photo caption: the Capitol Dome, Interior View, Lansing Michigan, by Rick Thompson.
by Rick Thompson/January 19, 2017
LANSING- Several teams of activists visited different offices of elected officials during a Michigan NORML Lobby Day activity in Lansing on Wednesday, January 19. The group included NORML members, Board members, Chapter Leaders and first-time lobbyists.
The focus was on House Representatives instead of the Michigan Senate, since many House seats are reorganizing and new members are present as a result of the November 2016 elections. Cannabis legalization activists spoke to officials and staff at numerous offices in both the Anderson House Building and the Capitol Building. The message: we’re here, we’re interested in a dialog and we have information to give.
Some subjects discussed included the myths of the dangers of marijuana and driving, examples of success from other state programs and the continued support by Michiganders for marijuana law reform.
The MINORML team visited the office of the new Speaker of the House, Republican Tom Leonard, who represents the 93rd district. They also visited the office of Rep. Yousef Rabhi, from Ann Arbor, who won the seat formerly held by Jeff Irwin in the November elections. Irwin served the maximum three consecutive terms allowed in the Michigan House. At a recent fundraiser for MILegalize in Ann Arbor, both Irwin and Rep. Rabhi addressed the crowd with words of encouragement for the upcoming year.
The Michigan Democratic Party sent an email to supporters on January 19 listing the party’s new House leadership. They wrote:
Last week, the Michigan House of Representatives opened for its 99th session. This year we have new leadership roles in our caucus. Rep. Sam Singh will be the new Democratic House Leader. Now in his third term representing East Lansing, Rep. Singh will lead the caucus to find progressive opportunities in this conservative climate. Earlier this week, he gave the official Democratic response to the governor’s State of the State address, which you can watch here.
Joining him on the leadership team as Floor Leader is Rep. Christine Greig (Farmington Hills), who will make sure that the House always puts Michiganders first. Rep. Adam Zemke (Ann Arbor) was elected as Caucus Chair and Rep. Jeremy Moss (Southfield) was elected Caucus Whip.
Michigan NORML extends their thanks to ACT Laboratories in Lansing, who graciously provided a gathering place for activists before the lobbying began.
Editorial Disclosure: Rick Thompson is on the Board of Directors of the Michigan NORML Chapter, which is mentioned in this article.
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