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On Wednesday afternoon, Americans for Citizen Voting submitted roughly 750,000 petition signatures — more than 300,000 above the 446,198 valid signatures required, or 10% of the votes cast for governor in the previous election cycle — to place the measure before voters in November 2026. If approved by voters, the amendment would add language to the Michigan Constitution stating that only U.S. citizens may vote in state and local elections, require voters to present photo identification before casting a ballot, and direct state officials to conduct additional verification of voter rolls to remove non-citizens.

Commissioners had two board appointments on the agenda originally; however, they removed them before the meeting started due to an inconsistency between state and local laws. “In a recent review of our appointment process, I discovered inconsistencies between state law, charter information published on the city’s website, and certain board bylaws,” Mayor Angel Johnston said. “As a result, some past appointments under both current and prior leadership may not fully align with our governing requirements. So [City Attorney] TJ Reed and I spent some time on the phone today and I’m recommending that we temporarily pause new appointments while staff conducts a comprehensive review.”

Kimm Mayer, planning committee lead, said establishing the festival is important because “it makes reading and literacy accessible to everybody by introducing people to authors and activities in a fun and relaxed environment.” She added that the festival complements the arts community in Southwest Michigan and could impact literacy in the region while promoting tourism.

The item, if approved, would have accepted a 2025 COPS Hiring Program award from the U.S. Department of Justice, authorized the city manager to sign grant documents, approved 10 new officer positions and amended the city’s general fund budget by $1.52 million. Of that amount, $1.25 million would have come from the federal grant, while $270,000 would have been covered by the city to pay a portion of salary and fringe benefits for the new officers, according to the agenda packet. The COPS Hiring Program is a federal initiative that provides funding to local law enforcement agencies to hire additional sworn officers, typically covering part of salary and benefits for a set period. City Manager Malcolm Hankins did not provide an explanation for removing the item, and commissioners did not discuss it during the meeting.

The Three Rivers City Commission will meet Tuesday, March 3 to consider a city-wide mowing contract, water meter replacements, winter salt funding, and adding Farrand Hall Diner to the downtown social district. As noted previously, Watershed Voice will be live-streaming the City Commission meeting on its Facebook page, and will upload the video to YouTube after. All Three Rivers City Commission meetings will be live-streamed and uploaded going forward.

“Science isn’t abstract — it affects our families, our hospitals, our water, our weather forecasts and our jobs,” organizers said in a statement. “We chose this location intentionally. Every day, people cross this bridge seeking medical care made possible by decades of scientific research. This rally is about recognizing that connection and standing up for the science that keeps our community healthy and strong.”