LWV Unite & Rise 8.5

LWV Unite & Rise 8.5 was launched in spring of 2025 and aims to mobilize 8.5 million people using the power of voter engagement as a cornerstone of our democracy. Unite & Rise 8.5 showcases the many ways individuals can drive change through advocacy, mobilization, civic education, and engagement.

LWVNLM Unite & Rise subgroups focus on specific issues without being overwhelmed. Listen in on a meeting, and join a subgroup and pick 1 thing you can do! Contact Marcia Meyer to learn more - marciakmeyer@gmail.com

LWVNLM Upcoming Events

• JANUARY 14, 5:30 pm, ZOOM. PUBLIC FORUM: Disappearing News Sources and Bridge Michigan.

• FEBRUARY 10, 5:30 pm, ZOOM. PUBLIC FORUM: Effective Communication with Legislators and Agencies.

• MARCH 11, 5:30 pm. PUBLIC FORUM: Voting Security Procedures - live and ZOOM.

• MARCH 19, 7-8 pm, ZOOM. ANNUAL MEMBER BOOK READ.

  Reach out to info@lwvnlm.org for information about joining a committee or questions about upcoming events.

Bridge Magazine’s Northern Michigan Edition and the Loss of Local Newspapers

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 14, 5:30-6:30 ZOOM

ZOOM in to hear Justin Hinkley, regional editor of Bridge Michigan, discuss the status and future of local news and Bridge's new Northern Michigan focus.

Bridge Magazine is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news source published by the Center for Michigan, which seeks to provide high-quality, nonpartisan journalism & public engagement in Michigan. The Center publishes Bridge Michigan and is home to the editorially independent Bridge Detroit. Bridge Michigan has grown into one of the nation’s leading examples of nonprofit journalism as mainstream newspapers have dramatically declined.

All members will receive the ZOOM link several days prior to the event, check your email!

Hosted by LWVNLM Board of Directors

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 11, 5:30-6:30 ZOOM

How many times have we contacted our state and federal legislative representatives in these last months and years? Do our emails matter? Do online petitions do any good? How about postcards or phone calls?

Experts in Michigan government and politics will share their insight on the most effective ways citizens can provide input to our legislative representatives and regulatory agencies.

Registration will be available at LWVNLM.org. Hosted by LWVNLM Unite and Rise Committee 

Why Local News Sources MATTER

Have you heard the term, “News Desert” ? It is an actual term used to describe areas without local news sources. And they are rapidly increasing.

Local newspapers have been in decline since 2000 due to technological and economic changes to the for-profit business model that sustained local journalism in this country for two centuries. By late 2024, more than 200 U.S. counties do not have a local newspaper anymore. And this is a global trend.

Why does this matter? According to the University of North Carolina Hussman School of Journalism, the decline of local news has caused:

• Less Accountability: Local news holds officials accountable and exposes wrongdoing.

• Reduced Civic Health: Local news informs citizens, fostering engagement and a stronger democracy. Many newspapers that remain have been consolidated and bought by large companies, with coverage of local communities significantly scaled back or eliminated. This is a double blow to communities who have lost their daily paper. 

• Increase in misinformation: Digital platforms can be unvetted and so-called news clips written by anyone. 

To learn more:

1. Attend the Public Forum, News in the North and the Loss of Local Newspapers, on Wednesday Jan 14th.

2. Read this piece from the Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life (CITPL).

VOTING SECURITY - Learn from the experts!

Insider info about the voting process and how it is kept secure will be the topic of our March 11 public forum. Our speaker will be a representative from the Michigan Secretary of State’s office and the session will be both live and on Zoom.  Watch for more info on time and location on our website and in your emails.

Observer Corp

The Observer Corp is looking for Observers to take over theses monthly positions:

• Bear Creek Township meeting (1st Wednesday 7:00pm)

• Petoskey District Library meeting (4th Thursday at 5:00pm)

Shout out to Cheboygan County members - we need volunteers to observe Tuscarora Township meetings. Grab a friend and share the fun! Contact Penny Crim at paigeacrim@charter.net

I remember being deeply saddened and confused by the tumultuous events of 1968. It was the year I started high school. The Vietnam War protests and daily reports of casualties of those not much older than me made me worry that my brother would be drafted.

I married Dave right after college, and we came to live in his home state of Michigan. We moved every four or five years for his career. I served in many volunteer and part-time jobs as we raised our two sons. I began my own career working as an educator with MSU Extension and it was my work that brought us here. I worked with low-income families teaching food and nutrition, food safety, social/emotional health and parenting. I helped lead the Poverty Reduction Initiative effort with our local human service organizations. After I retired, I volunteered as a regional captain for the Voters Not Politicians Proposal 2 signature gathering. It was so gratifying to celebrate its success!

It is such a gift to find others who care about the same things that I do. I was privileged to be in the first group of members of the LWVNLM, and Dave has recently joined. I have been active on the Observer Corps, and the Voter Services committee. Attending the Emmet County Commission meetings has allowed me to learn more about the subtle yet effective ways some commissioners use a strategic approach in their work as a board. And it matters that LWV shows up to witness the decisions and interactions.

Being an active participant in our democracy and working with others to raise awareness and spread accurate information gives me hope for my grandchildren’s’ future. 

THE LWVMI filed a motion to intervene on behalf of voters in a lawsuit filed by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) against the state of Michigan for refusing to provide the DOJ with sensitive voter information. LWVMI intervened on behalf of Michiganders and their right to keep their personal data private. Read more HERE.

Why Proposed Documentary Proof of Citizenship (DPOC) Is Voter Suppression

Wednesday, January 21, 7:00pm, ZOOM

Presented by the League of Women Voters of Michigan

All are welcome!!

 Hear experts address:

• Security and integrity of voting

• Unnecessary red tape of DPOC

• Impact on voters in Michigan & across the US

 Panelists:

• Christopher Thomas, Former Michigan Directors of Elections

• Melanie Macey, Policy & Government Affairs Director, Promote the Vote

• Valencia Richardson, Voting Rights Attorney

Every day seems to bring another assault on our democracy by the federal administration, making it easy to feel overwhelmed and helpless. Gain some strength knowing that your LWV is fighting to preserve democracy every day in ways large and small. Here is a sampling of recent actions:

THE LWVUS is fighting to prevent redefinition of what constitutes national waters and weakening of the Clean Water Act. Read more HERE.

THE LWVUS joined 257 partner organizations in opposition to government efforts to silence nonprofit organizations that disagree with the party in power. Read more HERE.

LWVUS Unite & Rise Playbook 3 Training:

Committee Chairs and Meeting Times

Observer Corp Chair: Penny Crim, paigecrim@charter.net. Meet as needed.

Health Care Committee Chairs: Patty Fralick, plfralick@gmail.com, Jackie Mitchell jackiemitchell06@me.com Meet 1st Thursday of the month, 9:00am. Zoom

Environment & Natural Resources Committee Chairs: Marcia Meyer, marciakmeyer@gmail.com and Ann Scott, alscott2050@gmail.com. Meet 2nd Tuesday of the month, 4:00pm. ZOOM

Membership Committee Chair: Mary Netzky, mary.netzky@gmail.com, 2nd Monday of the month, 3:30pm. ZOOM

Voter Services Committee Co-chairs: Rose Fitzgerald, rosefitzgerald183@gmail.com. Meet 2nd Wednesday of the month, 10:00am. ZOOOM

Unite and Rise Committee: Chair: Marcia Meyer, marciakmeyer@gmail.com, 3rd Monday of each month, 3:30-4:30pm, ZOOM

LWVNLM Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement

The League of Women Voters Northern Lower Michigan is an organization fully committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in principle and in practice.  There shall be no barriers to full participation in this organization.  Diversity, equity and inclusion are central to the organization’s current and future success in engaging all individuals, households, communities, and policy makers in creating a more perfect democracy.