Julie asked to have a monthly public policy column for our branch newsletters, and we are delighted to have her regular submissions starting with this issue!

As election day approaches, it is a time to reflect on the most fundamental of all of our constitutional rights, the right to vote. In the past year, there have been strong efforts at federal and state levels to restrict those rights. This seems to be a good time to review those attempts and to stay informed. 

At the federal level, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act was proposed earlier this year. This bill requires documentary proof of citizenship when updating or registering to vote. A driver’s license or state ID, even if it is a Real ID, is not sufficient to prove U.S. citizenship. A passport or birth certificate is required. Over 140 million Americans do not have a U.S. passport. Only 1 in 4 Americans with a high school degree or less have a valid passport. Only 1 in 5 Americans with income below $50,000 have a valid passport.  

If an individual does not have a passport, they can use a birth certificate to establish verified citizenship. There is no provision in the bill for name changes, so the name on the birth certificate must match the individual’s legal name. This will disenfranchise transgender individuals who change their name. It will also disenfranchise the 84% of married women who change their surname. Approximately 69 million American women will not have a birth certificate to verify citizenship. 

The SAVE Act passed the House of Representatives but failed in the U.S. Senate. However, the effort lives on in our own state.

There are currently two petitions circulating to get proof of citizenship required for voter registration in Michigan. The Committee to Protect Voters Rights is a misnomer. That committee is attempting to gather signatures to get a proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot that would basically mirror the SAVE Act in Michigan. The other group is Americans for Citizens Voting. They are essentially doing the same thing. Make no mistake; these groups are not trying to protect voters’ rights; they are trying to limit them. Do not sign these petitions. 

If you want to take action to protect voters rights, here are things you can do: 

Sign up for Stop Voter Suppression Training: https://www.mobilize.us/vnp/event/793184/ 

Write a Letter to the Editor: https://www.bigrapidsnews.com/forms/letter-to-the-editor/ 

Volunteer for Voters Not Politicians: https://votersnotpoliticians.com/save-act/#save-volunteer-form 

References: 

https://votersnotpoliticians.com/ 

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-save-act-overview-and-facts/ 

https://www.mlive.com/politics/2025/04/michigan-voter-citizenship-amendment-cleared-to-collect-signatures-for-2026-ballot.html

Colleen Green

Colleen Green will be our Native American Heritage Month speaker on November 19. Colleen is the Senior DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) Officer at Ferris State University. She previously worked at Central Michigan University as the Director of the Office of Indigenous Affairs and the Student Transition Enrichment Program. During her time at CMU, Colleen organized events, programs, and workshops for the campus and local community including the North American Indigenous Summer Enrichment Camp and the CMU Annual Pow wow. She was an advisor to numerous student groups including the North American Indigenous Student Organization, Student National Medical Association Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students, and Native Americans in Medicine Student Interest Group in the College of Medicine.

Within the local community, Colleen served on the Mount Pleasant Indian Industrial Boarding School Committee, Board of Regents for the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College, and various planning committees to create awareness of issues faced by Native American peoples.

Colleen is an enrolled citizen of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians and a descendent of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. Our evening with Colleen promises to be enlightening and informative. Please invite guests with an interest in knowing more about Native American culture, history, and contemporary issues. A general business meeting will follow the presentation/discussion with Colleen.

As of Monday, October 27, Sarah reported that there were 35 applicants for the three scholarships we will award at the December holiday luncheon. If you know anyone who might be eligible to apply, please remind them that the deadline is Monday, November 10.

Many, many thanks to Sarah who is chairing the Scholarship Committee this year. Thanks also to Kathi, Wendy, Julie, and Anne who volunteered to serve on the committee to help select award recipients.

Don't you get a bit excited when you see REAL mail vs. solicitations or bills? 

Recently I volunteered, and Leah appointed me Sunshine chair to send cards to members. 

Please inform me of your birthday, and any members' life happenings! Not limited to birthdays, illness, hospital recovery, and sympathy. If someone needs a "thinking of you" or is going through a tough time, let me know so she feels our caring! Of course congratulations for any reason, e.g. new job, moving, new baby/grand, achievements, etc.

You may not know I am a card addict and have a varied stock of greeting cards! Should you have excess cards, bring them to a branch meeting, and they'll get to me! Speaking of sending good wishes, many thanks to everyone sending cards during my recent surgeries, as well as my mom's passing. This last surgery was a totally different one, not another hip replacement. Due to osteoporosis this one was a hip restructuring. Your thoughts really have cheered me up!

Please let me know your birthday (birth year not necessary!) and other members' special dates to send sunny thoughts!

Deb Kennedy

P.S. Send your birthday or members' "happenings" text or call 734-552-7149 or email aauwkennedy@gmail.com

Note: there will be no cost to the branch as it's my way to contribute during my recovery.

Any member who is not receiving AAUW emails should check the email address in their Community Hub member record to make sure it is correct. Contact State Services Manager Leah Monger if you need help. Someone who isn’t receiving AAUW emails and whose email address is correct in the Hub should update their AAUW email subscription through this resubscribe link.

If you hear of a branch member who isn't receiving AAUWMI or branch emails, please ask them to submit the form below to resubscribe, or they can contact Leah Monger for assistance.

AAUW-Big Rapids | AAUWBigRapids@gmail.com