but up and down the ticket.

Toward the end of her remarks, the Attorney General reminded everyone of the resources available at the Department of Attorney General website (at mi.gov/ag.) She encouraged each of us to visit the site, see what resources are available and take advantage of them.

AG Nessel emphasizes a point in response to a question from the group

Group Photo with Attorney General Dana Nessel

Victory in Ohio

By now you’ve likely heard the news from last Tuesday’s vote on Ohio’s Issue 1 - the cynical attempt by Republican politicians and lobbyists to thwart a change putting reproductive freedoms into Ohio’s state constitution via a November referendum. The proposal was resoundingly rejected by voters. The votes were 57% to 43% - not even close. Over 3 million Ohioans voted, an outstandingly large number given that the state primary election last August drew only 632,000 voters.

The victory on Issue 1 means that Ohio retains its over-100-year-old rules for a simple majority to pass ballot proposals that change the state constitution.

The other good news out of Ohio is that the Republican controlled state Supreme Court voted unanimously to toss out a lawsuit that would have blocked the reproductive freedom referendum from the November ballot. Now Ohioans will have the same chance to have their voices heard on reproductive freedoms that we in Michigan had last fall.

Thank you to all of you who called or sent post cards to get out the vote in Ohio on Issue 1!

 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

Meme of the Week

This is our second week we’re sharing a meme from one of our Democratic friends and allies.

This week’s meme was posted on Facebook by the Michigan Democratic Party, and highlights some of the ways that #DemsDeliver for Michigan.

While Republicans want to slash investments in American businesses, give tax breaks to the rich and big corporations, and ship good jobs overseas, Democrats remain focused on Delivering!

If you’re on Facebook click through on the image above and show the Michigan Democratic Party some ❤️!

More Good Things Happening in Lansing

The state legislature continues their summer break, but others in Michigan government made news over the last week:

  • Besides her visit with the Houghton County Dems, Attorney General Nessel has been quite active over the last week. While here in Houghton County, she also visited the Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter Home to discuss the Address Confidentiality Program Act. Nessel also joined a coalition of 20 states in opposing Anti-Transgender Laws in Tennessee and Kentucky, and took to Twitter to criticize the State Attorney Grievance Commission for delaying action against attorneys who sought to overturn the 2020 election. This past Thursday the Attorney General announced she was joining a coalition with 13 other attorneys general urging the Biden administration to bolster its strategy to combat plastic pollution.

  • As reported in Detroit Metro Times, Lt. Governor Gilchrist joined state legislators on Thursday for a news conference to discuss “an aggressive package of bills this fall that sets new carbon emission standards, expands access to alternative energy sources, and requires utility companies to become more energy efficient.” This is one hint of the agenda the Democrats in Michigan will be pursuing when the legislature reconvenes in the fall.

Labor Day Eve Picnic

Mark your calendars for Sunday, September 3rd for our annual Labor Day Eve Picnic. This year we’ll be gathering at the Hancock Beach Pavilion from 4 PM until 7 PM. As usual this is a Potluck Picnic - Bring your drinks and a dish to pass. We'll provide hotdogs & hamburgers (and condiments).

Save the Date -
Upcoming HCDP Events

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: SEPTEMBER 6TH

Marquette Dems Announce Reception with Elissa Slotkin

The Marquette County Democrats have shared the announcement of a reception with Rep. Elissa Slotkin, candidate for the US Senate, on Wednesday, August 16th, 2023. To RSVP and contribute, click on the link in the image below.

Community Events

Tue 8/15

  • This month's regular meeting of the Houghton County Board of Commissioners is this afternoon at 4 PM in the Conference Room on the fifth floor of the Houghton County Courthouse. Find more information on the Board's webpage (Microsoft Teams virtual meeting info is in the Agenda).

  • The Laurium Village Council meets tonight at 6 PM in the Council Chambers of the Town Hall. More info can be found on the Village's website.

  • The Calumet Village Council meets tonight at 6:30 PM in the Village Council Chambers. More information can be found on the Council's webpage.

Also Tue 8/15

  • Tuesday marks 78 years since V-J Day (short for Victory over Japan Day). On August 15, 1945 the Japanese government issued a statement surrendering to the Allied forces. (Because of the time difference it was still August 14th in the US when the Japanese announcement came.)

    Spontaneous celebrations broke out around the world, as the announcement meant that the hostilities of World War II were finally over.

    Visit this US DOD multimedia webpage for more about VJ Day.

Alfred Eisenstaedt snapped this iconic photo for Life magazine of a US Navy sailor kissing a woman in Times Square as people spontaneously celebrated VJ Day

Wed 8/16

  • The Hancock City Council scheduled a special meeting Monday evening with, among other things, consideration of the nominations for appointment of mayor and mayor pro-tem on the Agenda. (Mayor Paul LaBine stepped down from the Council July 19th in advance of being sworn in to fill the vacancy left when former Prosecutor Brittany Bulleit was appointed as 12th Circuit Court judge.) According to the City’s website the regularly scheduled monthly meeting will take place at 6 PM Wedneday in the Hancock City Hall Council Chambers.

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