GREEN PARTY OF MICHIGAN
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grassroots democracy • social justice
ecological wisdom • non-violence
www.MIGreenParty.org
www.facebook.com/migreens
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 2, 2020
CONTACT:
Matt Crehan, Communications Manager
616-438-2700
John Anthony La Pietra, Elections Co-ordinator
269-781-9478
Green Party of Michigan Says NO to Proposal 1
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Opposes Grab by Oil and Gas Industry for
More Political Power, Protection for Fracking
Endorses Proposal 2 to Give Protection Against
Warrantless Searches of Electronic Devices
The Green Party of Michigan (GPMI) urges a NO vote on Michigan Proposal
2020-1, which would tie the state's operating budget to continued oil
and gas drilling -- including fracking.
GPMI also calls for a YES vote on Proposal 2020-2, which would block
warrantless searches of electronic devices.
DTE and the Michigan Oil and Gas Association are leading the campaign to
persuade Michigan voters to consent to the proposal -- with major early
funding from two big environmental groups. The national Nature
Conservancy has contributed $500,000 and the Michigan Environmental
Council over $200,000.
Currently, oil and gas lease and royalty payments and other revenues
from mineral extraction on state lands go into the Michigan Natural
Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF). Most of the money is dedicated to
covering state and local purchases of wild lands.
If Proposal 1 passes, more of the money would instead go into the State
Parks Endowment Fund (SPEF) to pay for state park operations and
maintenance, and redevelopment of the preserved lands for "recreational"
uses.
But that would break the original bargain voters approved when the funds
were set up, says GPMI Elections Co-ordinator John Anthony La Pietra.
"The deal was that -- as oil, gas, and other minerals were extracted --
state revenue from that depletion of natural resources would go to buy
another resource, land, and protect it forever.
"Proposal 1 would make funding to sustain state parks dependent on more
drilling -- even more fracking. The proposal would mean less
preservation of land, and more protection of oil and gas lobby influence."
GPMI's platform has called for a statewide ban on fracking since 2012.
And the party has supported drives to ban both fracking itself and the
disposal of fracking fluids since the first petition was written in 2013.
The Michigan Chapter of the Sierra Club is also opposing Proposal 1,
using an argument that lines up with GPMI's key value of Sustainability
and Future Focus.
Sierra Club's reason for voting NO on 1 is that it "would shift funding
priority away from the acquisition of lands at the state and local level
and place greater emphasis on development and maintenance of public
recreation facilities. Revenue which currently is required by the
constitution to go into the MNRTF would instead all be deposited in the
[MSPEF] until that fund reaches $800 million."
Sierra Club supports "find[ing] ongoing sources of funding to ensure
that recreational facilities are properly maintained." But it sees the
shift in use of MNRTF funds as "shortsighted. Requiring revenue from a
nonrenewable source to go to ongoing, increasing funding needs creates
financial problems, it doesn’t solve them."
La Pietra, who's running for 63rd District State Representative from his
hometown of Marshall, urged GPMI to oppose Proposal 1 -- but support
Proposal 2. "It's a rare and valuable chance to boost our protection
against unreasonable searches and seizures."
If Proposal 2 passes, Michigan's constitution would require police to
get a warrant to search our electronic devices. "Seems obvious," says
La Pietra, "but not all courts or law enforcers see it that way --
especially not Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs &
Border Patrol (CBP), and especially within 100 miles of an 'external
border' of the US."
And he concludes: "CBP and ICE count the shores of Lakes Superior,
Erie, Huron, AND Michigan as 'external' -- so according to them, our
whole Great Lake State is within that '100-mile zone'! Michigan needs
the protection of Proposal 2. Vote YES."
A full list of Michigan's 30 Green nominees on the 2020 ballot, with the
latest contact information available for their campaigns, is at
For more information on the Green Party of Michigan, its platform, and
its Ten Key Values -- and how *you* can get involved -- please visit the
party's Website at
www.MIGreenParty.org
and the GPMI Facebook and Twitter pages.
# # #
Official Press Release of the Green Party of Michigan
www.MIGreenParty.org
www.facebook.com/migreens
PO Box 2754; Grand Rapids, MI 49501