How to Save Democracy in Michigan: Lessons Learned from the Voters Not Politicians Campaign to End Gerrymandering
The Protectors of Equality in Government Speaker Series is very excited to host this program featuring Katie Fahey from Voters – Not Politicians.
From just a simple Facebook post, Katie was able to create a grassroots organization that resulted in the voters of the state of Michigan passing a transformative anti-gerrymandering amendment.
Join us at 2pm at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Ann Arbor to discuss what is next for Katie and Voters Not Politicians. You will not want to miss this conversation about activism in our own community.
About Katie:
Katie Fahey graduated from Aquinas College in 2011 with dual degrees in Sustainable Business and Community Leadership, and is working toward her MBA in Sustainable Business with an emphasis in Public Policy through Marylhurst University. She has a passion for sustainability, public policy, and Michigan. Fahey’s career began with SpartanNash (a grocery distributor and retailer) where she created their first sustainability program; she then went on to work for the Michigan Recycling Coalition. Through these positions she was able to implement programs that introduced sustainability to over 50,000 associates by creating recycling programs for locations all across the state and a composting pilot for Michigan grocery stores.
Almost by accident, she has started a political movement in Michigan and changed careers, forming a 5,000+ volunteer grassroots organization, calling themselves Voters Not Politicians, which turned into the campaign to pass Proposal 2 on November 6, 2018. Feeling that divisiveness in politics had reached a critical point following the 2016 election, Fahey posted on Facebook asking if anyone wanted to help her take on gerrymandering. In a few short months, that group of volunteers decided they were going to amend Michigan’s constitution through creating Proposal 2 to establish an Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission to end gerrymandering once and for all. While the main goal of Voters Not Politicians is to end partisan gerrymandering, the group hopes to inspire other states that positive, lasting change can come directly from the people and that voters across the political spectrum can reform the status quo instead of settling for the way things are always done.
Photos from Detroit News and Detroit Free Press
https://equalityingov.org/…/kathy-fahey-founder-of-voters-…/