On Thursday, multiple activist groups collaborated and rallied citizens to Lansing to speak with lawmakers about campaign finance reform.

View this email in your browser ([link removed])
MCFN.org ([link removed])
[link removed] Share ([link removed])
[link removed] https%3A%2F%2Fmcfn.org%2Farticle%2Fvoters-not-politicians-kick-off-campaign-finance-town-hall-tour-discusses-pathway-to-reform Tweet ([link removed] https%3A%2F%2Fmcfn.org%2Farticle%2Fvoters-not-politicians-kick-off-campaign-finance-town-hall-tour-discusses-pathway-to-reform)
[link removed] Forward ([link removed])
Common Cause, Other Groups Hold Campaign Finance Reform Lobby Day at Michigan Capitol
On Thursday, multiple activist groups collaborated and rallied citizens to Lansing to speak with lawmakers about campaign finance reform. Speakers stressed the need for more disclosure and other priorities but did not have a particular bill to advocate for.

By Nicholas Pigeon
Michigan Campaign Finance Network


Lansing (April 27th, 2023) – On the west side of the capitol lawn, attendees of the Campaign Finance Reform Lobby Day held a press conference on the steps facing the Michigan Supreme Court. The event marked the halfway point of a citizen lobby event where constituents are organized into meetings with lawmakers.


A coalition of organizations, including Common Cause, Public Citizen, American Promise, and others, set up the event. On the registration flyer, they called on Michigan to join twenty-two other states and “take action on limiting dark money, special interest and foreign government influence in our Michigan elections, and call on Congress to pass the For Our Freedom Amendment.” ([link removed])


Attendees were able to sign up for a half or full day of sessions with legislators to talk about “campaign finance reform and tell them that Michiganders want to see meaningful policy passed this term.” ([link removed])


At the press conference, Quentin Turner, program director for Common Cause Michigan ([link removed]) , called on the Michigan Legislature to “pass budget funding to increase implementation funds for fair elections, pass a resolution calling for an amendment to the United States Constitution,” and “implement clear and concise disclosure rules for financial contributions to candidates.”


Other speakers echoed similar demands, including Hank Mayers, the president of Michiganders for Fair and Transparent Elections: “Our election money problems are having a profound impact on the people’s confidence in their government and the ability of our legislative bodies to solve our urgent needs.”


After the press conference, Turner spoke with MCFN and said that they are trying to start a conversation and aren’t advocating for a specific piece of legislation. “This is something that we all know is a problem, and we are instigating a conversation with the decision-makers and telling them that we want to see a number of things.”


“We talked about how much more money is going into our political system, and that is something people are taking notice of." "They are seeing the fact that there are large corporations that are getting preferential treatment when there are basic issues that they want lawmakers to address.”


MCFN spoke with some of the attendees who came to Lansing for the lobby day. Brighton resident Peggy Van Sickle stated that she came to Lansing because “there is too much secret money and campaigns have become just too expensive, and the everyday normal citizen can’t run.” She also voiced her support for a public financing system.


Abby Schwartz of Lansing reiterated some of these concerns: “The enormous amount of money that it takes to run and the ability to not disclose where that money is coming from really influences legislation. I think the majority of citizens are really appalled by this—the left and the right.”


Central Michigan University student Asia Robinson, who also attended the lobby day, stated that “as a person of color at a predominantly white institution, I see a lot of people who look like me who are hesitant to vote or even give their two cents because they feel that their voices are being crowded out by big business and interest groups, or that their voices just don’t matter to these legislators.


Over thirty registrants stayed in Lansing over the lunch hour to continue another round of meetings with legislators.


It is uncertain what the next move is for the event organizers. There are no campaign finance-related bills introduced in this legislative session.

============================================================
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Website ([link removed])
Copyright © 2023 Michigan Campaign Finance Network, All rights reserved.
You have interest in money in Michigan politics: [link removed]

Our mailing address is:
Michigan Campaign Finance Network
600 W. St. Joseph Suite 3G
Lansing, MI 48933
USA
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
.
Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp
[link removed]