What: Vote No on Proposal 1

Every 16 years voters are asked if a state constitutional convention should be held.  This year, Proposal 1 asks: “Shall a convention of elected delegates be convened in 2027 to draft a general revision of the State Constitution for presentation to the state’s voters for their approval or rejection?”  This question is a constitutional mandate—not a citizen initiative or an act of the Legislature.

Why:

• Michiganders ALREADY HAVE EFFECTIVE MEANS of making significant constitutional change via legislative or citizen-initiated proposals. The proposed amendments are then voted on by the people. In recent years voters passed several citizen-initiated constitutional amendments which ended gerrymandering, assured reproductive freedom. set term limits and enshrined voting rights and election reform. These hard-won changes could be stripped out during the convention. 
• SPECIAL INTERESTS: The delegates would be elected and their campaigns would attract substantial spending from special interest groups and organizations seeking to shape who is elected to represent each region. Significant public policy questions deserve careful public debate, e.g. data centers’ energy demand, water use, environmental permitting, and infrastructure planning.
• COST: Estimated cost to taxpayers range between 10 and 80 million dollars to conduct delegate elections, organize the convention, and administer the overall process. The last convention, in 1963, required 142 delegates to meet for 10 months.
• BROAD, BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FOR A NO VOTE: The list includes: ACLU-MI, MI Chamber of Commerce, MI Health and Hospital Association, MI AFL-CIO, League of Women Voters for MI, Working Families Party, MI Catholic Conference and more. https://www.protectmiconstitution.com/about-us  

How:  Look for Proposal 1 on the non-partisan section of your ballot and vote no.  

WHAT: Submit public comment to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on a proposed rule change to neutralize the Clean Water Act. The deadline to submit is Oct 9, 2026!

WHY: Wetlands cover a vast part of the Upper Peninsula, and the majority have no visible standing water for all or part of the year. The Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule defines which waters are covered by the 1972 Clean Water Act. The proposed rule change would narrow the WOTUS definition to only open inland waters with a continuous year-round surface connection to federally protected waters. This extreme reinterpretation would strip federal safeguards from countless rivers, streams, wetlands and other vital waterway–undermining decades of clean water protection, The new definition would preclude seasonal streams and water bodies, and most of the U.P.’s wetlands from federal protection.
Wetlands are critical to water resource storage and management, water quality, flood control, agriculture, forestry, fisheries and wildlife habitat, and outdoor recreation. Wetlands also support an overall healthy quality of life. With an expected 80-90% reduction in wetland protection, household water costs would likely increase significantly due to extended water treatment requirements.

At this time, U.P. wetlands would still be eligible for state protection under Michigan’s 1979 wetland bill, that would change though if the Republican backed HB5536 passes the Michigan State Senate. (see the Voter FYI below)

HOW: Follow this link to submit public comment by Oct.9
https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/EPA-HQ-OW-2025-0322-15447

You can simply submit a comment or draft a letter to put in the document drop area.

You must clearly state your opposition to the proposed rule change of the definition of “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act.
It is helpful to personalize your comment with specific regional water bodies or personal impact
Be sure to add your name

Here’s a sample letter:
To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed rule change regarding the definition of “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act. I urge the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to maintain robust federal protections for our nation’s streams, wetlands, and waterways rather than reducing their scope.

In [Your State/Region], clean and connected waterways are essential for [mention a local activity, e.g., local fisheries, recreation, agriculture, or wildlife habitats]. Weakening these rules shifts environmental and financial burdens onto local communities, increasing the risk of downstream contamination and costly flood damage.

Clean water is vital for public health, safe drinking water, local economies, and thriving ecosystems. Ephemeral streams, seasonal wetlands, and non-continuous surface waters play a critical role in filtering pollutants, recharging groundwater supplies, and reducing the severity of floods. Narrowing federal oversight leaves these interconnected water systems vulnerable to industrial pollution and unregulated development.

I respectfully request that the agencies withdraw this proposal and instead prioritize science-backed protections that safeguard our water resources for current and future generations.

Sincerely,

[Your Printed Name]

Additional Information:
https://waterkeeper.org/news/waterkeeper-alliance-condemns-epa-plan-to-leave-most-u-s-waters-unprotected

https://www.circleofblue.org/2026/water-policy-politics/proposed-michigan-bill-would-tie-state-wetland-protections-to-a-recently-narrowed-federal-standard

Voter FYI: In June Reps. Bohnak and Markkanen co-sponsored Michigan House Bill 5536 of 2026. They, along with Rep. Prestin, voted to pass it. This bill gives the federal government the power to override our current sovereign state and local water protection authority with weakened federal water protection standards.

Michigan’s 1979 wetlands bill expanded the definition of “waters” and created some of this country’s strongest protections. We are one of only three states that has authority to regulate Clean Water Act permitting within its borders. HB5536 would require Michigan to adopt the WOTUS definition. Over one million acres of wetlands in Michigan, the majority of which are in the UP, would lose protection, leaving habitats and waterways vulnerable to degradation.

According to the authors of HB5536 its purpose is to create clarity for everyday homeowners, farmers, and developers with “confusing, inconsistent, and burdensome” requirements.HB5536 does not streamline the permitting process and may in fact, slow it down by involving dysfunctional federal agencies whose staff and budgets have been stripped to a bare minimum. In truth, if anyone benefits from this legislation, it would be large developers, industrial agriculture and data center builders whose deep pockets and one size fits all model can manage the federal regulatory process as easily as swatting a fly.

HB5536 has passed the House and now sits in a Senate committee. It is doubtful that senate leader Winnie Brinnick will bring this up for a vote.

Your job: raise awareness. Tell every voter you know that the Republican push to deregulate has real consequences for the place we call home.

WHAT:  We are asking you to provide instruction about how and when to vote, as well as advice about who to vote for.  Help your friends and family with information about how to register, when to vote, where to vote, and who/what to vote for.

WHY:  Don’t let them win! We need an overwhelming turnout, so there is no question about election results. We need to make voting as painless as possible. With so many races, proposals, and millages, even seasoned voters are often overwhelmed. It’s no surprise that many voters don’t complete their ballot. We cannot afford to forfeit those votes. From the top of the ballot to the bottom, it’s our votes that will decide the future.

HOW: Use our shared American values–family, freedom, opportunity and fairness–to engage friends, family and neighbors in conversation as you lead into talk about voting.  For further research and a fair presentation of local issues and candidates we highly recommend WNMU’s Media Meet and their series on “Election 2026”. Check their archives at:  https://www.wnmufm.org/show/media-meet

MORE DETAILS:

WHAT:  Contact your US Representative and your US Senators to let them know you need them to take a loud and public stand on the ongoing government directed cover-up of pedophilia and the multi-decade lack of accountability on the Epstein Files. A loud and public stand is essential. To do otherwise signals complicity.

WHY:  We want our Legislators to speak out and seek more action. In the midst of international criminal investigations, the US Government is obstructing, stonewalling, deflecting, and avoiding action altogether. Although Republicans hold the cards right now, neither party has pursued justice, and our current legislators are complicit. Along with those implicated in the Epstein Files, those involved with the government-directed coverup need to be held accountable, too.

A government-backed coverup brought down a sitting US President in 1974; this coverup got one elected

HOW: Contact your legislators and use the script below (or come up with something all your own):

Hello, my name is __________. I am one of your constituentsfrom__________.

Why aren’t you demanding accountability on the Epstein files? The public overwhelmingly disapproves of our government’s failure to act. I ask that you please take a loud & very PUBLIC stance insisting that the DOJ follow the law and fully release the Epstein Files with only the limited redactions required for victims’ privacy. I ask you to acknowledge this decades-long coverup as an institutional failure. Finally, I need to hear that you support the Epstein Files Transparency Act II, limiting the withholding of information and ensuring penalties for misconduct.

Your silence is damning.

Do not forget about the Epstein Files. I haven’t and I won’t.

Thank you for listening.

(Remember to leave your full street address if you’d like your calls tallied.)

MORE DETAILS:

Epstein Files Transparency Act II: House Bill H.B. 9694 https://www.quiverquant.com/bills/119/hr-9694

Epstein Files Transparency Act Il: Senate Bill S. 5005 https://www.quiverquant.com/bills/119/s-5005

Use the 5 Calls website (or download the app on your phone) to make calling your legislators easy!

Here in Michigan, we have an Attorney General fighting to keep our elections free from Federal investigation, but we need to stay diligent. We need you to stay on the active voter roll. We don’t want you to be required to jump through extra hoops (that take time and sometimes extra documentation) to vote a provisional ballot and/or re-register last minute before the polls open.

YOUR ARMCHAIR ACTION:

Check the Voter Registration status for you and your family members!

Click here to access the Michigan Secretary of State’s voter information page.

National Voter Resources can be found by visiting http://vote.gov.

Home prices, rental concerns, homelessness, and construction snafus have racked the news for the past few years nationally, and now are encroaching on the UP, especially Marquette and surrounding area. This survey asks about housing experiences, challenges, and priorities. The results will be used to develop the next Statewide Housing Plan (SHP 2.0) which will guide statewide housing strategy and policy development. The more UP voices shared, the more likely SHP 2.0 will represent the wants and needs of everyone that lives, works, or does business in the UP.

HOW: Click here.

MORE DETAILS:

Find more information about the Statewide Housing Plan(s) below:

Statewide Housing Plan 1.0

SHP 2.0 https://www.michigan.gov/mshda/developers/statewide-housing-plan

1. Ensure that you are registered to vote and you know your polling location, or have requested an absentee ballot.
2. Become familiar with the candidates and their policy positions by going to their websites or watching online debates or interviews.
3. Contribute financially to your chosen candidate’s campaign. Small dollar donations can have an outsized influence in the primaries.
4. Be vocal in your support of candidates, by pushing out their messages on social media and by educating family and friends about them.
5. Build a “Contagious Voting Effect.” Send texts asking friends and family to vote too.

If we truly want to have a voice in our government, we have to vote in the primaries.

“Think of the general election as the final score, but the primaries are the game. If only a handful of players show up, you don’t get a true contest, you get a default outcome. And in a democracy, default outcomes belong to no one but the few who noticed,” (Buscemi, 2026, p. 5).

Primary elections narrow our choices. The election season typically starts out with a wide range of candidates, each offering diverse points of view and policy positions. Ideally, the final candidate represents the collective vision and values of the party, resulting in a cohesive message and a stronger chance of success in the general election. However, the primary candidate ultimately elected tends to reflect the opinions of only 20% or so of eligible voters because that’s the usual percentage who vote in primaries. And those who do turn out for primary elections tend to be older, wealthier, and more ideologically unified (or extreme) than the typical voter. As a result, the November general election voters don’t feel their views are reflected by the chosen candidate, and they may choose to sit out altogether.

Strongly voicing your support of primary candidates, encouraging organizations to make endorsements, and contributing financially to primary candidates can have an outsized influence on how candidates govern after the general election. These things increase the visibility of your candidate and help them educate the public about what they stand for. Candidates who are strongly supported in primaries tend to garner additional endorsements and monetary resources for the general election campaign, which further increases their chance of winning.

Also, involvement in primary elections is important even if a preferred candidate does not win a primary election. Strongly supported candidates can influence the winning candidate and platform they promote in the general election. Political parties and candidates might decide to devote more or less attention and resources towards certain demographics, policies, and issues based on voter turnout and primary results.

Additional Resources:

• Indivisible
• League of Women Voters
• Voting in the Primaries is the Most Important Thing You Can Do For Democracy—And You Probably Aren’t Doing it. (Buscemi, A., 2026)

Mayday! Mayday! Billionaire Crisis!

On May Day, Indivisible will join the AFLCIO for a general strike “Workers Over Billionaires”. We need you to help raise the alarm.

Unions have always led the fight for economic justice for working people, but they’re being outplayed.

WHAT: This week’s action is simple: As you abstain from work and from big corporations, we ask that you take some time to learn how the US tax code works to supercharge the skyrocketing wealth of America’s billionaires.

Then, armed with facts and conversation points, we’d like you to get out and spread the word to your neighbors, friends and family. Sound the alarm! Shine your light on truth.

WHY: Between 1975 and 2023, nearly $80 trillion in wealth was funneled from the bottom 90% of Americans to the top 1%. Shockingly, one of the primary drivers of this wealth shift is the US tax code; it actually helps create these billionaires.

Here’s what a billion dollars looks like: If you earned $10,000 a day, it would take 100 days to make $1 million, but 274 YEARS to make a billion. Of those billions, America’s wealthiest often pay zero or negligible taxes (Pro Publica, “The Secret IRS Files,” 8 June 2021.)

Because we know your time is valuable, we’ve gathered some credible resources to help fuel these crucial conersations.

TO READ:
The Guardian: “Billionaire fortunes have reached all-time highs under Trump. So has the movement to tax them“

Mother Jones: “The American Experiment Has Been Infected By Oligarchs“

Patriotic Millionaires: “AMERICA 250: The Money Agenda – A Bold Surprisingly Simple Vision for the Next 250 years of American Prosperity“


TO WATCH or LISTEN:
Trevor Noah, “Why Aren’t Billionaires Being Taxed?” (less than 3 min)

NPR, “America’s Tax Code has Created a New Aristocracy.” An interview with Ray Madoff (8 min)

New Economic Thinking, “Why the Rich don’t Pay Taxes.” A deeper look with Ray Madoff (26 min)

Heather Cox Richardson, American Conversations: Vanessa Williamson whose book is The Price of Democracy. (41 min)

“America’s Tax System is Broken.” Derek Thompson, Plain English Podcast. (1 hr. The first 4 minutes are crucial. Thompson’s guest has a fairly strong accent. Be patient, it’s worth your time.)

Following the example of other Michigan communities such as Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County, we drafted a letter calling for a county policy proactively addressing how federal law enforcement agencies operate in Marquette County.

The letter was presented at the February 3 meeting of the Marquette County Board of Commissioners. To our surprise, we were not the only community members requesting a policy concerning DHS and ICE. During the public comment period, 6 people spoke to the same issue with several others present in support. During closing comments, Commissioners Alholm, LaLonde and Numinen spoke in support of our request. Commissioner Numinen was especially forceful, saying “we are living in a national nightmare.” The Commission concluded by directing Marquette County staff to research the issue and put it on the agenda for the next meeting (Tuesday, Feb. 17).

We were all excited about the response of the Commission. However, we also understand that the battle is not yet won. Our first request for citizen action was for people to mail a postcard to the Commission in support of our letter and its proposal to develop a policy.

It is clear that the Commission, and Commissioner Numinen in particular, have received backlash from pro-MAGA individuals. Those Commissioners need our support! In the next Commission meeting, we must endorse a strong, proactive policy to protect our community. If you want to make the greatest impact, please attend and speak during the public comment periods. In terms of attendance, size really DOES matter.

Please attend the upcoming Marquette County Commission board meetings in the Skewis Annex of the Marquette County Courthouse on Baraga Street to show support for this resolution until one is passed.

See upcoming meeting dates, Zoom links, and agendas here

If you are unable to attend the Commission meeting in person, you can still express your support from home in the following ways:

• Speak to the commission from home. There is an option to comment at the board meeting via Zoom.
• Write a postcard or brief letter to the Commission in support of developing a policy. Be sure to include your name and address. Mail it to: Marquette County Board of Commissioners, Henry A. Skewis Courthouse Annex, 234 W. Baraga Ave., Marquette, MI
• Email the commission. Public comments can be submitted to the County Clerk at clerk@marquettemi.gov Be sure to include your name and address.

ACTION: Urge three people who have never come to a protest to come to No Kings 3!

Emphasize that they can help turn back the regime simply by showing up! There will be music and dancing, costumes and signs, and many like-minded people! It will be fun!

Even with mobility issues, anyone can participate! People can drive by, and beep and wave flags and signs from their cars. They can even decorate their cars with pro-democracy themes!

WHY: Hands Off (April 2025) saw over 3 million protesters, the first No Kings (June 2025) had over 5 million, and No Kings 2 (October 2025) had over 7 million. Mass movements have a better chance of success when they mobilize 3.5% of a population. In the U.S. that translates to 11.5 to 12 million people. WE CAN DO THIS!

The president thinks his rule is absolute, but in America we don’t have kings. We will not back down from his chaos, corruption, and cruelty. This country belongs to We the People — the people who care, who show up, who stand for dignity, peace, a life we can afford, and real opportunity.

Still on the fence about going to a protest? Read this terrific essay by historian Timothy Snyder on why it’s important to show up for NO KINGS 3 on March 28th.

RESULTS: Several questions were received through multiple LSRI channels, and moderators grouped them into 15 questions to

On March 21, Lake Superior Region Indivisible hosted the Marquette candidate forum for Michigan’s First Congressional District (the U.S. House seat currently held by Jack Bergman). The upcoming primaries — the vetting stage of our elections — are critical to the grassroot efforts underway to change the direction of this country. All primary candidates have been invited to the forum. The candidate forum is not a debate. It’s actually a job interview where each of the candidates can address issues brought up by us — their potential employers. This is an opportunity to meet the candidates, raise concerns, listen and compare.

This is where YOU come in:

We asked for YOUR input in the form of questions to the candidates. Please take a moment to reflect on the issues that affect you. We hope you are able to attend the forum. If not, your voice can still be a part of this conversation by responding to the survey below. We expect this event to be widely covered by our local media. Your input will help to shape our understanding of the individuals who are asking to represent us.