Over 5,400 Michiganders Demand Swift Legislative Action For Flint

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from Flint Rising

May 19, 2016

Contact: Sam Inglot, 616-916-0574sam@progressmichigan.org

Over 5,400 Michiganders Demand Swift Legislative Action For Flint
Residents from Flint and from across the state visited representatives and held a rally for quick resolution to water crisis

LANSING – Many Michiganders are voicing their frustration with the lack of progress coming from the Michigan Legislature in fixing the water crisis in Flint. Flint residents and faith leaders joined their counterparts from across the state to deliver that message to representatives on Thursday in Lansing. Participants visited the offices of representatives then held a rally and prayer vigil to demand legislative action on substantial funds to help in Flint. This comes as representatives are debating reducing the funds being considered for the city.

“We’ve been fighting for clean, safe water for well over two years now,” said Nayyirah Shariff of the Flint Democracy Defense League and Flint Rising. “Very little progress has happened while people in Flint are experiencing negative physical, mental, emotional, and financial effects due to the poisoned water. Our elected officials in Lansing need to step up and fix this crisis.”

Residents from across the state agreed with the need for representatives in Lansing to fix the problem quickly. The demand was evident in the more than 5,400 letters collected by Clean Water Action in an act of solidarity with Flint Rising and residents in the city.

“These 5,400 letters we’ve collected from across the state speak loud and clear,” said Nic Clark, Michigan state director for Clean Water Action. “It’s time for the Michigan Legislature to put drinking water first and fully fund solutions to the water crisis in Flint.”

Flint residents are still experiencing negative effects from the water quality in the city. Many are unable to drink, cook, bathe, or even wash their hands in the water and most are wary and do not trust the water supply, even with efforts by officials to coat the old pipes with a protective film.

“A quick fix is not enough,” Shariff continued. “We are here today to tell our representatives that it is past time to do their jobs and get substantial resources to Flint now to replace all lead service lines in the city using Flint workers, reimburse residents 100 percent for their water bills dating back to 2014 and until the water is deemed safe, and provide health and education services for all children, adults, and seniors in the community.”

Organizers of the day of action refer to the Flint Investigative Task Force citing of state-level decisions as the primary cause of the water crisis. They say it is the responsibility of the elected officials in Lansing to provide a complete resolution quickly.

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