Three Things Thursday: September 29, 2022

Dear Michigan LCV Family, 

Welcome to the September 29, 2022 edition of Three Things Thursday! This is a big day for us: we are holding our first in-person gala in Detroit since 2019!  I hope to see you there! 

To keep you up-to-date on what’s happening, though, let’s get to this week’s Three Things: 

1. Michigan LCV endorses Attorney General Nessel for re-election!

On Tuesday, the Michigan LCV team formally announced our endorsement of Attorney General Dana Nessel for re-election in 2022! The rollout of our announcement was multi-faceted, including social media collateral, an amazing video, a press release and more.  

Attorney General Nessel is an extraordinary leader, fighting since the day she took office to protect our Great Lakes, drinking water, and the health of our communities. In fact, just today she announced a lawsuit against FKI Industries, formerly Keeler Brass, for PFAS contamination  in both West and Southwest Michigan.  

 You can read Michigan LCV’s statement here. 

Watch our Attorney General Nessel video endorsement video here>>>

As a reminder, Michigan LCV only endorses candidates who have demonstrated a deep understanding and commitment to working on issues impacting our land, air, water, health, and democracy, and Attorney General Nessel has proven her commitment to doing just that. 

In her first term as attorney general, Nessel has: 

• Protected our air and water by filing and winning lawsuits to hold big polluters accountable for PFAS pollution cleanup costs, among other lawsuits for air pollution and methane gas emissions 

 

• Fought to shut down Line 5 with a monumental lawsuit to decommission the aging pipeline in June 2019

 

• Held utility companies accountable by intervening at the Michigan Public Service Commission to successfully push back on multiple utility rate hike requests, and hosting a power outage listening tour for Michiganders to voice their concerns about public utilities 

 

Attorney General Nessel has demonstrated a deep commitment to standing up for the people of Michigan against corporate polluters and threats to our land, air, water, public health and democracy, and will continue to do so when re-elected.  

Please join us in sharing this endorsement with friends and family. Surprisingly, an enormous number of Michiganders don’t know who our AG is nor do they understand the importance of this position. I encourage you to speak about the importance of this race everywhere you go. 

2. Spirit of Democracy rally in Detroit 

Michigan LCV’s 10th annual Gala is not the only event happening in Detroit tonight. Along with our partners at All Voting Is Local and many others, Michigan LCV Education Fund’s Democracy For All team will be at the Spirit of Detroit at 5:30 pm this evening for a celebration of our democracy and all the people who work to keep our democracy strong, accessible, and secure for all Michiganders.

You can learn more about the Spirit of Democracy event here. 

Today’s event is centered around community building and celebrating everyday people doing their part to make our democracy strong, while also spreading awareness about the plethora of voting resources available, and the opportunities to get involved in the democratic process. 

Our democracy functions best when the community comes together to participate and get involved. With the November election right around the corner, there are countless ways to get involved, including serving as a poll worker or poll challenger or helping people in your community get to the polls. We all have a role to play, and I encourage you to seek out opportunities to do your part! 

That being said, please know that nonpartisan election challengers are a crucial part of this program and are needed for this year’s election both at the polls and at absentee ballot counting boards. In the coming weeks, our partners at Promote the Vote will be holding several comprehensive training sessions for those interested in serving as poll challengers. These trainings will prepare people to serve as poll challengers (even if you have never served as a poll challenger before!), going over your rights and responsibilities and Michigan election law.

If you are interested in volunteering as a poll challenger, email our Democracy For All Voting Rights Manager Brooke Harris at [email protected].

3. Saying goodbye to Michigan LCV’s Ann Arbor office

This week, the Michigan LCV team said goodbye to our Ann Arbor office as we move to a new location in the Kerrytown area. 

While the move is an exciting development for the organization – and the new office will be a fantastic place for our team – leaving our old location on Miller Road is bittersweet. We’ve been there for nine years and there are lots of memories created during that time…tremendous teammates, holiday celebrations, strategic planning sessions, and a whole lot more. Our former board member Mark Stranahan, who passed away in December of 2020, helped design the space, which added even more meaning to our experience and our departure. 

Once we are settled in our new space, we will invite you to come visit.  Zingerman’s is right down the street and a stroll along the Huron is an easy thing to do. 

Until next week, thank you so much for all you do to support our work! 

Onward!

Lisa