LANSING- Today, Clean Water Action and Sierra Club Michigan Chapter announced their endorsement of Gretchen Whitmer for Governor of Michigan.
“For the past four years, Gretchen Whitmer has taken decisive action to protect the Great Lakes and prioritize public health," said Mary Brady-Enerson, Clean Water Action Michigan Director. “Governor Whitmer is not afraid to take on the fossil fuel industry to protect one fifth of the world’s fresh water from the dangerous Line 5 pipeline running under the Straits of Mackinac. She knows that protecting the health of the Great Lakes means protecting the health of Michigan.”
Governor Whitmer used her first term to establish a series of firsts for environmental protection in Michigan. She created the first positions of Clean Water and Environmental Justice public advocate within the state government. At her direction Michigan entered into the US Climate Alliance, established the first ever advisory council on Environmental Justice, and the first Climate Office within a state agency. When COVID-19 hit, Governor Whitmer put a stop to all water and utility shut offs statewide, and her ongoing commitment to utility affordability created a direct energy assistance program. Under her leadership stakeholders came together to draft the MI Healthy Climate Plan, which shows how Michigan can quickly transition to a renewable energy economy and support communities and jobs during the transition. Notably, Governor Whitmer also vetoed anti-democracy legislation aimed at limiting access to the polls for Michiganders after the safe and secure 2020 election. Governor Whitmer knows that a healthy democracy is required for a healthy environment, and her work to protect voting rights is also work to protect the environment.
“With Governor Whitmer’s leadership we are finally making the upgrades we’ve needed for decades. She also directs agencies to move quickly when she learns about public health threats - from setting some of the first standards to keep PFAS out of drinking water to prioritizing lead service line replacement in communities facing the acute contamination,” said Christy McGillivray, Political and Legislative Director for Sierra Club Michigan Chapter. “We are proud to endorse her campaign and look forward to continuing to work with her in her second term.”
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Since our founding during the campaign to pass the landmark Clean Water Act in 1972, Clean Water Action has worked to win strong health and environmental protections by bringing issue expertise, solution-oriented thinking and people power to the table. Clean Water Action has over 135,000 members across the state. Through direct advocacy and education we organize Michigan residents to protect the Great Lakes and our water resources. Learn more at www.cleanwateraction.org/mi
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 4 million members and supporters nationwide, and over 150,000 in Michigan. In addition to creating opportunities for people of all ages, levels and locations to have meaningful outdoor experiences, the Sierra Club works to safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and litigation. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org
