Lobby Day is coming up on Wednesday, April 19 in Lansing. It's a day where concerned citizens will lobby on behalf of Michigan's greatest resource, the Great Lakes. Thank you for being part of this effort.
Share A Ride
Get to the event the fun way! Sign up to arrange a carpool to the event (to offer or accept a ride).
Important Documents
All citizen lobbyists should download and read these documents:
OWDM Line 5 Position Statement
House Resolution 51 - Rep. Rabhi's resolution to shut down line 5 - House Website
Senate Bill 0292 - Jones-Bieda bill to amend Natural resources and environmental protection act - Senate Website
Not required reading, but you may find the latest correspondence between the campaign and the State of Michigan interesting to read.
Schedule
Friday, April 14
5:00 PM - Registration Deadline
Monday, April 17
6:00 PM - Lobbyist Conference Call
This call is for everyone to learn lobbying tips in advance of Lobby Day
We are sad to report that the conference call company had some technical issues and so the recording of the call is not available. The summary of the call includes going over the three main documents listed above (Line 5 Position Statement, Line 5 Talking Points, and Lobbying 101). A few important questions that were raised:
Q: Doesn't the federal government have authority over pipelines?
A: They usually do, but the State of Michigan has a unique situation with the 5-mile stretch of pipeline that lies on the Great Lakes bottomlands. The Great Lakes are held in public trust for citizen use and enjoyment, and the State maintains control over that section.
Q: What is the main reason lawmakers are resistant to shutting down the pipeline?
A: Enbridge has waged a campaign of fear to protect their profits. They have used fear to make lawmakers afraid of losing Michigan jobs, making "grannies in the U.P. freeze" without their propane, and threatening increased truck traffic on the Mackinac Bridge, among other things. They try to hide from their record of the largest oil spill in U.S. history that occurred in Michigan and the over 800 spills from their pipelines since 1999.
Q: What is the best way to engage legislators?
A: The Lobbying 101 document (listed above) has some good tips and you should definitely read it. The biggest takeaway was this is a two-way conversation with them. They may not know all the facts, but you need to respect their time and make it a 50-50 conversation, listening as opposed to talking at least half of the time.
Q: Have the legislators heard of this issue from us before or is this the first time?
A: Sierra Club has reached out to most of the state's legislators with this information. But this doesn't mean they are well-versed as legislators are extremely busy, so finding out what they know (the listening part) is just as important as talking.
We will have a brief overview of our talking points first thing on Lobby Day to catch anyone up who was not able to make the conference call.
Wednesday, April 19
LINE 5 CITIZEN LOBBY DAY - Make sure you bring a photo ID!
Meet at Central United Methodist Church, 215 Capitol Ave, Lansing, MI 48933
Park at the closest lot to our headquarters: North Capitol Ramp, 300 N Capitol Ave, Lansing, MI 48933 ($10 all day)
8:45 AM- Check-in and Orientation- Central United Methodist
8:45-9:00- Check-in, light breakfast
9:00-9:05- Welcome and Schedule Overview
9:05-9:30- Major asks and Talking Points
9:30-9:40- Lobbying 101
10:00-12:15- State House lobby meetings
Lunch available at Central United Methodist 11:30-1:30
12:15-12:50- Press Conference in House Office Building (HOB); speakers from campaign and lawmakers
12:50-1:20- Delivery of Local Resolutions to AG Schuette
1:30-2:45- State Senate lobby meetings
3:00- Wrap up, evaluations, turn in lobby notes, and thank you at Central United Methodist
Yard Signs, OWDM Caps, Stickers will be available for sale at the church!