By Janine Iyer | January 29, 2024
While you were busy working to make ends meet and attending to your life’s daily responsibilities, what was your state government doing? What were their priorities? Were they working to make your life better and more affordable? Were they working to preserve your Constitutional rights? Were they working to improve Michigan’s economy or infrastructure? What were the priorities of the slim majority in Lansing’s legislature to pass as law in 2023?
Take a look at some of the “low-lights” of the Public Acts (PA) passed by the 2023 Michigan legislature’s majority and signed into law by Governor Whitmer. (sources: pureintegritymichiganelections.org/legislative-updates, rescuemichigan.com/watchdog)
Took away your choice to own and drive gas- and diesel-powered vehicles by the year 2035, decreeing a death sentence and expiry date for the Michigan automotive industry, Public Acts (PA) 229, 235.
Took away your local township’s power to represent your opinion and to decide on where solar and wind factories can exist in your township, Public Acts 233, 234.
Enacted Red Flag and other gun laws that limit your Constitutional rights to bear arms, PA 16, 17, 18, 22, 35, 36, 37 and 38.
Enacted a slew of election laws that jeopardize secure elections by:
Expanding “ID” beyond state-issued photo ID, PA 87.
Implementing perpetual ballot mailings for permanent absentee voters, PA 86.
Mandating more drop boxes, making video monitoring of boxes optional, PA 85.
Automatically registering all state ID holders with no visible difference between the state ID of citizens and non-citizens, PA 260, 261, 262, and 268.
Allowing overseas ballots to be counted if received up to 6 days after Election Day, with or without a distinguishable postmark, PA 25.
Making it a felony for a poll challenger to make an election worker “feel intimidated,” PA 253.
Enacted laws that jeopardize primary students from obtaining a quality education by:
Repealing the 3rd grade reading law, PA 7.
Lowering standards for teacher certification, PA 225.
Lowering standards for teacher evaluations, PA 224.
Allowing teachers’ unions to bargain to keep bad teachers, PA 115.
Eliminating job performance-based compensation for teachers and administrators, PA 112.
Began the year 2023 by authorizing an additional 1.1 billion in government spending (PA 1) then enacted laws that denied Michigan residents a tax cut (PA 4) and enacted laws that tax you incessantly (fees), PA 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 140, 195.
Created a “sexual orientation civil right,” making you a felon if you “mis-gender” someone, PA 6.
Legislated one’s hair style as a “civil right,” PA 45.
Legalized late-term abortion, PA 205, 206.
Do you like and approve of the laws passed by our legislature as a priority in 2023? If you’re like me, you’ll agree that what transpired in Michigan's legislature last year is reason enough to pay closer attention, step up, and take action in 2024.
What can you do? Elections are our voice, and 2024 is an Election year. Find out how your House representative voted on the above Public Acts at this website: rescuemichigan.com/watchdog. If you don’t like how your House Rep voted, work to replace him or her with someone who will represent you better. If concerned Michigan residents take action and do this across the state, the onslaught of horrible laws will be halted.
What else can you do? Since Elections are our voice, join Michigan Fair Elections (MFE) to learn how you can help secure this year’s elections. MFE has many task force teams and projects that strategically work to address election insecurities. These are efforts to which you can contribute. Stay informed of election-related and other key state-level issues by attending MFE’s weekly News@Noon online call every Thursday. Use your time and abilities this critical year to help Michigan have fair and just elections. As the MFE motto goes, “Join a project. Solve problems. Make a difference.”
It is not exaggerating to say that the next 9 months will decide the fate of our state and nation. What we do (or don’t do) in the coming months is determinative to the future of our children, grandchildren, and community. As Ronald Reagan once correctly stated, “Freedom is never more than one generation from extinction… It must be fought for, protected, and handed on…”
WE are that pivotal generation. Will you fight to preserve freedom? Will you fight with us for fair elections?
**********
Janine Iyer is a member of MI Fair Elections Litigation Team and leads the training for the Soles to the Rolls project. She is also the President of the Livingston County chapter of Stand Up Michigan, a precinct delegate, and Secretary of her county party. She holds a Bachelor of Engineering and formerly worked in the automotive industry before retiring to homeschool her two daughters.
News @ Noon: MFE Coalition Task Force Meetings
Join us Thursdays for
MFE's Coalition Task Force Meetings, 12-1 PM
Tune in for MFE’s weekly Coalition Task Force meeting every Thursday.
The next meeting is February 1, 2024 at 12 PM.
A link to Register for the meeting will be posted in upcoming newsletters.
Please donate to Michigan Fair Elections.
MFE is a fiercely independent, tax-exempt 501(c)3 charity. We rely on voluntary contributions to fund our important, and sometimes costly, work. Legal claims are sometimes essential to improve the government and protect citizen rights, and they can be expensive.
Please support MFE's investigative research, honest journalism, and litigative actions to defend We the People's inalienable rights as protected in the U.S. Constitution. Donate today to assist our educational efforts to protect the principles of individual liberty in America.
WANTED: Poll Challengers and Election Inspectors
Pure Integrity Michigan Elections (PIME) is renewing its participation in the statewide Election Protection Team to make sure cities and towns across the Mitten State have an equal partisan balance of election inspectors and poll challengers, as the law requires.
If you are interested in becoming an election inspector or poll challenger, fill out the form at: www.electionprotectionteam.com/MI. Once you sign up, you will be emailed a list of poll challenger trainings.
All poll challengers must attend at least one training to be placed at a location in 2024. To register, click on one of the Training Schedule links below. If you cannot attend one of these training sessions, more will be scheduled for February.
Virtual (Zoom) Training Schedule
Monday, January 29th at 1:00 pm (RSVP here)
Wednesday, January 31st at 7:00 pm (RSVP here)
Thursday, February 1st at 11:00 am (RSVP here)
Monday, February 5th at 1:00 pm (RSVP here)
Wednesday, February 7th at 7:00 PM (RSVP here)
Thursday, February 8th at 11:00 AM (RSVP here)
Monday, February 12th at 1:00 PM (RSVP here)
Wednesday, February 14th at 7:00 PM (RSVP here)
Thursday, February 15th at 11:00 AM (RSVP here)
Monday, February 19th at 1:00 PM (RSVP here)
Wednesday, February 21 at 7:00 PM (RSVP here)
Monday, February 26 at 1:00 PM (RSVP here)
Mark your calendars to attend Election Integrity Network's outstanding national working groups. Consider also serving as liaison to report to MFE's Task Force Coalition on our Thursday meetings.
Citizen Research Project | Ned Jones, EIN
Every Tuesday at 6 p.m. (ET)
Election Technology | Jim Womack, NCEIT
Every 2nd and 4th Thursday at 4 p.m. (ET)
Introduction to Election Integrity Infrastructure | Kerri Toloczko and Ned Jones, EIN
Every 2nd and 4th Thursday at 7 p.m. (ET)
Vote By Mail / USPS | Ned Jones, EIN
Every 1st and 3rd Tuesday at 4 p.m. (ET)
Legislative Development | Kathleen Harms, TN
Every Wednesday at 2 p.m. (ET)
Voter Roll Maintenance | Willard Helander, EIN
Every Wednesday at 4 p.m. (ET)
Vulnerable Voters | Kerri Toloczko, EIN
Every 2nd and 4th Tuesday at 4 p.m. (ET)
Every 1st Thursday at 7 p.m. (ET)
Election Audits | Mike Raisch
Every 1st and 3rd Thursday at 4 p.m. (ET)
Building Local Task Forces | Joshua Taylor
Every 2nd and 4th Thursday at 7 p.m. (ET)
Media Training | Kerri Toloczko
Every 1st Thursday at 7 p.m. (ET)
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Michigan Fair Elections. Artificial intelligence may have been used in the creation of this message or in the links referenced herein.