ISSUES & ACTIONS

Fall 2010 

In November, 2010, LWVMI President Jessica Reiser's letter to the editor was published in the Detroit free Press concerning the secret dollars spent on political advertising. "The League of Women Voters of Michigan welcomes the creation of the Michigan judicial selection Task Force and applauds Justice Marilyn Kelly and Judge James Ryan for their leadership. Some would like us to believe that nothing is wrong with the way we choose judges and efforts to change the system are merely an attempt to take away our right to vote for judges. But voters know there are problems in the system. We are troubled by the growing influence of special interests in elections that are supposed to result in fair and impartial courts. We want to the lift the veil that conceals the big spenders. But elections are only half of the problem. In practice, Michigan has a mixed election-appointment system and roughly half of our Supreme Court and Appeals Court judges reach the bench by appointment. The Governor has complete authority to fill vacancies. Three of the seven current members of the Michigan Supreme Court arrived on the Court in this manner. Once appointed, they run as an incumbent in the next election and incumbent judicial candidates almost always win. Those who oppose reform on the basis of voters' rights don't seem concerned about this exclusive way of choosing judges."

LWVMI signed on to a letter initiated by our Coalition partner, Healing Our Waters to Senators Stabenow and Levin asking them to make the Great Waters Legislation a priority. Specifically, the passage of S. 3073, the Great Lakes Ecosystem Protection Act of 2010 bill, was encouraged. "This will would permanently authorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, establish the Federal Great Lakes Interagency Task Force to streamline efficiency between federal agencies, establish a multi-stakeholder advisory committee to better receive input (from us), and re-authorize the Great Lakes Legacy Act."

LWVMI members participated in a Michigan Is Ours campaign, sending hundreds of postcards to Michigan legislators with messages that encouraged legislators to look at tax changes to increase revenue and save essential government services.  The League of Women Voters supports the development of a state-local tax structure that is adequate, equitable, flexible, and moderately progressive. The state should rely upon all three broad-based taxes on income, sales, and property with more reliance upon the income tax. We are increasingly concerned that the state’s current tax revenues are inadequate to support the services that are critical to a vibrant and healthy society.

October 2010

LWVMI joined the Michigan Campaign for Justice (www.mijustice.org) in support of  their goal to enact legislation that would provide funding for the state's public defense system.  Michigan is one of only a handful of states that does not provide funding for indigent  defense.  Public defense appropriation is  left to Michigan counties, which woefully underfund the system.  Michigan is  near the bottom of all states on the per capita amount spent on indigent defense. 

September 2010

LWVMI signed on as a coalition partner to Michigan Consumers for Healthcare Advancement whose mission is to provide a broad, strategic consumer voice at healthcare policy tables to achieve the best outcomes for Michigan residents as the Affordable Care Act is implemented.

September 10, 2010

LWVMI, along with the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, filed an amicus brief with the Michigan Supreme Court in support of the Grand Traverse County Prosecutor's enforcement of campaign finance law against Meijers, in a situation involving a 2007  Meijer-financed recall of the Acme Township Board of Trustees. 

June 28, 2010

LWVMI sent a letter to Senators Stabenow and Levin urging them to support S 3073, the Great Lakes Ecosystem Protection act of 2010.  "S 3073 is needed to provide long-term funding and oversight to restore our waters and prevent further pollution in the Great Lakes.  Such restoration is considered by many to be critical for revitalizing the regional economies in our state and all those greatly influenced by the Great Lakes." 

November, 2009

LWVMI voices their support for (Michigan) HB 4368 and SB 52 which support early voting.

November, 2009

LWVMI sent a letter to the ACLU indicating support of the concepts of their  "Reclaiming Michigan's Kids" report.

October, 2009

LWVMI sent a letter to the Natural Resource Trust Fund Board asking that they provide funding for the acquisition of the Saugatuck Dunes and designate it as  an "Environmental Area", a designation which would protect this environmentally significant area from development.

September 16, 2009

LWVMI VP Katherine Barnhart's Letter to the Editor concerning the need to publicly fund judicial elections was published in the Detroit News .  "Contributors to Michigan Supreme Court election campaigns are a category that should be included in the new rules on judicial disqualification.  As a necessary step toward identifying potential ethical conflicts, we must bring to light the source and amount of all expenditures in judicial elections.  Recent polling shows that 80% of voters think complete disclosure of spending on judicial elections is very important.  The integrity of our justice system is at stake.  The voters know what needs to be done.  It is up to our justices to take the first steps and the Legislature to enact full disclosure and public funding laws."

August 23, 2009

LWVMI President Jessica Reiser's Op Ed piece on no reason absentee voting was published in the Lansing State Journal.  Wrote Reiser,  "In Michigan, we are not free to vote absentee but must select from a limited list of reasons when requesting an absentee ballot.  This disqualifies most eligible voters from obtaining an absentee ballot.  People over 60, many of whom are retirees, can vote absentee by right.  Yet the busiest demographic - working moms and dads - do not have this opportunity."

July, 2009

LWVMI and seven endorsing organizations submitted comments to the Michigan Supreme Court  regarding proposed judicial recusal standards. Michigan is the only state in the nation that lacks rules to disqualify a justice from participating in a case due to conflict of interest, bias, or other improprieties.  Click here to view letter.

June 2009

LWVMI supports HB 5993 which would allow a citizen to register to vote in person at any clerk's office, not necessarily the clerk's office of the municipality in which they reside.

June 2009

LWVMI (Pat Donath) gave testimony before the Michigan Supreme Court on two issues:  1) the proposed new standards forcing judges to recuse themselves in cases in which the legal parties or their attorneys have made significant investment in a justice's election and 2) public financing of judicial campaigns.