Meet the People Behind the Scenes of Protect MI Families

I am Lyra Opalikhin, Campaign Director for Protect MI Families. Since our launch two weeks ago, the response to our mission has been electric. Advocates like you have been using your voices to tell our legislators to pass Senate Bill 245. Clearly, Michiganders are hungry for an organization that will advance consumer protection reform statewide and hold politicians accountable for siding with corporate interests.

A quick aside about myself before we get down to business. I have a long history of political advocacy, having worked at the Michigan House of Representatives, engaged with local political movements, and organized various causes uplifting my local community.

Now, I’m ready to be a part of this expansive movement for consumer protection and corporate accountability across the state. A key part of this movement is our valuable coalition partners, who support and uplift our coalition while expanding the umbrella of consumer protection we hope to include. Now that we’ve been hard at work for a few weeks, we are ready to announce our first six coalition partners joining Protect MI Families in the fight for stronger consumer protections in Michigan.

Coalition Protecting Auto No-Fault (CPAN)

The Coalition Protecting Auto No-Fault (CPAN) is a consumer advocacy organization advocating for auto insurance policyholders, consumers injured in car crashes, and the medical providers who care for them. CPAN's work and history in the legislature are longstanding and successful, having advocated for catastrophic car crash survivors to recover the funds they are owed and protected consumers from predatory practices in the auto insurance industry.

You can learn more about CPAN here.

Michigan Poverty Law Program

The Michigan Poverty Law Program (MPLP) is dedicated to improving the health, safety, and economic security of low-income Michiganders and advancing racial justice across the state by advocating for impactful policy updates and uplifting Michigan's community of legal aid attorneys through education, training, and support services. They provide training, collect resources for representation, and engage in consistent legislative advocacy.

You can learn more about the MPLP here.

Michigan Association for Justice

The Michigan Association for Justice (MAJ) is a membership organization that advances the needs and interests of trial lawyers, providing them with resources and advocating for their interests in the state legislature to create a fair and effective legal system. Recently, they have joined Protect MI Families in urging their membership to support Senate Bill 245 and the passage of an Insurance Bad Faith Law in Michigan.

You can learn more about MAJ here.

Michigan Working Families Party

The Working Families Party is a grassroots-run political party that prepares the next generation of working-class leaders to run for office through recruitment and training programs. They endorse key candidates fighting for working-class Americans across the country in pursuit of an inclusive future where corporations can no longer siphon resources from the working class.

You can learn more about the Michigan Working Families Party here.

Northern Midwest Regional Council of Carpenters

The Northern Midwest Regional Council of Carpenters (NMRCC) is a union representing over 35,000 carpenters, millwrights, and other professionals in the construction field. The NMRCC is committed to providing thorough training for its members, fighting for safer job sites, guaranteeing accessible healthcare, and bargaining for fair wages.

You can learn more about the NMRCC here.

The National Association of Consumer Advocates

The National Association of Consumer Advocates (NACA) is a non-profit made up of consumer attorneys and advocates across the United States. They are committed to representing the interests of consumers across the country and promoting justice for all consumers.

You can learn more about NACA here.

We look forward to working with these valuable coalition partners to elevate consumer protection in Michigan.

Always for your rights,

Lyra Opalikhin, from The Protect MI Families Team

First published in Protect MI Families' newsletter on May 12th, 2026.