The PEG event calendar is provided as a community service to its readers, and is based on information provided by the event sponsors. Inclusion of material does not imply endorsement by PEG.

Saturday, May 26. Promote the Vote Signature Collection

This event will be held at Kerrytown Farmer's Market, 315 Detroit St, Ann Arbor . 10 am

Monday, May 28. Sign the Promote the Vote Ballot Initiative

Tuesday, May, 29. Attend a May MI-Resistance calling party

Contact [email protected] for more information, or click here t o access their website and register for the event. This week's focus is to Stop Republicans from Slashing Workers' Wages. The Prevailing Wage Act of 1965 requires contractors to pay union-level wages and benefits for construction projects financed or sponsored by the state of Michigan. It is currently in danger of being repealed. 1071 Young Place, Ann Arbor. 2–4 pm

Tuesday May 29. Rally in support of the Poor People's Campaign

On May 14, there was an uplifting and powerful show in Lansing, joining protesters in 29 other states that had simultaneous rallies and civil disobedience actions. The focus is creating a compassionate and just society that centers poor people. The campaign is non partisan and is seeking to, among other things, push for a living wage and health care for all, LGBTQA rights, voting rights, fair housing, immigration rights.

 For more information including the time of the rally’s click here. This is the schedule of the rallies.

Central United Methodist Church, 215 N. Capitol Ave, Lansing .

Thursday, May 31. Voter Registration Training

Learn the details about how to register voters; find out about the many League of Women Voters registration projects. Please RSVP . Ann Arbor Library, Downtown Branch, 343 S. Fifth Ave, Ann Arbor . 7–8:30 pm

Friday, June 1. Planned Parenthood volunteers' tabling at Ypsilanti Pride

First Pride event this year! Planned Parenthood Ann Arbor will be tabling all night, and supporting the community. Want to table? Take a shift here . S. Washington St, Ypsilanti . 6–10 pm

Saturday, June 2. WCDP Black Caucus hosts Bridging 23 Unity Walk

The Unity Walk will start at Ann Arbor City Hall, continue along Washtenaw Avenue and end at Ypsilanti Freighthouse in Depot Town. Registration starts at 8 am. Unity Walk is 9 am–noon. There will be a Community Celebration at the Ypsilanti Freighthouse from noon–2 pm. For more details, visit wcdpblackcaucus.com .

Thursday, June 7. Fundraiser to support League of Woman Voters Poster Contest

Every Thursday evening in June Alley Bar, a local "boisterous hangout lures locals with its craft cocktails and cold brews served in a hip atmosphere" will be donating 10% of the evening's receipts to LWVAAA in support of their poster contest.

This evening at 8 p.m. Ann Arbor musician Judy Banker will perform. You can read her bio here . Come discover a new place, join in the fun, and support a good cause. Alley Bar, 112 W, Liberty St. Ann Arbor . 7 pm

Saturday, June 9. Voter Registration Training

Another opportunity to learn the details about how to register voters; find out about the many League of Women Voters registration projects. Please RSVP. Ann Arbor Library, Pittsfield Branch, 2359 Oak Valley Dr., Ann Arbor 10–11:30 am

Wednesday, June 13. Campaign Finance in Michigan Elections

Craig Mauger, of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network , will detail how the role of money in Michigan politics has changed over the last decade. The presentation will provide information on how campaign finance works in Michigan; what is dark money; how can a person identify dark-money funded campaign mailers and advertisements; and how can a person find out who's funding a TV ad. Tecumseh District Library. 215 N. Ottawa St., Tecumseh . 6:30 pm

Fundraiser to support League Women Voters Poster Contest

Wednesday, June 20. Learn about the ballot proposal to end gerrymandering in Michigan

At this League of Women Voters Brews and Views they will go over the details of the proposal, get an update on how that effort is progressing and discuss what will come next. This event is open to the public, but attendees must be over 21 to buy or drink alcohol. Location TBA. 7:30-9:30 pm

Sunday, June 24. Gun Violence and Firearm Safety: How Can I Make a Difference?



Jim Peggs, MD and Sonya Lewis, MD, MPH, will be speaking as representatives of the Michigan based physicians' organization, Physicians for the Prevention of Gun Violence (PPGV).

Drs. Lewis and Peggs will share some startling data comparing gun violence in America to other highly developed nations and explore possible reasons for the disparities. They will discuss some basic steps that health professionals and all members of our community can take to decrease the prevalence of death and injury from gun violence.

Special emphasis will be placed on vulnerable populations such as children, people managing mental health concerns, and people who are victims of intimate partner violence. The discussion will also extend to ways in which we can promote a safer world in the presence of guns.

At Jewish Community Center of Greater Ann Arbor, 2935 Birch Hollow Dr, Ann Arbor . Free. 3 pm.

This newsletter contains many suggestions to contact your congresspeople. To acquire their contact information, click here .

Rock the Vote — You must register by July 9

Recently turned 18? Over 60 or disabled? Want to vote absentee? Get information on how to register and learn more here. - rockthevote.org

Monday, July 9 is deadline for registering for Michigan primary elections

Michigan Primary elections will be held August 7, 2018. You must be registered by July 9 to vote. Here is the unofficial list of primary candidates and more information from the Secretary of State’s office. We will have more information on these candidates in future newsletters.

Help boost turnout in the August 7 primary

The Detroit Free Press launched a major initiative to draw attention to the August 7 primary election. They're asking everyone to join the "10-5-1" campaign. It works like this:

By July 1 : Send emails or postcards to 10 family members, friends, or acquaintances you suspect aren't planning to vote in the primary election, inviting them to join you at the polls August 7.

By August 1 : Have phone or face-to-face conversations with at least 5 of those you contacted, renewing your invitation to vote.

On or before August 7 : Take 1 of the people you contacted with you when you go to cast your own vote or absentee ballot.

Why does turnout matter in the August primaries? The Freep puts it like this:

"For the majority of Michigan voters who reside in congressional and legislative districts stacked decisively in favor of one party, November may be too late to play a meaningful role in deciding who'll represent them in Washington and Lansing.

For those voters, the more important election will take place August 7, when a small subset of those who cast ballots in the November election will choose the Republican and Democratic nominees for Congress, governor and the state Legislature." Read more about the Freep 's 10-5-1 campaign . Thanks to CivCity for this article and the great work they do.

 S ubscribe to the CivCity newsletter by clicking here.

By Ellen Halter

On Saturday, May 12, 2018, at the 12th Congressional District Summit, I attended a presentation by Solomon Rajput, founder of the Michigan Resistance. He talked about his organization of volunteers who are committed to calling Democratic voters about issues circulating in the Michigan State House and Senate. An organizer with Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, he told of his need to continue working for progress when she lost the election in November 2016. He founded the Michigan Resistance with other disappointed Hillary volunteers.

  A medical student, Solomon finds time not only to preside over the Michigan Resistance but talk it up as well. And talk it up he does. With his flashing black eyes and enthusiastic smile, he told of formulating calling parties in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Milford, Dexter, and Flint, which are making a difference in Republican dominated Lansing politics.

  Seduced by his enthusiasm and hope, the following Monday evening I joined his effort. I found myself at a calling party hosted by a retired teacher who provided unlimited drinks and snacks to the volunteers who’d come to call State Reps as well as registered Democrats. The other volunteers welcomed me as well as instructing me in their calling procedures, which they are perfecting for the midterm elections. I was struck with both their organization and commitment.

  I left that house stuffed with M&M’s and feeling as if I’d replaced one small brick in the crumbling structure we call our democracy. Something about that evening has me hooked, ready to devote future Monday nights to this effort.

After Parkland and Santa Fe, time to register to vote

The pace of new voter registrations among young people in crucial states is accelerating, a signal that school shootings this year — and the anger and political organizing in their wake — may prove to be more than ephemeral displays of activism. -The New York Times

Editorial on how Trump redrew our political boundaries

President Trump hasn't just rewritten the political rule book; he has also redrawn the political map. While plenty like to complain about how the polls got the 2016 election wrong, they got it wrong in only one region of the country: along the Rust Belt and into the Upper Midwest. And that's where Trump pulled out his narrow victory.

  We and plenty of others have been somewhat consumed with how that shift came about and whether it represents a fundamental realignment in American politics. But, I still don't think people realize how big a shift it was or where exactly it occurred.

Luckily, a new map put together by The Washington Post' s graphics team shows it better than just about anything we've seen to date. - The Washington Post

Trump Administration takes aim at Planned Parenthood

According to The New York Times , abortion facilities or abortion referral services would lose federal funding, a new regulation specifically aimed at Planned Parenthood, to the pleasure of social conservatives. (According to Cecile Richards, former director of Planned Parenthood, in 2017 Ivanka and Jared Kushner offered her more federal money if the organization desisted from performing abortions, and she refused.) For more information on this development, click on The New York Times .

 

Trump’s Nazi rhetoric

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), this week when Trump said, “These are not people. These are animals,” he was perpetuating a long tradition of using dehumanizing rhetoric to describe “the Other”: Nazis called Jews Untermenschen or subhu mans; Tutsis were called “cockroaches”; extremists behind a bomb plot to kill Somali Muslims called them “cockroaches.” In this era, when immigrants possibly are being deported to their death, such rhetoric is dangerous. To call in to protest, click here . To read further about SPLC’s Hate Watch, click here.

Think Facebook doesn’t have your data? Representative Debbie Dingle shows us otherwise!

Wow! Watch this short video of Debbie Dingle questioning Mark Zuckerberg at the congressional hearing about social plug-ins that are a common feature on websites. She discloses that pretty much every time you “like” or share items on websites with these social plug-ins, Facebook can use this information to customize your newsfeed or provide information for advertisements. Look what can happen if you stop doing that. You can change your view of humanity.

Taking children from their parents is a form of state terror

Hostage-taking is an instrument of terror. Capturing family members, especially children, is a tried-and-true instrument of totalitarian terror. Memoirs of Stalinist terror are full of stories of strong men and women disintegrating when their loved ones are threatened. - The New Yorker

Michigan House approves bills letting industry vote on environmental rules

Championed by State Senator Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba, Senate Bills 652 , 653 and 654 provide increased oversight of the Department of Environmental Quality, which Casperson has called overzealous, too quick to deny permits and fueled by a “radical left-wing” environmental agenda . The legislation would create private-sector panels, including one largely populated with industry representatives, that could override agency decisions on rules and permits. Learn more here. -Bridge

Racial accusations embroil Michigan Medicaid reform debate

Are Michigan Republicans trying to shield GOP counties (left) from Medicaid work requirements, even as they seek to impose them on Democratic-rich cities (right)? Does the proposed legislation violate civil rights laws by disproportionately impacting African-American recipients while giving rural white regions a pass? - Bridge

Five ways to increase Asian American voter turnout

More than 20 million Asian Americans currently reside in the United States. They are the fastest-growing racial group in the country, and the population is quickly gaining political power; it will constitute nearly 10 percent of eligible voters by 2036. However, Asian Americans continue to face barriers to the ballot box. Language barriers, voter suppression tactics, and lack of quality engagement from political parties have produced a large, persistent racial disparity in voter turnout.

Here are five ways to increase Asian American voter turnout:

- Center for American Progress

Watch 2 minute video “Phone Activism for Introverts” below

Guide to Voter Registration in Michigan for college students

Click here for this great site.

 

Find out if a person is registered to vote

This organization has lots of other good info such as next election dates, polling places, etc. National Association of Secretaries of State

Congressional Districts by zip code

Click here.

Receive absentee ballot applications automatically

Registered Ann Arbor voters who qualify and regularly vote by absentee ballot, including residents over age 60, can sign up to automatically receive absentee ballot applications by mail for each election. Applications will be sent to those on this permanent list six to eight weeks prior to each election.

In order to receive a ballot, voters on the permanent list must still complete and sign the application each election. The next Election Day in the city is Tuesday, May 8. Call (734) 794-6140 or email the Ann Arbor City Clerk's Office at [email protected] for more information or to sign up.

Even more valuable voter resources

Know when elections are happening, and have the information you need to vote with confidence. Sign up to receive election reminders, get registered to vote, and apply for your absentee ballot!

Ensure you’ll have a ballot for 2018 primaries and midterms

Spend 60 seconds to verify your right to vote.

1) Check that you haven’t been removed from your state’s voter rolls ( check here ).

2) Ensure that you meet your state’s voter ID requirements ( check here). If you need help with getting ID or transport, go here or here.

3) Put your state’s primary dates in your calendar ( check here).

4) Make sure your polling place hasn’t been moved ( check here).

5) Important: Share these steps on social media so your friends can also vote.

10 podcasts to make you smarter about politics

Given the high interest level of the public into knowing everything that is going on with President Donald Trump's administration,news organizations that cover politics have plunged head-first into the audio space. Here are 10 must-listen political podcasts to add to your list. -Apple News

View upcoming opportunities to meet with your representatives and candidates

Additional information about meet-ups with representatives and candidates can be found on the PEG website under events by clicking on the following link: http://equalityingov.org/events .

Thursday, May 24. Coffee hour with Rep. Donna Lasinski in Saline

Salt Springs Brewery, 117 S. Ann Arbor St, Saline . 6 pm

Saturday, May 26. Constituent hour with State Rep. Adam Zemke (District 55)

The Morning Owl, 9 S. Main St., Milan . 9 am 

 

Saturday, May 26. Constituent hour with State Rep. Yousef Rabhi (District 53)

RoosRoast Coffee, 1155 Rosewood St., Ann Arbor . 10 am

Monday, June 4. Coffee hour with Representative Donna Lasinski

Scio Township Hall, 827 N. Zeeb Rd, Ann Arbor . 5:30 pm

Friday, June 8. Candidates Meet & Greet at the Geddes Lake Clubhouse

Contact Margaret Bennet at [email protected] for more information and to help out. 5:30–8 pm

Saturday, June 16. Coffee hour with State Senate candidate Michelle Deatrick

Owl, Morning 'til Night, 9 W Main St, Milan . 9–10 am

Looking for more information?

Check out the equalityingov.org webpage. Find out everything you want to know about who we are; the issues and organizations we endorse; an events calendar; and past issues of our newsletter and Facebook postings. It’s all there on the Web!

To subscribe to this Free newsletter go to our website by clicking here .

Thanks to Newsletter contributors: Bernie Banet, Carolyn Christopher , Ellen Halter, Leslie McGraw, CivCity, Rick Price, Richard Gaeth, Ginny Morgan, Susan Ayer, and Chuck Newman for their help preparing this newsletter. Write us at [email protected] if you would like to learn how you can help create our weekly newsletter. It’s fun and no ongoing commitment is required.