President’s Message

What aspect of our constitutional crisis are you focused on today? Voter suppression? The militarization of our cities? Lack of due process for immigrants? Mid-cycle gerrymandering? Repeal of the 19th amendment? Suppression of peaceful assembly? The LWVUS is working against all of this! (Have you heard of the books for kids called Choose Your Own Adventure? I’ve been calling this Choose Your Next Level of Chaos.)

The LWVUS is truly defending democracy. In partnerships, lawsuits and protests–by studying, organizing and educating–the League is rallying its growing membership to stand against the actions of this administration. This is not partisan. It is not about a party or a candidate. It is about policy and protecting democratic values.

Your membership in our local League matters. Thank you for joining. We’re all volunteers, many with jobs, travel plans, achy joints, and needy pets. We’re doing our best to lead the organization, run our committees, and keep you informed. We truly value your time and your voice and would welcome your participation. The national focus for the fall is Holding Power Accountable. Read your email from the LWVUS and LWVMI to stay on top of all of this important work. Attend our local gatherings and forums to learn and connect. Onward, friends!

“Let us continue to lead with integrity, educate with clarity and advocate with courage. We are not just defending democracy–we are shaping it.” Courtney Winell, Pres, LWVGR

Take Care and Take Action,

Lisa Blanchard

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 committee is forming subgroups, so members can focus on specific issues without being overwhelmed, and subgroups can plan actions in our community. Join a subgroup and pick 1 thing you can do!

Voter Services/Voting Rights

• Know which petitions will not encourage voting rights. Decline to Sign & No Red Tape for Michigan, both advocate against signing petitions requiring Documentary Proof of Citizenship for voter registration. 

• Michigan House Joint Resolution B & the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act oppose requiring verification of citizenship and promote voting rights.

• Know What you Sign -statewide petitions  https://lwvmi.org

Immigration

• Members of LWVNLM attended a Know Your Rights Training and are ready to share what they’ve learned about everyone’s constitutional rights during encounters with immigration enforcement.

• We are looking to work with the Petoskey Chamber to educate the community and inform our businesses to be proactive re. ICE and worker’s rights.  Maybe we can deliver red cards and/or signs of solidarity to businesses in our community?

Health/Medicaid/Snap

• We are looking at ways we can inform our community about the upcoming cuts to Medicaid & Snap. Our community and individuals will be negatively affected by these cuts, so we are preparing information to share with community members and recommending action alerts to contact our legislators.

Environment

• Petoskey Line 5 Great Lakes Oil Tunnel could be a real thing, if we aren’t successful in stopping this project.

• Many environmental regulations are being reduced, ignored, or defunded.  How can we keep Northern Michigan a wonderful place for our grandchildren?

Attend our upcoming committee meeting on Sept. 15th, 3:30, via ZOOM. We will also be discussing Unite & Rise at our General Membership Meeting on Sept. 17th, 7-9pm at the Petoskey Winter Sports Park.

The ENR committee met this summer and continues to consider how to promote native plantings to improve our environment with biodiversity.  Native plants and trees improve conditions for native animals and insects ( especially birds and bees) that will benefit us all. We are currently pursuing partnering with several organizations in the Petoskey area to develop ideas to promote native planting in areas of Petoskey that are currently being developed or planned. 

We will be hosting our November 12th public forum on The Effects of Federal Policy on Local Agriculture. Stay tuned for more information.

The Health Care Committee is hosting our fall forum Navigating Palliative Care and Hospice Care which will occur on October 15 at 5:30 at the Petoskey Library, and on ZOOM. Speakers include Dr. Paul Blanchard, Courtney Brinkman, NP, from NorthStar Palliative Care and Chris Hurley, LPN, from McLaren. The zoom link will be emailed to members prior to the forum.

We’ve also been exploring possible impacts of Medicaid cuts on our communities and other health impacts such as the closure of Planned Parenthood. The Health Department of Northwest Michigan provided an update on immunization rates for our counties and reproductive health services available to our committee in June. Read the results here.

The Voter Services Vote 411 team is busy getting the site ready to provide information for voters about the races, candidates and proposals for the November elections in Charlevoix, Cheboygen and Emmet counties. The site will be up and running by mid-September.

The Observer Corp needs more volunteers. The Observer Corp volunteers regularly attend local government meetings and Board meetings of local schools and libraries. We cover a large three county area and are always looking for members who want to defend democracy locally. It’s typically a once per month commitment. We currently need members to the following meetings:

• City of Charlvoix

• Harbor Springs Schools

• Charlevoix Schools

• many Township meetings in all 3 counties

If interested in becoming an Observer, please contact Penny Crim at paigeacrim@charter.net.

I have also found great friends here, meeting many wonderful people through a book club, volunteering for art and environmental organizations and at wine dinners. I was excited to learn through friends that a local chapter of The League of Women Voters was being organized in our area and joined as soon as possible.  I believe that each of us needs to contribute in some way to our democracy, and the League gives me many opportunities to do so.

I have also found great friends here, meeting many wonderful people through a book club, volunteering for art and environmental organizations and at wine dinners. I was excited to learn through friends that a local chapter of The League of Women Voters was being organized in our area and joined as soon as possible.  I believe that each of us needs to contribute in some way to our democracy, and the League gives me many opportunities to do so.

While a League member, I have been active on the Voter Services Committee, working on voter registration and the Vote411 website and recently became Co-Chair of the committee, along with Shelli Duff.  I also now head the Vote411 subcommittee and am finding working on this November’s election, with only a few races and candidates, to be good preparation for the 2026 elections. I was elected to the LWVNLM Board in 2024, which has given me an even broader view of all the League does and how I can contribute. I am so proud of the women and men in this organization and of what we have achieved together – and will achieve going forward.

STATEWIDE PETITIONS

To date, eight petitions have been submitted, and more are anticipated. Constitutional amendments require 446,198 valid signatures collected during a 180-day period by July 6, 2026. Initiatives to create a new law or amend an existing law require 356,958 valid signatures by May 27, 2026. A referendum on legislation requires 223,099 valid signatures by the 90th day following adjournment of the legislative session at which the law was enacted.

The statewide petitions that have been approved by the Board of State Canvassers to date are:

1. AxMITax – a constitutional amendment

2. Protect Voters' Rights – a constitutional amendment             

3. Voters to Stop Pay Cuts – a referendum on Public Act (PA) 1 of 2025

4. Rank MI Vote - a constitutional amendment

5. Americans for Citizens Voting – Version 1 - a constitutional amendment

6. Americans for Citizens Voting – Version 2 - a constitutional amendment

7. Invest in MI Kids – a constitutional amendment

The petitions listed above have a long process to complete before we know if any of them will be on the statewide November 2026 ballot. A brief description of these petitions is available at www.lwvmi.org under Know What You Sign on the home page.

One proposal will automatically be on the November 2026 ballot. The Michigan Constitution, Article XII requires that every 16 years the question of a general revision of the constitution at a constitutional convention shall be presented to the MI electors.

DON’T SIGN PETITION FOR ANTI-VOTER MEASURE

Signing this measure will block many voters who don’t have easy access to these documents from exercising their constitutional right to vote.   We suggest that voters DECLINE TO SIGN the petition. Read this piece authorized the by the LWVMI co-presidents published in Bridge Magazine titled, “A Solution to a Problem that Doesn’t Exist.“

Respond to LWVUS Action Alerts for Unite & Rise 8.5

As part of the National League's Unite & Rise Campaign, LWVUS is asking all League members- and members of the public - to respond to three Action Alerts. Follow this link to the LWVUS Action Alert Page, or follow these individual links:

Tell Your Representative to Protect Equal Voting Rights

Since the 2013 Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder gutted the Voting Rights Act (VRA), a majority of states have enacted voting laws that make it harder to vote, with the burden falling hardest on Black voters and other voters of color. We need a fully restored VRA to defend our democracy and protect the freedom to vote.

Hold Congress Accountable for the One Big Beautiful Bill

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act was enacted in early July. As members of Congress head home to connect with their constituents, it's time for us to let them know how we feel about the bill.

Reject Anti-Voter Policies

The House of Representatives passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require citizenship documentation to register to vote even though voters in every state are already required to affirm or verify their citizenship status when registering. The SAVE Act would create one more barrier to the voting process, as many eligible voters do not have easy access to the necessary documents.

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.

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

Membership Committee Chair: Susan Hannah, snb.hannah@gmail.com, 2nd Monday of the month, 3:30pm

Voter Services Committee Co-chairs: Dibby Smith, dibbys@aol.com, Shelli Duff, Sduff8991@gmail.com. Meet 2nd Wednesday of the month, 10:00am

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.