CRAG: Updates May 16

Hello CRAGgy Friends,

Welcome new people! (join here)

1. Posting delays
2. The rule of law, federal and local
3. Federal Budget: Medicaid
4. Upcoming Local Township/city meetings CALENDAR
5. Events, meetings, and organizing CALENDAR
6. Notes and housekeeping
7. The Owls are heading out into the world.
8. Kestral Cam

“Today, right now—and I mean right this second—you have the most power you’ll ever have in the current fight against authoritarianism in America. If you wait to speak out, you have already lost.” Adrienne LaFrance, The Atlantic, April, 2025

“It is not shameful to do little.  It is shameful to do nothing.” Alexie Navalny (1978-2024), Russian opposition leader, anti-corruption activist, and political prisoner.

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1. Posting delays

I've been busy with migrating the newsletter to a new platform (more info when it's complete). So, i bit slow on posting this week. Apologies if I'm missing any items you've sent.

And with the garden and moving donkey manure. Ping me if you'd like some.

2. The rule of law, federal and local

The rule of law is under attack at the federal level. According to The Brennan Center "The administration is pushing to create an all-powerful executive that can ignore and usurp Congress’s constitutional authority at will."

Former federal judge J. Michael Luttig, writing in The Atlantic summarizes the unlawful actions of this administration. (full access through The Society for the Rule of Law.)

the FBI arrested the Wisconsin state judge Hannah Dugan in her Milwaukee courthouse on federal criminal charges...

The arrest and prosecution of judges on such specious charges is where rule by law ends and tyranny begins. The independent judiciary is the only constraint of law on a president. It is the last obstacle to a president with designs on tyrannical rule.

Meanwhile, several justice-related issues are on the table here in Houghton County.

• Houghton County Justice topics
  • Houghton County Justice Center/Jail millage will be on the August Ballot. Lot of information about the need for this facility is available from the LWV, including the consequences of not approving this plan. The county webpage includes a calculator to estimate individual tax impacts.
  • I had a chance to tour the current jail today to see how dangerously inadequate this 1960's building is. It lacks basic safety elements for inmates, officers, and staff, and has insufficient space for managing mental health issues, juveniles, and pre-release programs.
  • The options for the county are to (1) approve this millage or (2) have the state force the facility to close, require transporting of inmates downstate, and impose construction of an appropriate jail. Option 2 is much more expensive.
  • Faith Morrison is coordinating jail tours on Tues or Thur afternoons. Contact her at fmorriso9@yahoo.com for available space. (6 per tour- it's a crowded facility!)
• A billing dispute with TriCounty Public Defenders (TCPD) is threatening access to public defenders in Houghton County.

ACTION: sign up for a tour (contact Faith fmorriso9@yahoo.com). Talk to people about this issue.

3. Federal Budget: Medicaid

Congressional committees are working on sections of the 2026 budget, which entails testimony from heads of the agencies on their budget requests. (Hilariously, FBI head Kash Patel showed up to the Senate with no budget plan whatsoever.)

Medicaid is attracting a lot of attention because the republican budget proposal asks for substantial cuts from Medicaid. Even republicans seem nervous about the impacts on their constituents, and want to pretend it's all about waste and fraud. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) works for congress and analyses proposed legislation. Their report:

Analysis Shows All Savings from Republican Cuts Come from Benefit Cuts, Terminating Health Coverage, and Payment Cuts for Doctors, Hospitals, Nursing Homes, and Home Care Providers—Not “Waste, Fraud, and Abuse”. (details)

The Medicars Rights Center summary shows:

• Option 1 would reduce the federal government’s share of responsibility (also called the “FMAP”) for the Medicaid expansion population: 5.5 million people being kicked out of Medicaid, and 2.4 million people going uninsured.
• Option 2 would limit provider taxes that states use to cover portions of their Medicaid funding: 8.6 million people being kicked out of Medicaid, and 3.9 million going uninsured.
• Option 3 would establish limits or caps on federal spending for all people in the state who have health insurance through Medicaid: 5.8 million people being kicked out of Medicaid, and 2.9 million going uninsured.
• Option 4 would establish limits or caps on federal spending for the Medicaid expansion population: 3.3 million people being kicked out of Medicaid, and 1.5 million going uninsured.
• Option 5 would repeal the Medicaid and Medicare Savings Program (MSP) enrollment streamlining rules that reduced barriers to enrolling in the programs: 2.3 million people being kicked out of Medicaid, and 0.6 million going uninsured.

Meanwhile Rep Bergman sent me another letter claiming that "Democrats and the liberal media are using the budget resolution vote as an opportunity to spread manufactured fear for political gain."

ACTION: This would be a good issue to bring up with his office. Five Calls

ACTION (ongoing): There is still time to submit a comment opposing Schedule F that will undermine the federal workforce..

---> More info and Action you can take to oppose schedule F by Don Moynihan. Another summary by Adam Klasfeld. You can submit a comment to the federal registry (anonymously, if you like) and you can see submitted comments there for examples.
---> Deadline is May 23. <---

4. Upcoming Local Township/city meetings CALENDAR

What you can learn at local meetings:

Joan C.: "I just attended the Chamber of Commerce breakfast on education. Jim Rautiola, superintendent of Copper Country ISD presented. I stood up and asked him how the CCISD will be impacted by cuts to federal funding. He said 1/3 of  CCISD budget comes from Federal funding. He said they would potentially have to do a millage to replace that funding, but he’s hopeful there will be a big pushback and it will not come to pass.

Here's the schedule for next week.

How can we get you out to your township/county/other meetings?
Lots of events are on the CALENDAR for the week of May 11.

• We can help:
  • Pair you with a buddy;
  • Guidance in preparing remarks; As examples, my statements to all bodies are posted in an archive. (I can post yours, too, if you want to share.)
  • Factsheet on your township;
  • What else can we do? Childcare? Transportation? Lollipops? Let me know!

5. Events and meetings

See CALENDAR link for details on events.

Tuesday, May 27, 6 pm.

"How to run for local office"

See flyer below.

• June 14th. No Kings protests nation-wide. This date is Bridgefest in Houghton. The LWV, Houghton County Dems, and Keweenaw Indivisible are all planning flats in the parade on Friday, June 13. Contact these organizations to contribute.

Ongoing:

• Yoopers for Ukraine Rally at the bridge Wednesdays at 5 pm (correction).
• “Houghton County Dems meet every 1st Wednesday, 7 pm at the Super 8.
• 3rd Wednesday, 6 pm HC Dems April Meet-up, 5th and Elm.
• 4th Wednesdays AWAVE. Gathering at Orpheum Theater, Hancock.
• 3rd Sundays, 7-8:45 pm, Keweenaw Against the Oligarchy Monthly Action Committee (KATO), Orpheum Theater. Please register at the link to help with the headcount.
• Marquette: Every Saturday morning from 11:30-12:30, between 40 - 80 people have been assembling at the Marquette Post Office, standing in support with long-established Citizens for Peace & Justice.:

6. Notes and housekeeping

• UPDATES COMING. I'm in the process of transferring this list to a more platform that's better suited to our needs. This is taking a while; I'm hoping the conversion will be seamless for newsletter subscribers..
• This list now includes 250 people.
• I posted an overview of CRAG goals and history on April 13th.
• Why Local Action for Democracy
  • btw, I'm a newcomer to this; the League of Women Voters and Houghton County Dems have been tracking local meetings and issues for years.
• I keep a CRAG CALENDAR of local meetings and events; please forward any additions or updates.
• Most of my statements at meetings are posted in the CRAG archive, along with these newsletter.
• This newsletter is available via RSS feed (copy link into your RSS reader): https://www.fireelon.net/1/feed

7. The Owls are heading out into the world.

• For a break watch our local Great Horned owlets grow on the Owl Nest Cam, installed and maintained by Copper Country Bird Club. The nest is often empty now, but they still appear now and then.

8. Kestral Cam

With the owls leaving, check out this gorgeous kestral with newly hatched chicks in Wisconsin.

Thanks for all your support

Stay Well

Sarah