by Patrice Johnson | October 28, 2023
The legislature is on a rampage. Below are summaries of four bill packages coming down the pipe, and each one needs your action. Please contact your representative today (links below).
Attack on poll challengers
State Representative Rachelle Smit (R-MI) serves as one of two minority members of the House Elections Committee. John Burns, Smit’s legislative assistant, reported the following to Michigan Fair Election’s Zoom@Noon on Thursday, Oct. 26:
House Bill 4129 was recently passed out of committee. The bill protects election workers, but not poll (ballot) challengers from threats of violence. Despite Rep. Smit submitting a straightforward amendment to HB 4129 to poll challengers to the list of election officials protected from harassment, her amendment was unanimously rejected.
In her testimony during the House committee hearing, Sec. of State Jocelyn Benson was asked if the bill would protect poll challengers and her answer was “No.”
“The majority that dominates the House has clear ambitions,” Burns reported, “and their actions speak volumes.”
Contact your representative and senator. Urge them to vote NO: Tell them to vote NO on HB 4129 or, at the very least, to add equal protections to poll challengers.
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Chilling free speech
An Artificial Intelligence (AI) bill package, voted out of the House Elections Committee, is "pernicious," Burns reported during Thursday's Zoom@Noon. AI package 5141 and 5144 was concocted after Big League videos came out in 2020 showing that a conservative had infiltrated election training and found attendees were being trained to circumvent the law.
The videos went viral.
AG Nessel sent a Cease and Desist Order to the investigative journalist and threatened the person with criminal prosecution. But she could cite no laws that had been violated. These two bills would change that. They would arm those who seek to silence free speech with the authority to prosecute.
Both bills require published articles to place a disclaimer if AI like ChatGPT were used in any way during an article's creation. Bill 5141, though similar, goes a step further and extends from political ads and commentary to private individuals talking about elections.
Anyone who uses AI in any capacity in developing information without disclosing it—Anyone who links to an article that uses AI and fails to use a disclaimer—could face prosecution as a felon.
The bill allows for injunctive relief, so it could be used to take down pre-election information.
Contact your representative and senator. Urge them to vote NO on AI package 5141 and 5144: Tell them HB 5141 and 5144 have not been well thought out at all. They are unconstitutional and would place unlawful limits on free speech. They would chill free speech and would most likely be leveraged for partisan gain.
State Government Power Grab
With only six days of session remaining this year (three days this week and three days next week), the Democrat-controlled legislature is “running out of time to jam through their bills that would take over local zoning authority of wind and solar farms.
“We expected a floor vote on the house bills last week,” MFE’s Bill Richardson reported. “But so far, public opposition has blocked the latest attempt to seize power from local authorities to regulate wind and solar farms.” Richardson credited the efforts of PIME and MFE supporters who have let their representatives know they don't care for government overreach and state power grabs.
“Lansing wants control over the locations of large-scale solar and wind farms across Michigan,” Richardson warned. “It’s another assault on the rights of local communities to manage local land use, and it undermines property rights.” A slew of bills are lined up for the legislature to vote on this week and next: House Bills 5120, 5121, 5122 5123 and identical Senate bills 585, 586, 587, and 588.
“I'm asking once again that you contact your State Representative and State Senator. Tell them how you feel about their power grab attempts.” Richardson said. “Even if you've already contacted them, please contact them again.”
If passed and signed into law, these bills will strip away rights granted to local municipalities according to Michigan’s Zoning Enabling Act. This current law provides local townships and municipalities the right to regulate land use in their jurisdiction in order to maintain compatible land uses within their areas. “These bills look to change the law and hand that right over to the state,” Richardson warned.
In addition, Richardson suggested sending the enclosed resolution to each municipality’s representative, senator, and the governor’s office. “Townships should pass both an Emergency Moratorium and a Resolution reminding the state of this right granted to them,” Richardson advised. “They need to declare that they want to keep this right to regulate land use in their respective areas.”
He said nearly 100 townships and counties have already done this.
A rally was held Thursday, Oct. 26, at 2:00 pm on the Capitol grounds. Nearly 100 people were present before a special meeting of the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment in which the committee was going to take up identical Senate bills.
As a result, the Senate committee canceled its meeting and did not discuss the bills. But they are determined to pass them.
“We need to keep contacting them to tell them how we feel,” Richardson said. “Otherwise, they will say they made amendments, and people stopped raising concerns so they must have satisfied our concerns. “The amendments have nothing to do with removing the attempted state takeover of your township's right to regulate these land uses.”
“Your locally elected officials will have your best interests in mind much more than the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) will. And remember, the MPSC is appointed by the governor, not elected by the people.”
Find your representative here --> https://house.mi.gov/
Find your Senator here --> https://www.senate.michigan.gov/FindYourSenator/
Keep up the pressure! Contact your representative and senator. Urge them to vote NO: Ask your friends and neighbors to do the same. Tell the representatives that zoning control belongs in the local community. House Bills 5120, 5121, 5122 5123 and the Senate’s identical bills, SB 585, 586, 587, and 588 throw open the door to state government power and land grabs. This is a power grab by large corporate lobbyists and progressive disrespect for local control and individual property rights.
Dems push state IDs for illegal immigrants, red flag for voter fraud
Senate progressives have introduced legislation to allow for illegal immigrants to obtain a Michigan ID card and driver’s license. According to state Senator Jim Runestad (R), "This bill [Senate Bill 0266] is rife with opportunities for deception, including possible voter fraud, and other measures that encroach on the rights of actual U.S. citizens."
Contact your representative and senator. Urge them to vote NO on SB 0266. It is s rife with opportunities for deception, including possible voter fraud, not to mention non-citizen voting and other measures that encroach on the rights of U.S. citizens.
Find Your state House Representative:
Find your state Senator:
Patrice Johnson, chair
Pure Integrity Michigan Elections
pureintegrityforme@gmail.com
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Resolution to maintain local control over local land uses
Township Board
RESOLUTION NO. .
A RESOLUTION EXPRESSING SUPPORT TO MAINTAIN LOCAL CONTROL OVER LOCAL LAND USES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO: SHORT-TERM RENTALS, INDUSTRIAL SOLAR INSTALLATIONS, INDUSTRIAL WIND TURBINE INSTALLATIONS AND SAND AND GRAVEL MINING
At a meeting of the Township Board, County, Michigan, held at the Township Hall (insert hall address here) on , 2023
Present:
Absent:
The following resolution was offered by Member___ ___ and supported by Member __ _____.
WHEREAS, local townships are best able to determine which uses should and should not be in their local communities and what plans are best and reasonable for each neighborhood rather than having these decisions forced onto townships by the state government; and
WHEREAS, the legislature of the State of Michigan may propose and attempt to pass into law bills that strip away local community control over local land uses including, but not limited to: short-term rentals, industrial solar installations, industrial wind turbine installations and sand and gravel mining; and
WHEREAS, the Board of ____________ Township is committed to protecting our communities’ land from special interests trying to strip away local control;
NOW, THEREFORE, the Board of ____________ Township resolves as follows:
Section 1. ____________ Township is opposed to the legislature of the State of Michigan proposing and passing bills that take away or otherwise limit local control over local land uses, including, but not limited to: short-term rentals, industrial solar installations, industrial wind turbine installations and sand and gravel mining.
Section 2. ____________ Township is opposed to the construction, operation, maintenance, repair, replacement and decommissioning of industrial wind facilities, industrial solar facilities, sand and gravel mines and similar uses in our community unless these projects comply with township ordinances and regulations.
Section 3. ____________ Township supports the longstanding right of local community self-determination as provided by the laws and constitution of the State of Michigan.
Section 4. As the members of the Board of ____________ Township, we resolve to maintain the duties and responsibilities bestowed upon us as elected representatives by our constituents to execute their will to the best of our abilities in these matters.
Section 5. The Township will forward a copy of this resolution to the following lawmakers:
Your County Commissioner
State Representative for your District
State Senator for your District
Sean McCann – Chair – Senate “Energy and Environment Committee”
Dan Lauers – vice-chair, Senate “Energy and Environment Committee”
Helena Scott – Chair, House “Energy, Communications, and Technology” Committee
Abraham Aiyash – Representative of district 4, sponsor of HB5120
Governor Gretchen Whitmer
Yeas: _________________________________________
Nays: _________________________________________
Absent/Abstain: _________________________________________
RESOLUTION DECLARED ADOPTED.
____________________________________
Township Supervisor