UPCOMING EVENTS FEATURED IN OUR NEWSLETTER
DATE & TIME | EVENT & LOCATION |
|---|---|
Anytime | Know What You Sign - View the Online Training on Ballot Petitions from the League of Women Voters of the Copper Country |
All Thru the Month of December | Donate to this month’s charity - Copper Country Housing Assistance (and let us know you did here.) |
December 16 @ 6 PM | Baraga County Dems Monthly Meeting |
December 18 | Final legislative day for the Michigan legislature (both House and Senate) |
December 19 | Deadline Day for release of the Epstein Files, as mandated by law |
Events featured in our newsletter can also be found on the Events Calendar on the main page of our website.
HC BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ANTI-TRANS RESOLUTION WENT DOWN TO DEFEAT 4 TO 1
WE DID IT!
At this point I’m sure you are all aware of the resounding defeat of the “there are only two sexes, there is no other option” resolution at last week’s County Board of Commissioners meeting. The turnout by the community - the blatant show of democracy on display during the public comments - was amazing to see!
Many groups raised the alarm on social media to help rally the community, including AWAVE, Keweenaw Indivisible, Keweenaw Against the Oligarchy, the Keweenaw Socialists and your Houghton County Dems. In fact, our Facebook post about the resolution was far and away our most viewed social media post ever. It has been shared over 20 times, and as of this weekend has over 12,000 views.
Together the community took on a Board resolution that was misinformed and mean-spirited and made sure our County Board rejected it. To everyone who took part in making this happen - you should be proud.
The defeat of this resolution is an affirmation of the welcoming nature of our county, and also a reminder that, unfortunately, that welcoming nature can and will be challenged. But the community demonstrated that we understand that just like democracy itself, the fundamental values of truth, and of fairness and equality which inform our welcoming nature are worth fighting for.
The author of the resolution, Commissioner Keranen, is not up for re-election until 2028, but it would be good to start laying the groundwork to oppose him. If you are interested in helping with this - especially if you know anyone who lives in Franklin, Osceola, Schoolcraft, or Torch Lake Township who might be interested in running for the Board - then we invite you to reach out to us by email at [email protected] or to join us so that together we can discuss the options.
There has been plenty of media coverage of last week’s Board meeting. But the most thorough coverage of the meeting, the protest beforehand, and the vote itself has to be the write-up by Michele Bourdieu on her Keweenaw Now blog. It includes numerous photos and videos. If you haven’t already seen it, you can check it out here.
JOIN YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS IN SUPPORTING THE FIGHT AGAINST HOMELESSNESS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
HOUGHTON COUNTY DEMS JOIN WITH OTHER LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO FIGHT HOMELESSNESS
The Houghton County Democrats have joined with other local organizations to raise $30,000 by the end of December 2025 for the Hancock Salvation Army’s “Housing Assistance” fund. Proceeds will be used by the Salvation Army for direct assistance to prevent homelessness of individuals and families in the six western counties of the Upper Peninsula, including Houghton and Baraga Counties. The Homeless Assistance Fund is separate from monies raised by the Salvation Army through its annual Red Kettle drive.
THIS HOUSING ASSISTANCE FUND WILL DIRECTLY SUPPORT THE HANCOCK SALVATION ARMY CHAPTER IN PROVIDING SERVICE TO LOCAL FOLKS STRUGGLING WITH HOUSING NEEDS.
Every day, local families struggle to make ends meet, whether it is for food, medical care, or housing. To be eligible for housing assistance, individuals or families must have a qualified housing need, they must establish housing sustainability through a source of regular income, and the assistance provided must resolve the crisis at hand. The $30,000 Homeless Assistance Fund is expected to provide housing assistance for up to 50 individuals or families throughout 2026.
Click the button below to donate, and don’t forget to type in “Housing Assistance” in the comment portion of the donation form.
After you’ve donated to the fund, please also click here to anonymously record your donation. We do this to measure our impact, understand what else may need to be done, and take additional action if required.
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!
BARAGA COUNTY DEMS HOLD THEIR MONTHLY MEETING TONIGHT
Our neighbors the Baraga County Dems are holding their monthly meeting and a “bars and cookies” potluck tonight starting at 6 PM.
The meeting will be held at the L’Anse Town Hall at 126 N Main St in L’Anse. Zoom is also available for those who’d like to attend remotely, and the Zoom details have been shared with those on the Baraga Dems mailing list.
Baraga Dems Chair Lisa Philip notes, “We may get a late start because there is a local blood drive at the town hall on the same date from 3 - 6 PM. You may want to donate blood before the meeting!”
NEWS BRIEFS
BACKDOOR STATE BUDGET CUTS: In a DOGE-like move, a Republican-controlled state House committee used a relatively obscure provision in state law to unilaterally cut $645 M in already approved funds from the state budget - funds meant for veterans, public heath, food safety, schools and more. “There’s a special place in hell for someone willing to yank money away from moms and babies 15 days before Christmas,” said Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks. One of those Republican House Appropriations Committee members who voted for these funding cuts is our local Rep. Greg Markkanen, who defended his vote in an interview on the radio broadcast Copper Country Today. MORE: Bridge Michigan, MyUPNews
MyUPNews’ Andrew Lorinser discusses Rep. Markkanen’s interview on the radio program Copper Country Today
NEW MI SEC OF STATE CANDIDATE: State Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli announced her resignation from that position last week as she threw her hat in the ring for the Michigan Democratic Party nomination for Secretary of State. Shkreli has previously served as as a Macomb County Assistant Prosecutor, Deputy Legal Counsel in Governor Whitmer's administration, Michigan's Child Advocate, and Director of Juvenile Justice Reform. MORE: Michigan Advance [A FULL LISTING OF ALL THE 2026 DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY CANDIDATES CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE]
EPSTEIN FILES RELEASE DEADLINE: This Friday is Deadline Day - the date by which the Department of Justice is mandated under the Epstein Files Transparency Act to make all unclassified Epstein-related records, documents, and communications publicly available in a searchable format. Court rulings have also cleared the way for pubic disclosure of grand jury investigations into Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislane Maxwell. MORE: MS NOW
CRIME FALLS TO HISTORIC LOWS: The Council on Criminal Justice, a nonpartisan think tank, released a report last Thursday designed to fill the gap in detailed nationwide arrest statistics, which were discontinued by the federal government in 2020. The report shows that the overall national arrest rate was 70% below the peak rate in 1994, continuing a multi-year decline in crime. MORE: Michigan Advance
DEMS STRONG IN 2025 STATE ELECTIONS: While much has been written about Democratic candidate successes in special elections at the national level, Bolts takes a deep dive into state legislative elections in 2025, finding impressive gains for Democratic candidates, even stronger than 2017. MORE: Bolts
2026 RACE IN TEXAS HEATS UP: The Democratic primary race for Senate in 2026 took a turn last week as Jasmine Crockett announced her candidacy. Colin Allred dropped out of the race and Crockett immediately took front-runner status in polling against James Talarico, an early favorite. Meanwhile CNN finds that, with faltering support among Latinos, the Republican gerrymandering plan is looking increasingly unlikely to net them the gains they expect. MORE: Newsweek, CNN
CONTROVERSY AND PUSH BACK AROUND DATA CENTERS: The need for data centers - those buildings which house large numbers of computer servers to power things like crytocurrency mining or artificial intelligence is on the rise. And as the need has grown, so has the controversy, particularly around the power and water needs of these centers, and the potential for increased electricity costs for residents of the communities where they locate. This past Sunday Audrey Gerard of Michigan United and Kevin Carter of UP North Advocacy gave a talk called “What Are Cryptocurrency Data Centers and How Will They Impact Michigan?” at the Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. Should the recording of this talk be made available we’ll let you know. In the meantime, check out this article that gives context and background on the issues around data centers. MORE: Michigan Advance
Mark your calendars for this fundraiser by the Kelli van Ginhoven campaign. January 17th from 2 to 4 PM at Fifth & Elm in Hancock.
A SELF-PACED COURSE FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN RUNNING FOR OFFICE
From school board to the US House & Senate our country needs progressive democratically minded candidates in 2026 to handle the challenges we all face. If you are thinking of running for office but aren’t sure what that means, the National Democratic Training Coalition has a self-paced course for you.
From the organizers:
“You don’t need a political degree or experience to run for office – you just need a passion to lead. Whether you’re driven by public education, healthcare, or the economy, we’ll give you the tools and confidence you need to run a successful campaign and be a changemaker.
There are a record number of Democrats stepping up to run for office and – until now – not enough resources to support first-time candidates. With accessible training and resources, new candidates can lay the foundations that lead to strong, winning campaigns. That’s why we’re introducing Spark: Launch to identify and walk you through them. We’re eliminating the barriers to entry and turning enthusiasm into Democratic wins up and down the ballot.
We built this program with our average learner in mind — someone working a 9-to-5 type job, maybe with a family or active social life, who wants to make a difference — folks who don’t have time to be glued to their computer all day. Each step is designed to be navigated for an hour or two over the work week, or over the course of a weekend.”
Learn more about the NDTC’s Spark: Launch training and take the first steps to arming yourself for a successful run for office.
Governmental & Community Meetings
TUE DEC 16
The Calumet Village Council meets tonight at 6 PM in the Village Council Chambers. More information can be found on the Village’s News and Events webpage.
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 Council's webpage.
WED DEC 17
The Hancock City Council meets at 6 PM in the Hancock City Hall Council Chambers.
A FULL LISTING OF ALL LOCAL CITY, VILLAGE AND TOWNSHIP GOVERNMENTS, WITH CONTACT INFORMATION, AND (WHERE AVAILABLE) TIMING OF LOCAL COUNCIL MEETINGS CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE.
SUBMIT A RESOLUTION
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