The BBB, a snapshot: “The One Big Beautiful Bill” is Donald Trump’s and the Republican administration’s mega-budget, 880 page reconciliation bill. The Senate passed the BBB on July 1, 2025 by 51-50. ALL Democrats and only 3 Republicans voted against this bill. JD Vance provided the tie-breaker vote. The House passed the BBB on July 3, 2025 by 218-214. ALL Democrats and only 2 Republicans voted against the bill. It was signed into law on July 4, 2025 by Donald Trump.

The BBB is Donald Trump’s priority bill that enabled him to extend his 2017 tax cuts, which primarily benefit the wealthy. In the Republican’s attempt to free up funds to justify these tax cuts, large amounts of money were slashed from existing federal social safety net programs; programs that were designed to help low-income Americans.

It’s estimated that the BBB will add $3.4 trillion to the US deficit over the next 10 years.1 And that might be a conservative estimate.

This Deep Dive focuses on the SNAP cuts portion of the Big Beautiful Bill

1. WHAT is SNAP? (from What Is SNAP And How Does It Work?)

• SNAP is an acronym for “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It is the largest anti-hunger program in America. Recipients receive, on average, about $6.16 a day, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

• It is sometimes still referred to as Food Stamps, or sometimes EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer). It is similar to a debit card, but it draws money from state managed federal benefits (SNAP, TANF...). EBT has spending rules: it can be used for many foods, but not for alcohol or hot beverages. Generally, if you can’t eat or drink it, then it is NOT covered (i.e., NO toilet paper, paper towels, vitamins, cosmetics, cat/dog food...). Foods allowed are considered to be, to some degree, “nutritional food” but, at the same time, there is a goal with the program to not be overbearing. All fresh fruits and vegetables are 50% off.

2. HISTORY of SNAP:

• In 1939, Food Stamps began as a pilot program during the Great Depression. From 1939-1943, it provided food stamps for poor families while alleviating food surpluses.

• In 1961, the program was revived and by 1964 it had been expanded into 22 states.

• In 1964, the ‘Food Stamp Act’ was passed making the program permanent.

• 1974: The program was expanded to serve the entire nation.

• 1977: Food Stamp Reform Act: The requirement to purchase food stamps was eliminated, making it more accessible to persons with low-income.

• 2008: The name, “Food Stamps,” was changed to “SNAP” (The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).2,3

• (The history notes above were AI generated.2 These notes were verified in this article: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Examining the Evidence to Define Benefit Adequacy)

• According to Mother Jones, in 1964, when the Food Stamp Act was created, food aid and farm aid were intentionally combined, so “that urban congressional members would support farm subsidies in exchange for preserving the Food Stamp program, and, rural members would support it too, in exchange for votes for farm subsidies. The compromise has worked ever since, though it began to fray with the rise of the Tea Party in the early 2010s.”4

3. Who Receives SNAP?

• SNAP provides food aid to 40 million people, including 16 million children, 8 million seniors, and 4 million non-elderly adults with disabilities, according to a Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ analysis of Congressional Budget Office projections.4

• Almost anyone qualifies whose (NET) income is at or below the poverty line set by the federal government in a given year. The amount (allotted) is determined by the cost of necessities like food, clothes and housing, following the Consumer Price Index.8

• Nearly 1.5 million Michiganders currently receive SNAP benefits. That’s almost 15% of the state’s population, a larger share than the 12% national average.9

4. What are the SPECIFIC CUTS to SNAP that were passed in the BBB? (From: Are there cuts to SNAP? What the “Big Beautiful Bill” means for food stamps unless otherwise noted)

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the changes in the Senate reconciliation bill would cut SNAP funding by about 20%, or $186 billion, through 2034. That makes it ‘the largest cut to SNAP in history,’ according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Among other requirements, households (gross income) must be at or below 130% of the federal poverty lines to qualify.

• Increased Work Requirements And Documentation: More people will need to work or volunteer at least 20 hours per week or participate in training programs to keep their benefits—and many people who were previously exempt from work requirements will now have to show they meet them or risk losing their SNAP benefits.

If you don't meet these work requirements, you can only get SNAP benefits for three months in a three-year period. If someone in your household loses SNAP due to work requirements, your family's benefit could change significantly. For instance, a single mother with one child who loses benefits for herself would see their food assistance drop from a maximum of $536 monthly to $292 monthly.

Over 5 million people-roughly 1 in 8 SNAP recipients-including 800,000 children and more than half a million adults who are 65 or older or have disabilities, live in households that face the risk of losing some or all food assistance due to these work requirement expansions.

• New Age Limits: Able-bodied adults ages 55 through 64 without dependent children and parents of children 14 and older must now work at least 20 hours per week or participate in training programs. Before, this only applied to people up to age 54. Roughly 900,000 adults in that 55 to 64 age group would be affected.

• Parents With Teenage Children: Parents whose youngest, dependent child is 14 or older must now meet work requirements—although kids will keep getting benefits even if their caretakers lose them.

• Veterans And Vulnerable Groups: Veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and former foster youth must now meet work requirements. About 270,000 people in these groups would be affected.

• Harder to get waivers: States can only waive work requirements in areas where unemployment is above 10 percent. This makes it much harder for states to help people who can't find work. About 1.1 million people live in high-unemployment areas (but less than 10%) that wouldn't qualify for waivers under the new rules.

• Utility allowance cuts: About 600,000 low-income households may lose some of their monthly SNAP benefit amount because of changes in how utility expenses are calculated.

• Changes to immigrant eligibility: The bill limits SNAP eligibility to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. Previously, certain immigrant groups, like refugees, people seeking asylum, survivors of domestic violence, and victims of trafficking, who haven't become permanent residents were eligible for benefits.

• SNAP benefits won’t increase even if inflation goes up, something which traditionally has been calculated by “The Thrifty Food Plan.” The Thrifty Food Plan is a model “basket of food” based on current recommendations for a nutritious diet with respect to type & quantity of foods, that comply with economical (healthy food choices), while incorporating cost of living increases. This info is used to determine current SNAP benefit amounts.”12

• States pay more “Starting in fiscal year 2028, states may be required to pay a portion of food benefit costs for the first time in SNAP's history. Previously, states only paid administrative costs, not the actual food benefits. If the cost burdens shift more onto states, that could affect how benefits are administered in the future.”11 Some states may choose to drop the SNAP program altogether if it’s too expensive to continue it.

• (To clarify): “The government would continue to fully fund the benefits for states that have an error payment rate below 6%, but states with higher error rates would be on the hook for anywhere from 5% to 15% of the program's costs. The error rates measure the accuracy of states’ eligibility and benefit payments. The change would start in 2028.”7, 22 “Michigan's payment error rate in fiscal year (FY) 2024 was 9.53%, down from 13.00% in FY 2022. It is estimated that Michigan's economy will be hit for an estimated $415 million.”13

• Students go hungry “When children lose access to SNAP benefits, they also lose their automatic enrollment in free meals at school.”12 This program is run by the USDA and combined with state funds in the states where the program is offered. The National School Lunch Program is the nation’s second largest food and nutrition assistance program. Without the federal funds, these programs are in serious jeopardy.13

5. When will these changes begin?

• New work requirements and utility allowance cuts could go into effect right away, but states will need time to update their systems. Other changes will be phased in over the next few years.11

6. SNAP cuts will affect grocery stores (from Trump’s megabill may force your local grocery store to close unless otherwise noted)

• These cuts will imperil the program’s role as an economic anchor for grocery stores and communities, particularly in rural areas….SNAP is a great economic driver for the grocery store industry and the supply chain, including farmers, manufacturers and wholesalers. Large chains, such as Walmart, Kroger, and Dollar General, can absorb the hit. It’s the small, independent grocers that depend heavily on SNAP to sustain razor-thin profit margins that will be hit the hardest, food experts say.

• The Agriculture Department has said that every $5 in new SNAP benefits generates as much as $9 of local economic activity. Food stamps also lead to more stores and higher employment, sales, and salaries, a 2020 study by University of California-Davis, researchers shows.

• House Republicans say the changes will “restore integrity” to the program and benefit grocers by pushing more people to work. But studies have shown work requirements for SNAP do not increase employment. SNAP cuts may even result in job losses. A study earlier this year by the nonprofit research group, Commonwealth Fund, estimated that cuts could result in the loss of 143,000 food-related jobs in agriculture, retail grocery and food processing.

• There’s a possibility of creating more food deserts in urban and rural areas.

• Many economists say SNAP is one of the most effective social safety net programs because it acts as an automatic stabilizer during economic downturns. As incomes drop, SNAP spending typically increases as more people become eligible and enroll.

• Instead of drawing more people into the labor market, work requirement changes will push people in poverty off food assistance. These folks have huge barriers to work. It’s not that they are laying around on their couch and playing video games, they’ve got addiction problems. They’ve got mental health problems. Saying, “We’re going to take away your food and that’s going to make you work,” defies logic.

• The legislation also shifts some of the cost burden of the federal program to many states for the first time. States have more limited borrowing power than the federal government. People are still going to need to eat.…But instead of going to grocery stores and stimulating their local economy, “they’re going to have to go to food banks, which do not have the capacity to fill this need.”

• About Food Banks: They are important and valuable when people have no other options, however...There is limited choice, having only what a food bank has been able to acquire such as the surplus from local grocery stores and restaurants...In addition, food banks have limited hours16 and you are sometimes forced to take food you are allergic to14 (i.e. people with gluten, dairy or peanut allergies to name just a few). “There is also a basic lack of dignity and respect when you don’t allow someone to choose their own food.... and that if you ever need assistance, you should just be grateful for whatever is given to you, even if you can’t eat it.”14

7. Do the SNAP cuts affect Farmers? (from: How Trump’s Big Bill Devastates the US Food System)

• By bypassing the Farm Bill—which has been overdue to be reauthorized since 2023—and slipping its biggest programs into Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, the GOP leadership has vaporized the old coalition, literally taking food off the tables of poor people and handing much of the savings to large-scale commodity farmers. The new bill is projected to lavish an additional $66 billion on commodity growers through 2034.

  • The bounty of corn and soy the bill triggers won’t improve the dietary prospects for low-income people hurt by the SNAP cuts. The Midwest’s commodity farmers produce little healthy food for people to eat. The great bulk of what these subsidies churn out ends up as feed in vast industrial-meat operations and fuel for cars, in the form of ethanol and bio-diesel.

  • The rest is transformed into a stunning array of sweeteners, fats, and additives that suffuse the ultra-processed foods that form the basis of the American diet. A growing body of science indicts this packaged fare as a major driver of the epidemic of diet-related diseases afflicting Americans, including Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

  • And the bill’s massive increase in immigration-enforcement spending will likely target the undocumented people who harvest the bulk of US fruits and vegetables, making healthier choices even more expensive.

8. Do the tax cuts offset the money lost from the SNAP cuts?

“The ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ comes with a modest tax credit increase for parents. The Child Tax Credit, now capped at $2,000 per child, will rise to $2,200. However, it requires at least one parent and all qualifying children to provide valid Social Security numbers. And, as with the current Child Tax Credit, this expansion would only be available to families earning enough income to qualify and hence unavailable to low- and moderate-income families.”17,18

9. How SNAP cuts will affect Michigan

Read Under Trump cuts, thousands of Michigan families could lose SNAP food benefits for a detailed report on how these cuts will affect Michigan.

10. What can you do?

• Let your voice be heard in Washington to resist the BBB SNAP cuts: call your US Senators and Representatives (see “5 Calls app20: “Constituent Services: Report your concerns to Your Representatives”)

• Attend a Town Hall with your representatives whenever possible

• Raise public awareness: Discuss this issue with people you have contact with and share this information within your social networks when you can.

• Engage with the media regarding your concerns with these pending SNAP cuts...contact the local news, radio, podcast personalities...

• Post concerning information on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok...

• To help with addressing possible loss of free school meals call your representatives and urge them to “Restore USDA Funding for Food Banks and Schools” (5 Calls)

References

1. Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' is projected to add $3.4 trillion to the debt, budget office says

2. AI reference to “History of the SNAP program” searched on 7/30/2025 These notes were verified through the following site (3): History, Background, and Goals of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

3. How Trump’s Big Bill Devastates the US Food System – Mother Jones

4. Trump’s big beautiful bill may force your local grocery store to close | CNN Business

5. What Is SNAP And How Does It Work? | Propel

6. Trump's 'big beautiful bill' cuts food stamps for millions — the average family may lose $146 per month, report finds

7. What Are SNAP Benefits, and How Will They Change?

8. Trump bill cuts Michigan SNAP benefits for 200K+ households - Axios Detroit

9. Trump’s big beautiful bill may force your local grocery store to close | CNN Business

10. Are There Cuts To SNAP? What The “Big Beautiful Bill” Means For Food Stamps | Propel

11. History, Background, and Goals of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

12. Michigan government departments highlight benefits of SNAP on poverty, health and economy

13. What the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' will change for students, schools and colleges

14. National School Lunch Program - Food Research & Action Center

15. Food banks aren’t the whole answer

16. What the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' will change for students, schools and colleges

17. 6 ways Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ will affect kids and schools - Chalkbeat

18. Under Trump cuts, thousands of Michigan families could lose SNAP food benefits - mlive.com

19. April 24, 2025 - Child Nutrition Programs (CNP) Bulletin No. 48 - Michigan School Meals

20. The key items in Trump's 'big, beautiful bill'

Note: Propel.app is a free mobile app that helps people manage their government benefits. It is not a government app. It is run by a non-profit. It’s an app to help low income Americans navigate the financial assistance world. “It’s the #1 EBT app” and the articles written for the app are excellent resources. Articles [6,11] from this app were quoted in this Deep Dive.

The Evolution of Voting Rights For Black Americans (Continues)

"The vote is precious. It is almost sacred. It is the most powerful non-violent tool we have in a democracy." - John Lewis

Indivisible GGR

Aug 27, 2025

August sixth of this year marked the sixtieth anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. While we celebrated the landmark, that 1965 legislation was effectively gutted in 2013 and voting rights, like many of our civil rights now, remain under attack. When the vote is suppressed, it is generally people of color who disproportionately lose access.

The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

The 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified on February 3, 1870 and promised African-American men the right to vote for the first time in our country. The amendment reads, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”

Coming in the wake of the Civil War, the framers of the amendment attempted to guarantee these rights nationally, despite the fact that so much of what the war represented remained unsettled. As one article describing the amendment continued, “But just as some had predicted, Southerners found ways to prevent Black people from voting.”

Regional disenfranchisement laws were passed and subsequently enforced by election officials. Examples of these were poll taxes, literacy tests and/or other requirements for voting. Violence against Blacks, including organized violence (such as the Ku Klux Klan) also deterred voters as resistance to racial equality proliferated after the war.

• For more of the context of the passage of the amendment see: PBS American Experience

• For an image of the 15th amendment with commentary see: The National Archives

• The Nineteenth Amendment, granting suffrage to women, encompassed Black women, but their experience was complicated as well.

• For more on this, see this article from the National Park Service

The Voting Rights Act of 1965

Just as the 15th Amendment arose in the context of the Civil War, the Voting Rights Act was a product of the Civil Rights Movement almost exactly one hundred years later and a direct response to that backlash to the 15th Amendment. Since Blacks legally already had the right to vote, the VRA focused on those policies that undermined that right, and focused specifically on geographic areas of the country where discrimination against Black voters was more common.

Included amongst the provisions of the Voting Rights Act is one outlawing literacy tests as a requirement to vote. Other provisions applied to only certain jurisdictions outlined by a “coverage formula”. Some of those jurisdictions were required to have federal election observers present to discourage voter intimidation at the polls. Some were required to obtain approval from the United States Attorney General or the United States District Court for D.C. before making any new regional laws affecting voting, a process known as preclearance. Included in the coverage formula were some areas of Michigan (Clyde township in Allegan County and Buena Vista township in Saginaw County; Civil Rights Division | Jurisdictions Previously Covered By Section 5).

According to the National Archives, “The Voting Rights Act had an immediate impact. By the end of 1965, a quarter of a million new Black voters had been registered, one-third by federal examiners. By the end of 1966, only four out of 13 southern states had fewer than 50 percent of African Americans registered to vote.” (For this and an image of the Voting Rights Act with commentary go to the National Archives at Voting Rights Act (1965) | National Archives).

The NAACP points out that higher representation in governance had broad implications for Black Americans’ quality of life. The wage gap between Blacks and whites decreased. Health conditions improved, including lower infant mortality rates among Blacks.

Shelby County v. Holder

In 2010, Shelby County, Alabama, sued the Attorney General, Eric Holder, regarding Section 4 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act which delineated specific areas for the special provision of preclearance. The conservative leaning Supreme Court sided with Alabama in 2013, arguing that those areas in the coverage formula were no longer particularly discriminatory, as they had been in 1965. Observing that this was precisely because of preclearance, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote in her dissent, “Throwing out preclearance when it has worked and is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.”

Analysts agree that the effect of Shelby v. Holder on Black voting was swift, broad and multifaceted. Greg Abbott, who was attorney general of Texas at the time, took to Twitter literally minutes after the court’s decision to push for the return of strict voter identification laws in his state. Other strategies that served to suppress the vote included the closure of polling places, limiting early voting, voter purges and gerrymandering. For more on how these work, see:

Grover, Katie. “Voting Rights in 2018: A Postmortem.” Michigan Journal of Public Affairs, Feb. 17, 2019.

Michigan Responds to Shelby v. Holder

Just as there are continued and creative efforts to suppress the vote, there are also continued efforts to oppose suppression. The Michigan Voting Rights Act is an example of the latter.

According to the Michigan Department of State, the Michigan Voting Rights Act (MIVRA), whose authors studied successful recent initiatives in several other states, would build on and expand the national voting rights act of 1965. An NAACP poll found a majority of Democrats, Republicans and Independents supported the bill.

MIVRA passed in the Michigan Senate on July 18, 2024, but the Michigan legislature failed to vote on it before their session ended in December 2024. The NAACP wrote, “This was the current leadership’s last opportunity to pass one of the most comprehensive civil rights protections in the state’s history.” Democrats lost their House majority in the November 2024 election.

For more on why the bill stalled, see:

NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. “The Michigan Legislature Fails to Act, Delivers a Devastating Blow to Voting Rights.”

Risks to Voting Rights in Michigan Continue

MIVRA would have protected us from any state or local voter suppression initiatives. Without it, Michiganders remain vulnerable (and continue to be at risk from federal level attacks).

Indivisible Greater Grand Rapids consistently informs its followers about recent voter suppression initiatives. Reread this Deeper Dive from July 2, 2025, “Suppressing the Vote in Michigan” or follow the substack for weekly updates.

Deeper Dive: Suppressing the Vote in Michigan

How to Advocate for Voting Rights in Michigan Now

• Educate yourself about voting rights and do not take them for granted!

  • Michiganvoting.org

  • Kent County Clerk

• Decline to sign any petition that mentions citizen voting rights (there are three petitions that are part of a state and national campaign led by politicians and special interest groups trying to make it harder for eligible citizens to vote)

• Connect with voting rights advocacy groups:

  • NAACP of Greater Grand Rapids

  • Urban Core Collective

  • League of Women Voters of the Greater Grand Rapids Area

• Contact your local government officials and urge them to reintroduce MIVRA or support S.14, the John R. Lewis Voting Advancement Act, which would restore and advance the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Other Resources:

• The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture’s piece on the general history of voting rights in America, “150 Years and Counting”

• Heather Cox Richardson in her usual comprehensiveness and clarity

• National Geographic on the 15th Amendment

• The NAACP on the Voting Rights Act of 1965

• Crayton, Kareem. “The Voting Rights Act Explained.” Brennan Center for Justice newsletter, July 17, 2023.

• NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. “How Shelby County V. Holder Broke Democracy.”

• The Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (for considerable legal detail of the complicated changes to the Voting Rights Act represented by the retraction of Section 4 in Shelby v Holder)

• More on MIVRA and where it stands now from the NAACP

• More on how voter suppression specifically harms people of color from the Brennan Center for Justice

Why County Government Matters Now More Than Ever

A Conversation with Kris Pachla - Kent County Commissioner

Indivisible GGR

Aug 06, 2025

Last week, Indivisible Greater Grand Rapids sat down with Kent County Commissioner Kris Pachla to talk about something most of us don’t think much about—county government—and why that needs to change. Kris shed light on the often-invisible yet vital role counties play in our daily lives, how they’re funded, and what’s at stake as federal support faces steep cuts.

Link to video

🏛️ What Does County Government Do?

County government acts as the connective tissue between local cities and the state. Some of its responsibilities are mandated—like running courts, the sheriff’s department, and the health department. Others are discretionary but deeply impactful: managing recycling, offering early childhood services, maintaining parks, and more.

And while you might only interact with the county when registering to vote or getting a dog license, its reach goes much deeper.

🔍 Why Is It So Important Right Now?

Because county government is largely funded through state and federal dollars, budget cuts from higher levels of government threaten critical services. Yet counties are still required to deliver their core mandates—meaning fewer resources to go around and bigger gaps for local communities to fill.

Kris emphasized that "if we're doing our job well, we're doing it quietly." But now, that quiet competence is being tested.

🌱 Programs You Should Know About

1. Early Childhood Millage
Kent County is one of the few in Michigan to invest in early childhood development via a voter-approved millage. Funds go to First Steps Kent, supporting free services like developmental screenings, parenting resources, and playgroups—not daycare, but tools to get kids kindergarten-ready. There is a very helpful tool, called the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, which helps parents answer questions about the progress of their child and better understand if the child is doing something typical for their age or whether something is atypical and will need some help to address. First Steps Kent serves over 10,000 children countywide.

2. Public Works & Recycling
Kent County’s Department of Public Works is a state leader. From operating landfills and a waste-to-energy plant to maintaining a county-wide recycling system, it ensures that what we recycle actually gets recycled. Kris says, “We've all heard stories of places that you drop off your recycling and it just gets dumped right into the trash bin and then buried in the ground. We don't do that here in Kent County.” One innovative addition: a Styrofoam densifier, which compresses packaging foam into reusable material—something most counties can’t do.

3. Kent County Community Action (KCCA)
KCCA channels federal funds into programs like Meals on Wheels, home weatherization, and housing improvements for low-income residents. In FY2024, KCCA served 24,558 families, distributed 113,157 boxes of nutritious food, completed four infrastructure projects—including roads, sidewalks and parks—and finished 233 home rehabilitation and weatherization projects. These programs are now threatened by major proposed federal budget cuts, which could ripple through the entire community—not just those directly receiving aid. Kris likens cuts to these programs “to the Medicare cuts where we are identifying that the increased healthcare costs from folks not being able to afford medical care through Medicare are going to be passed along to the rest of us either by hospitals closing down because we're not going to be able to have them actually pay for the services that are being rendered or by us having issues with having to have much more reactive care than preventative care.”

4. Parks & The Grand River Greenway Project
The county also runs beautiful parks like Millennium Park and is spearheading the Grand River Greenway—a planned trail stretching from Lowell to Lake Michigan. It’s a $100M vision that’s already partially complete and aims to reconnect residents with the Grand River, regardless of whether they own a car, a bike, or kayak. Kris added, “The Grand River Greenway is also a part of the project that's looking at downtown, and as we look at the amphitheater and the revitalization of the riverbanks of Grand Rapids, we have an awesome opportunity to really create an interconnected pathway for everybody to get around on that doesn't rely on cars.”

💡 County Budgets = Community Values

Kris emphasized that counties don’t pass many laws—they shape policy by deciding where the money goes. Every line in the county budget reflects our collective values. That’s why public awareness and civic engagement matter so much, especially during election season. According to Kris, “It's really important that folks identify whether the budget priorities that we set forth as the county are aligning with what you have as your community priorities, and in some instances it's not.”

🗳️ What Can You Do?

• Vote. Many county-level decisions—like millages—are made by voters.

• Learn. Visit First Steps Kent, Kent County Recycling, Kent County Community Action, and Kent County Parks to explore local programs.

• Speak Up. Contact your commissioners to weigh in on funding priorities.

• Subscribe. Stay tuned here on Substack for updates and an upcoming webinar at 7:00pm on Thursday, August 28, where we’ll dive deeper into these programs and how you can help protect them.

Suppressing the Vote in Michigan

On the 12th anniversary of the Supreme Court invalidating key provisions of the Voting Rights Act - IGGR reviews National and State Initiatives to suppress the vote in Michigan.

Indivisible GGR

Jul 02, 2025

There are canvassers on Michigan streets and public spaces from two different groups who are circulating petitions. It is important to know the intention of these ballot initiatives as they are designed to enact legislation that would in effect suppress the vote for many folks.

Michigan already has one of the safest and most secure voter security systems in the country. The MIT Election Data and Science Lab ranked Michigan’s elections second in the nation in 2022, based on the Election Performance Index (EPI), scoring 88%.

If you are interested in how the State of Michigan currently verifies the citizenship of voters, click here: Only U.S. citizens can vote

Michigan’s Ballot Initiatives

In January, Michigan House Republicans introduced House Joint Resolution B, primarily sponsored by Rep. Bryan Posthumus (R-90, Rockford). This proposed amendment to the Michigan constitution that would restrict the ability of eligible citizens to register to vote by introducing burdensome new requirements. On May 1, the House voted on HJR B, but it failed to get the two-thirds majority vote necessary to pass. The vote was 58-48, with all present Republicans voting in favor and all present Democrats voting against. (Read the text: House Joint Resolution B of 2025)

The sponsors of HJR B made it clear they intended to gather petition signatures for a constitutional ballot initiative in order to place the proposed amendment on the November 2026 ballot. Supporters filed a Ballot Question Committee called “Prove It, Michigan” (run by the Committee to Protect Voters’ Rights) and in April their petition was approved by the Board of Canvassers. They need to collect 446,198 valid signatures in order to put the initiative on the 2026 ballot.

A second petition to require proof-of-citizenship in order to vote was approved by the Board of Canvassers in May. This one is sponsored by Americans for Citizens Voting, a product of the Virginia-based libertarian Liberty Initiative Fund. It also needs to get 446,198 valid signatures.

Essentially, there are now two petitions circulating throughout the state of Michigan that want to make it harder to vote.

Quick facts on the petitions:

• These are NOT citizen-led initiatives! These efforts are led by Lansing politicians and national special interest groups.

• The changes are unnecessary: Michigan already has NEW voter ID and Secure Automatic Voter Registration laws that ensure only citizens can register and vote. Why are national special interests trying to change our secure voting laws?

• The proposals add red tape and extra burden: By putting these burdens on voters and our local clerks, politicians are trying to make elections more expensive and less efficient to benefit themselves.

• They will create a poll tax: The driver’s license or state ID you always vote with won’t be enough anymore. Can you afford a $165 passport?

• Makes it harder for eligible citizens to vote, especially rural voters: All registrations or registration updates must be made in person, no matter how far away the office is.

• Undoes voter-approved language in our state constitution: Michigan voters already passed Proposal 18-2 and Proposal 22-2. Why are politicians and special interests trying to rewrite our constitution and ignore our votes?

• Puts voters’ sensitive and personal information at risk: Your partial Social Security numbers, birth certificates, marriage licenses, and more could be at risk just to exercise your constitutional right to vote.

Bottom Line: Politicians and national special interest groups are trying to avoid accountability and are skipping our democratic processes so they can pick which voters are allowed to vote.

The State of Medicaid in Michigan

2.6 million people receive Medicaid benefits in Michigan

Indivisible GGR

May 07, 2025

The House Concurrent Budget Resolution for 2025 was passed last month. While it contains sweeping cuts to many vital government services, arguably one of the most damaging are those proposed for Medicaid. The resolution directs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which controls spending for Medicaid, to cut $880 billion from the federal deficit over the next 10 years. While this is not the only program under the committee’s control, it is suspected that the vast majority of this reduction will come from cuts to Medicaid.

What exactly is Medicaid? Medicaid was established by President Lyndon B. Johnson as part of the Social Security Amendments of 1965. The program was formed to provide healthcare services to low-income families and children. Over the years, Medicaid has expanded to provide coverage for individuals with disabilities and nursing home care, and services such as home health care, nursing facilities, prescription drugs, transportation for medical care and family planning programs. Currently, over 70 million Americans are enrolled in Medicaid and the program accounts for $1 of every $5 spent on healthcare in the United States.

Most states offer additional services via Medicaid. Michigan’s expanded Medicaid program offers benefits such as healthcare for people affected by the Flint water crisis, mental health and substance abuse disorder care services, and dental care for pregnant individuals and children under the age of 19.

The proposed cuts to Medicaid would have huge, wide-ranging effects. In Michigan alone, approximately 2.6 million people receive Medicaid benefits. Brian Peters, CEO of the Michigan Health and Hospitals Association, noted in an April 28 opinion piece in the Lansing State Journal that in 2024, 45% of babies born in Michigan relied on Medicaid for care. Medicaid also provides funding for approximately ⅔ of Michigan’s nursing home residents. But for the rest of Michiganders, it would be inaccurate to believe they won’t be affected by budget cuts if they aren’t enrolled.

Monique Stanton, president and CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy, explains, “Proposals in Congress that would cut or cap Medicaid funding, including those outlined in the House Budget Resolution, would have catastrophic consequences for Michigan. In 2026 alone, our state could lose $2.2 billion in federal funding, experience a $4.9 billion drop in economic output, and see our state GDP fall by $2.9 billion. These cuts would trigger the closure of hospitals, birthing centers, behavioral health clinics, and nursing homes—particularly in rural and underserved communities—leaving entire regions without access to essential care.”

Beyond access to healthcare, Peters points out that Michigan’s Medicaid expansion alone supports over 10,000 jobs in the state. Those job losses cannot be afforded as Michigan’s unemployment rate has crept up to 5.5% over the last few months. With the potential of loss of access to healthcare, loss of jobs and loss of revenue, the devastation that could ripple throughout the state is incalculable.

Proponents of federal cuts to Medicaid say that work requirements are necessary to combat fraud and abuse and that Medicaid should be funded by the individual states. However, KFF, a leading nonprofit organization in the United States dedicated to providing unbiased research, polling, and news on health policy issues, found that nearly two-thirds of adults ages 19-64 covered by Medicaid were working and nearly three in ten were not working because of caregiving responsibilities, illness or disability, or due to school attendance. The number of Medicaid recipients who are able to work but are not currently working is small, and many of those face burdensome red tape and the potential loss of needed coverage if they do choose to work.

As far as relying on states to provide Medicaid funds on their own, there is no way for states to absorb those costs without substantial cuts to other programs. Despite Michigan spending less per capita than most states, $5,835 per enrollee in 2021, compared to a national average of $7,593, BridgeMI notes that the hole caused by proposed Medicaid cuts “could only be backfilled by moving general fund dollars from other services — public safety and education, for example.”

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Michigan, however, is not giving up Medicaid without a fight. In response to the looming threats of deep cuts, a coalition called Protect MI Care has been formed, comprised of over 100 Michigan groups such as the Autism Alliance of Michigan, the Michigan chapter of the American Lung Association, Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health, and the Michigan Assisted Living Association. Also participating are several Grand Rapids-area-based organizations including Disability Advocates of Kent County, First Steps Kent, Grand Rapids African American Health Institute, and Kent County Essential Needs Task Force. The full listing of coalition members shows that there is not an aspect of healthcare in Michigan that Medicaid cuts won’t touch.

Protect MI Care’s stated purpose is “to ensure that the voices of patients, caregivers, providers, and local communities are heard loud and clear in the fight to protect Medicaid.” While the group is new and continuing to grow, it is already providing educational information and a template for contacting your representatives to demand they protect Medicaid resources.

Last month, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive directive ordering the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to identify the impact of federal Medicaid cuts on Michiganders. The results of this report, including items such as the number of Michiganders who would lose health care if the proposed cuts go into effect; the effect of the proposed cuts on hospitals, especially in rural and other underserved communities, including reductions in services and closures of facilities; the impact on timely access to care for Michiganders; and the ways in which reductions in federal money would impact the state’s budget, including the need for cuts to other vital services, is due later this month.

What you can do:

While Michigan’s politicians, nonprofits and healthcare providers are leading the fight against Medicaid cuts, the efforts of everyday Michiganders are also needed. Please consider getting involved by doing the following:

• Write and call your representatives in Michigan and US congresses to demand they fight to protect Medicaid for Michiganders.

• Have conversations with your friends and family about the impacts we all will face if cuts to Medicaid are passed.

• Keep an eye on IGGR’s events calendar for opportunities to attend meetings, educational events and protests.

Trump Administration Targets Library and Museum Funding

He deems the IMLS "unnecessary."

Indivisible GGR

Apr 23, 2025

• The Institute for Museum and Library Services was recently targeted by Donald Trump and DOGE. An April 4 article in The Art Newspaper (Trump administration sued by 21 states' attorneys general for trying to eliminate Institute of Museum and Library Services), including interviews with multiple national figures gives a good summary of what the IMLS historically provided:

• The agency was created in 1996 and re-authorized under Trump in 2018; like the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, ILMS is funded through annual appropriations determined by Congress. Its appropriation for fiscal year 2024 was $294.8m and last year it awarded $267m to museums and libraries; its grants support more than 726,000 jobs. Its Grants to States program, the largest service the IMLS provides, gives $160m annually to state library agencies, a figure that, according a statement by the Chief of State Library Associations, covers up to one half of the typical library budget.

• “IMLS makes up only 0.0046% of the federal budget and efficiently provides critical resources to libraries and museums in all 50 states and territories in communities rural to urban," a spokesperson for AAM said in a statement. "The museum sector, in turn, generates $50bn in economic impact. Museums are vital community anchors, serving all Americans, including youth, seniors, people with disabilities and veterans. Museums are not only centers for education and inspiration but also economic engines—creating jobs, driving tourism and strengthening local economies.”

• A March 14 executive order from Donald Trump called the IMLS “unnecessary,” and stated that it would “be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.”

• On March 20, the director of the IMLS, library professional Cyndee Landrum, was replaced by Keith E. Sonderling, the deputy secretary of labor. On the IMLS website Sonderling states, “I am committed to steering this organization in lockstep with this Administration to enhance efficiency … restore focus on patriotism, ensuring we preserve our country’s core values, promote American exceptionalism and cultivate love of country in future generations.”

• On March 31, before their accounts were disabled, IMLS staff were placed on administrative leave via email. They were required to turn in government property and banned from the premises. With the agency effectively shut down, work has stopped and most grants will be terminated.

• Describing the dismantling of the IMLS and two other agencies as being “in defiance of Congress,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced that she was joining 20 other attorneys general in suing the Trump administration.

• Her April 4 press release details the value of IMLS grants to Michigan institutions as well as the cost anticipated by their loss. This includes the threat to Michigan’s MeL and MeLCat programs which allow easy sharing of library materials throughout the state. These programs are especially critical for underserved communities that do not have extensive collections of their own.

• Since events are recent, the lawsuit is pending, and the nature of Trump’s executive orders are chaotic, local museum and library professionals are unsure what will happen next. But patrons of their institutions will already find themselves losing access to resources and services.

• Archivists Think Tank Facebook group is one place on social media where professionals are sharing their termination notices and offering each other suggestions about how to respond. Groups are forming to collect information about the grant terminations.

• A coalition of library and public history associations specific to Michigan issued a joint statement. Randall Goble, director of marketing for the Kent District Library wrote a blog article (About the Presidential Executive Order on the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)) about the implications for that system. And Lance Werner, Executive Director of KDL, gave a presentation sponsored by KentDems for anyone interested in learning how to help.

• With professionals responsible for information services and the preservation of historical documentation most affected by these events, many resources on this topic have already been gathered and made available. The Michigan Museums Association has an excellent collection of information about what is happening and what can be done to fight it.

• 
  

Our National Parks

Trails, Trees and Truth - NOT Tanks

Indivisible GGR

Apr 16, 2025

In late March, the Trump Administration deployed hundreds of military personnel and armored equipment to Big Bend National Park. This park shares 118 miles of border with Mexico and contains the Boquillas Border Crossing to process legal border crossings. The Border Patrol's Big Bend Sector experiences significantly fewer border crossings compared to other areas along the U.S.-Mexico border. In February, Customs and Border Protection reported approximately 165 migrant encounters in Big Bend, compared to 1,679 in Laredo and 2,623 in El Paso during the same period. That month, apprehensions of undocumented immigrants across the southern border reached their lowest levels in decades.. Regardless of these statistics and facts, a heavy military presence is being developed in Big Bend National Park.

An initial 200 combat-trained soldiers from Fort Carson, Colorado were the first to arrive, with another 300 expected to join them. In addition to personnel, armored vehicles, including Stryker combat vehicles, Humvee-style tactical vehicles, fuel trucks and other support equipment. The vehicles have detection technology and are expected to support federal agents as the troops are primarily focused on surveillance and detection.

The move prompted outrage from the Sierra Club, an environmental organization, calling it “a waste of taxpayer dollars and a political stunt.”

In addition to putting troops in a low traffic area for migrant crossings, the heavy equipment and troop concentrations further stress an already stressed environment where vegetation and animal species are highly vulnerable to human-related activity and impacts, including air pollution, climbing temperatures, drought and fires. Research efforts already have demonstrated dramatic increases in tree mortality within the Skyland Forest, a unique ecosystem within the Park. Big Bend has seen a significant influx of tourist visitor traffic, up 50% between 2016 and 2024, and now experiences over 500,000 visitors per year. It is the most visited park in Texas.

What is unknown, and what concerns some national park advocates, is whether the troops' movements will be governed by any agreement or memorandum of understanding and whether they'd be bound by federal environmental laws, such as the National Environmental Protect Act or the Endangered Species Act, and other Park Service regulations designed to protect park resources. According to The National Park Traveler, a House subcommittee is considering legislation that would give the Border Patrol unfettered access across official and potential wilderness in Big Bend and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. The legislation, proposed by U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Arizona, calls for nearly 600 miles of "navigable" roads to be available within 10 miles of the US-Mexico border for the Border Patrol, local law enforcement, and Defense Department usage. It also would allow authorities to construct roads, install structures, and land aircraft in official wilderness.

Big Bend National Park is part of the National Park System Congress established by the Act of March 1, 1872. Yellowstone National Park was the first such park, promoted by President Teddy Roosevelt. This initiative began a worldwide national park movement. Today, more than 100 nations contain some 1,200 national parks or equivalent preserves. On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the act creating the National Park Service, a new federal bureau in the Department of the Interior responsible for protecting the national parks and monuments. This "Organic Act" states that "the Service thus established shall promote and regulate the use of the Federal areas known as national parks, monuments and reservations…by such means and measures as conform to the fundamental purpose of the said parks, monuments and reservations, which purpose is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations (italics added)."

The National Park System of the United States now comprises more than 400 areas covering over 84 million acres in 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Saipan, and the Virgin Islands. These areas are of such national significance as to justify special recognition and protection in accordance with various acts of Congress.

Today more than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 428 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create recreational opportunities. This national network is now under threat through cuts to staff and placing more physical stress on these protected areas. In February, the Trump Administration attempted to fire over 1,000 employees of the National Park Service across the country and block hiring of seasonal workers who support the more than 325 million visitors visiting the nation’s parks, historic sites and other areas, peaking during the warmer months of the year. These employees conduct tasks including administration, maintenance, cleaning, and educational programs. As a result, visitor centers have reduced hours, tours of popular attractions have been canceled, lines have spiraled, bathrooms may go uncleaned, habitat restoration has ceased and water has gone unchecked for toxic algae.

If you call a national park to find out whether and what impact staffing cuts will have on your impending visit, you may not get an informative answer. A directive and set of talking points have been circulated to remaining staff to respond that cuts are “workforce management actions” and to reassure visitors that changes resulting from the cuts won’t impede “memorable and meaningful experiences for all.” Additionally, staff were told not to use the word “fired” nor to attribute any closures to staffing changes. The terminations come amid staffing shortages across the National Park Service (NPS).

An NPS spokesperson said in an emailed statement that any assertion that park staff are being “silenced is flat-out wrong” and that talking points are a “basic tool” to “ensure consistent communication with the public.” Furthermore, “(W)e will not be distracted by sensationalized attacks designed to undermine that mission,” The spokesperson also criticized park staff who spoke with any reporters. “Millions of hardworking Americans deal with workplace challenges every day without resorting to politically motivated leaks,” the spokesperson said in the statement.

The Administration has reinstated about 50 NPS employees and announced it will proceed with the hiring of seasonal employees, a workforce that is essential to park operations during the busy summer season. The hiring process, however, has been delayed, which may lead to operation disruptions. And more cuts are likely coming. The Hill recently reported that the administration is considering a 30% payroll reduction for the NPS.

The cuts come as the parks are seeing increases in visitation for the first time since 2016, and hit a record in 2024. Although these data were released on the park service’s website recently, the Administration didn’t publicize that milestone with a news release as it has in the past.

Michigan-based National Park Service workers were included in these layoffs, with over 100 seasonal workers having offers of employment rescinded. The additional hiring freeze prevented onboarding summer workers at national parks in Michigan. Although some staff might be rehired, delays will result impact visitor readiness. Lack of staff could limit services and even access to such National Parks as Sleeping Bear Dunes and Isle Royale. Sleeping Bear Dunes alone has more than one million visitors each summer, requiring 100 to 125 seasonal workers to staff. Other national parks in Michigan affected include Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, and Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.

While no troops or tanks currently are being deployed in Michigan national parks, the ongoing and multi-pronged threat to these public treasures and their use as militarized regions, even when they are not the location of significant illegal activity, should concern us all.

What you can do:

• Contact your Representative and Senators to oppose legislation increasing military authority and activity in national parks, especially if this authority supersedes and threatens the purpose for which national parks and monuments were designated. Ask them to oppose staffing and operational cuts to the National Park Service.

• Learn even more about all of our gorgeous National Parks in the state of Michigan at this page on the NPS Website.
  Find Your Representative

DOGE Cuts Impact Michigan Agriculture

Federal Budget Cuts Threaten Local Farms, Food Security, and Research Initiatives Across the State

Indivisible GGR

Apr 09, 2025

In an introductory speech to her staff in February, Trump appointed United States Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins announced that she welcomed DOGE to the department. “I will expect full access and transparency to DOGE in the days and weeks to come from everyone at this Department, and I will personally set that example as they proceed,” she told the group.

Six thousand employees of the USDA were fired through the collaboration with DOGE.

According to the USDA website, “Already, USDA has identified more than $132 million in excess spending. USDA has terminated 78 contracts, totaling more than $132 million. Additionally, more than 1,000 contracts are currently under review. USDA has also identified and canceled 948 employee trainings, 758 of which focused on DEI alone. Other canceled trainings include environmental justice and gender ideology.”

Rollins went on to promise, “we will end identity politics, identity celebrations, and DEI at USDA — period.” Her memorandum to that affect is here: https://www.usda.gov/directives/sm-1078-001.

A report by the USDA’s Equity Commission is one example of the new administration’s backlash against antiracism efforts at the department. The Equity Commission was formed in 2021 through the American Rescue Act to address the fact that, “Past ‘lawsuits and reporting’ have found that, for decades, the USDA purposefully and systematically denied farmers loans and other support based on race, contributing to ‘a massive decline’ in the number of Black farmers in the U.S.”

The report, a culmination of three years of research and meetings, has been removed from the USDA website (though it can still be found on the wayback machine https://web.archive.org/web/20240926175708/https:/www.usda.gov/equity-commission/reports) and the Rollins administration will not act on it.

Food justice advocates worry the USDA’s DEI cuts threaten support for underserved farmers and communities.

Also hit by DOGE cuts is conservation funding.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service, an agency of the USDA, which provides financial and technical assistance to farmers, ranchers and even some private land owners, has lost over a thousand staff members.

The NRCS has been in existence since 1935, when the Dust Bowl decimated crops and had a devastating effect on the American farming industry. The agency helped farmers to develop climate resistant crops and methods, critical to their survival as windstorms, extreme heat, drought, erosion, intense heavy rains, and flooding continue to increase.

Now thousands of contracts have been frozen or terminated. Since farmers are reimbursed for their work, many have already begun projects they expected to be supported.

Food inspectors have been deemed wasteful by DOGE.

The USDAs National Dog Detection Training Center lost about one fifth of its trainers and many support staff. These highly skilled teams of handlers and dogs, made capable of detecting pests and diseases, protected consumers from those threats to our food supply entering the country.

The Plant Protection and Quarantine program of the USDA has similarly cut staff including inspectors, entomologists, and taxonomists. This slows the supply chain, allowing more food to rot in the process, and also increases the risk of infection to everything that does come through. A vice president of the National Association of Agriculture Employees told a reporter,

“We could be back to pandemic-level issues for some goods if we don't fix this." Entire agricultural commodities could be destroyed by an uncontrolled pest.

Impact on Food Banks

But one of the hardest hits of all to farmers comes from their relationship with food banks targeted by DOGE. Over a billion dollars was cut from the USDA’s Local Food for Schools program and Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement (LFPA). Supplies for these initiatives came from local farmers.

In general, Michigan will be short $11.66 million that would have gone to local farmers this funding cycle. Feeding America West Michigan estimates it previously used its federal dollars to purchase food from about 100 local farms, and the Michigan Food Bank Council confirmed it bought food from 185 farms.

Lee Swift, owner of a 120-acre southwest Michigan farm, told MLive that most of what he grows goes to food banks. “We’re year to year. We always have been,” he explained. “But it was never in a situation where we thought there would be cuts like to these programs for those in need.”

The Lakeshore Food Club, with offices in Ludington, Michigan, exists to try to help the 42% of Mason County residents who are food insecure. The food club’s executive director told a reporter from the Michigan Farm News, “…the beauty behind LFPA was not to give out charitable food. The beauty behind it was to save the small farmer.” The Lakeshore Food Club faces a two hundred thousand dollar deficit to their planned budget for 2025.

Both food banks and agricultural research will also be negatively impacted by huge cuts to USAID.

The United States Agency for International Development has been forced to terminate 92% of its grants because of DOGE. In Michigan, much of the fallout could be in the agricultural sector, where farmers have long benefited from USAID-funded food research and exporting products to partner countries. Michigan State University is anticipating a loss of $23 million dollars a year as a result of the USAID cuts. Those grants allowed agricultural research that benefitted MSU students and Michigan farmers, as well as international communities.

The cuts come at a difficult time as the growing season begins. Farmers are as yet unsure of the ultimate scope of the bird flu outbreak, and the Trump administration’s imposed and threatened international tariffs are likely to increase grocery prices.

After meeting with the Michigan Farm Bureau and apple and blueberry growers, Congresswoman Hillary Scholten remarked in her March 30, 2025 newsletter that “sustaining a farm in West Michigan is harder than ever, and many families are giving up.” In response to her meeting with a group of farmers in Sparta in March, Senator Elissa Slotkin, who grew up on her family farm in northern Oakland County, reported to members of the press that, “The thing that I keep reminding people is all the research says that Michigan is the single most impacted state.”

According to the latest Feeding the Economy report released in March, Michigan food and agriculture industries were responsible for over 1.2 million jobs generating over 70 billion in wages. They contribute an estimated $29.1 billion in taxes and generate a total output of $244.2 billion.

What Can You Do:

Contact Politicians

Call your federal and state reps (find out how here) and tell them that food justice benefits farmers and makes sense. Ask them to follow the recommendations of the USDA Equity Commission’s report. Demand funding be reinstated to DEI and conservation initiatives. Ask them to support agricultural research and food inspection. Tell them to help stop the assault on food banks, including restoring funds to the USDA’s Local Food for Schools program and Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement, as well as the United States Agency for International Development.

Buy Local

Buy your food from farmers’ markets, roadside stands or farm stores. Consider joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Find options at www.LocalHarvest.org. Patronize stores and restaurants that buy from local farms.

Check Out These Organizations

Michigan Food and Farming Systems

Our Kitchen Table

Michigan Urban Farming Initiative

Michigan Farmers Market Association

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Resources:

Sources quoted and further reading:

Executive Order 14185—Restoring America’s Fighting Force

History of DEI

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2025/03/07/war-heroes-military-firsts-among-26000-images-flagged-in-dei-purge/

https://x.com/CareyLohrenz/status/1899888745211433294

https://x.com/CareyLohrenz/status/1550467038874927107/photo/1

https://www.npr.org/2025/03/21/nx-s1-5333324/pentagon-military-dei-purge-recruiting

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/arlington-cemetery-scrubs-website-dei/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Advocacy Organizations:

American Association of University Women

National Organization for Women

NAACP,

https://naacp.org/

National Women’s History Alliance,

The Equal Justice Iniative

Summary of Trump DEI Efforts

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity,_equity,_and_inclusion_policies_of_the_second_Trump_administration

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c24110m30ddo

https://www.npr.org/2025/03/07/nx-s1-5321003/pentagon-images-flagged-removal-dei-purge-trump

https://apnews.com/article/smithsonian-trump-executive-order-e0132b9c865901ec702329b1f6e0c35e

Whitewashing our History

When we lose DEI, we not only lose our stories but also our ability to honor everyone's contribution in creating the United States.

Indivisible GGR

Apr 02, 2025

Cleansing at federal institutions is more than scrubbing the floors. Many are now removing mentions and images of any women and people of color and any mention of sexual identity or homosexuality from department publications and web pages. Many of these changes have gone unnoticed because of other shocking administrative actions, so let’s take a closer look, starting with the Department of Defense (DoD).

Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth directed the military “to remove all DoD news and feature articles, photos, and videos that promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).” DEI is intended “to promote the fair treatment and full participation of all people, particularly groups who have historically been underrepresented or subject to discrimination based on identity or disability,” but the purge has gone much further. In fact, it seems that any person who is not a white male may no longer be honored or celebrated, regardless of their contributions. For example, 26,000 images of female and minority personnel have now been deleted and archived. Many of these photographs featured individuals whose contributions long preceded any DEI programs.

One of the first female F-14 Tomcat pilots in the Navy, Carey Lohrenz, posted to X, “Most female aviator stories and photographs are disappearing—including from the archives. From the WASPs to fighter pilots, @AFThunderbirds to @BlueAngels —they’ve erased us.”

Photos of the first WASP pilots to serve in World War II were removed in the government’s DEI purge.

Arlington National Cemetery’s website has a listing of Notable Graves. However, the following have been removed from the Notable Graves list, along with related educational materials:

• African American History

• Hispanic American History

• Women’s History

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The purge of “undesirables” from the DoD has been so rushed that a number of mistakes have been made. Famous individuals such as Jackie Robinson, Bea Arthur (Golden Girls actress and Marine veteran), and Ira Hayes (one of the Marines who raised the flag at Iwo Jima), along with notable groups such as the Navajo code talkers and Tuskegee Airmen, were removed from department websites. These have mostly now been restored as a response to public outcry, but many other removals have escaped attention. Veterans’ groups are particularly concerned that the legacies of honored heroes are being lost and that these deletions may hurt recruitment efforts. Currently, racial minorities make up about a third of enlisted service members and 12% of the armed forces are female.

This effort to erase history has extended to other federal governmental agencies, such as the Smithsonian Museum, National Park Service, and the National Cryptologic Museum. These revisions raise the concern that the DEI purges may simply be a way to justify a whitewashing of our history. To combat a total revision, it is important to find out what changes are being made and to challenge every one possible.

What you can do:

• Contact your elected officials to let them know that you oppose any effort to whitewash history.

• Connect with advocacy organizations dedicated to preserving history, especially the history of minority groups and women’s history, to mobilize collective action.

• Utilize social media by posting information, participating in community forums, and engaging in discussion to raise awareness.

Share

Resources:

Sources quoted and Further reading:

Executive Order 14185—Restoring America’s Fighting Force

History of DEI

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2025/03/07/war-heroes-military-firsts-among-26000-images-flagged-in-dei-purge/

https://x.com/CareyLohrenz/status/1899888745211433294

https://x.com/CareyLohrenz/status/1550467038874927107/photo/1

https://www.npr.org/2025/03/21/nx-s1-5333324/pentagon-military-dei-purge-recruiting

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/arlington-cemetery-scrubs-website-dei/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Advocacy Organizations:

American Association of University Women

National Organization for Women

NAACP,

https://naacp.org/

National Women’s History Alliance,

The Equal Justice Iniative

Summary of Trump DEI Efforts

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity,_equity,_and_inclusion_policies_of_the_second_Trump_administration

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c24110m30ddo

https://www.npr.org/2025/03/07/nx-s1-5321003/pentagon-images-flagged-removal-dei-purge-trump

https://apnews.com/article/smithsonian-trump-executive-order-e0132b9c865901ec702329b1f6e0c35e

What's at Stake with Sea Lampreys

DOGE Staff Cuts Threaten Michigan Recreational Fishing and Tourist Industry

Mar 26, 2025

As part of the sweeping February firings of “probationary” federal government staff, 12 Fish and Wildlife Service and 2 Geological Survey personnel based in Michigan, and who conduct critical tasks essential for keeping the invasive sea lamprey in check in the Great Lakes, were dismissed. Further inhibiting control efforts is the freeze on hiring seasonal workers who dose the Great Lakes rivers and tributaries to kill larval sea lamprey. The dosing program initiates in April. These Michigan based staff are part of a collaborative binational team from the United States and Canada, coordinated by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.

The Commission was established in the 1950’s in response to the near total collapse of the fishing industry due to the explosion of sea lamprey and their voracious appetites. Sea lamprey entered the Great Lakes from the Atlantic Ocean in the early 1800’s and first recorded in Lake Ontario in 1835. Niagara Falls created a natural barrier, keeping the sea lamprey out of the other four Great Lakes. Ever-widened shipping lanes bypassing the Falls created an easy highway for the sea lampreys to invade the rest of the Great Lakes basin.

Sea lampreys are eel-like creatures with sucker-like mouths that latch onto fish and drain their bodily fluids. They prey on most species of large Great Lakes fish such as lake trout, brown trout, lake sturgeon, lake whitefish, ciscoes, burbot, walleye, catfish, and Pacific salmonids including Chinook and coho salmon and rainbow trout/steelhead. One lamprey can consume 40 pounds of fish over its two- to three-year lifecycle. Fish that are attacked most often die as a result, either from the direct attack or from infection of the wound left behind. Those that survive an attack are often compromised due to severe weight loss and overall reduced health.

Quick facts from the Great Lakes Fishery Commission website:

The Great Lakes fishery is worth more than $7 billion annually.

The fishery supports 75,000 jobs, in addition to hundreds of thousands of jobs related to tourism, navigation, etc.

More than 5 million people fish the Great Lakes annually.

Commercial fishing is the backbone of many Great Lakes communities. Charter fishing is an important business.

Subsistence fishing is a right and a way of life for tribal and aboriginal communities.

Before the sea lamprey invasion, Canada and the United States harvested about 15 million pounds of lake trout in the upper Great Lakes each year. By the late 1940s, sea lamprey populations had exploded, and by the early 1960s, the catch had declined precipitously, to approximately 300,000 pounds, about 2% of the previous average.

Sea lamprey are controlled primarily through application of pesticide that target their larval stage in creeks and rivers throughout the Great Lakes basin. A single adult female sea lamprey can lay around 100,000 eggs, of which 10 percent hatch into larvae that burrow into the stream bed and live for 3 to 10 years. Larvae emerge from the stream beds and make their way back into the lakes to feed for 12 to 18 months before migrating back up streams to start the cycle again. Preventing the larvae from maturing and entering back into the Great Lakes as parasitic juveniles breaks the lifecycle and keeps sea lamprey populations in check and thus fish populations safe from attack. Skipping an entire lamprey treatment season would allow approximately 4.5 million female lamprey to produce approximately 450 billion eggs.

The pesticides, or lampricides, most often used is 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) and niclosamide, which kill the larvae while not significantly harming other, non-target aquatic organisms. Applications to infested river systems are done every three to five years by trained, certified staff. Treatments have been conducted for over 60 years and have brought the sea lamprey population down 90 percent in most of the Great Lakes from the disastrous 1950’s. Disruption to the treatment schedule is demonstrably problematic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 and 2021 pesticide applications were reduced and sea lamprey populations spiked. Fortunately, with resumed prevention activities, the populations trended down again.

Recreational fishing in Michigan is a multi-million-dollar tourist industry and part of a $5.1 billion dollar industry for the region including across the eight Great Lakes states and Ontario. The Commission receives approximately $20 million U.S. annually from Washington and about $8.5 million Cdn. from Canada - a funding formula based on the share of the lakes in each country's territory. The Commission employs approximately 85 staff to implement the tasks required to have an adequately robust prevention program to hold the sea lamprey population in check. Trained full-time staff and part-time or seasonal staff not only are necessary for wide-scale application, but also to construct and maintain barriers, capture, and conducting ongoing research. Cooperation financially and staffing levels is critical to the success of the sea lamprey control program given that what happens, or doesn’t happen, in one region affects the whole Great Lakes basin.

Between the late 1800s and the 1950s, the eight bordering states and Ontario tried no fewer than 40 times to create a lasting mechanism for cooperation, or at least to harmonize their fishery regulations. For multiple reasons, these efforts failed. Then the sea lamprey explosion and its related impacts hit and propelled great cooperation with heightened recognition of a basin-wide problem. Moreover, government resources from both nations would be needed to overcome the sea lamprey problem. The 1954 Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries—a treaty between Canada and the United States—created the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to control sea lampreys, advance science, and help agencies work together.

Now, with current cuts in staffing and the national budget, "Our program (to control sea lamprey) is in serious peril." Greg McClinchey, legislative affairs and policy director of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.

Interested in more history and information? Check out the new documentary, The Fish Thief, or visit the Great Lakes Fishery Commission website.

What you can do:

1. Call your state representatives and ask them if they are aware of this threat to Michigan tourism and fishing due to staffing cuts and freezes, and what they plan to do about it?

2. Call your Congressional Representative and Senators and tell them to immediately demand restoration of those key full-time and seasonal staff to critical seal lamprey control efforts due to launch in April.

Your Call to Action

A very important bill has made its way through the US House and is now onto the Senate. And everyone’s fundamental right to vote is being threatened!

What happens with the Save Act…

- The Save Act would exclude millions of eligible Americans from registering and voting because of the extreme documentation requirements. There are about 12 million Americans who voted in the 2020 election but would be functionally unable to register to vote if the Save Act were passed.

-The Save Act would effectively eliminate mail and online voter registration by requiring all applicants to present documentation proof of citizenship in person. Over 7 million voters in the 2022 election did so by mail.

-Most Americans would not be able to register to vote using their drivers license alone. Only enhanced drivers license are accepted, which are available in only five states. Proof of citizenship would be required with a passport, birth certificate, or Naturalizer papers. Millions of engaged voters lack ready access to these documents.

-The Save Act would also make it more difficult for many women to be eligible to vote. It would require a passport or birth certificate as proof of voting eligibility. If you changed your name when married, your birth certificate has your maiden name and cannot be used as voter ID so women would require a passport.

-These documentary proof of citizenship laws are in Arizona and Kansas. They have disenfranchised thousands of eligible voters. 35,000 voters in Arizona were barred from voting. 200,000 voters were affected in Kansas. 31,000 citizens were blocked from registering to vote.

-The Save Act has been passed in the House and is headed to the Senate.

-It is crucial to call your Senators today to protect our voting rights!!!

Senator Peters: 202.224.6221

Senator Slotkin: 202.224.4822

We love getting our “I Voted” stickers… but will you be able to vote and receive one in the next election? Will your neighbor? Call Senator Peters and Senator Slotkin NOW and tell them to vote NO on the Save Act.

VOTING depends on it.