Updates About Ballot Proposals

June 1 was the deadline for several groups to submit signatures for their respective petitions in order to appear on the November 2022 ballot.

Supporters of Let MI Kids Learn, a proposal that would allow taxpayers to claim credits for K-12 private school, did not turn in their signatures by the 5 p.m. deadline, stating they hope to see the GOP-led legislature pass the proposal to be considered for the 2024 ballot.

Unlock Michigan, an initiative to limit public health orders to 28 days unless the legislature votes to extend the order, is taking a similar approach by not turning in signatures. The group also hopes the legislature will enact the proposal, avoiding a veto by Governor Whitmer to secure a spot on the 2024 ballot.

In other related news, Secure MI, the initiative to require photo ID to vote, will continue to collect signatures for their petition. The group had to submit signatures by June 1 but is delaying submission in order to collect 500,000 signatures, although only 340,000 valid signatures are needed. Signature collections can occur for 180 days, but every day past this threshold, the group loses signatures it collected at the beginning of the 180 days.

This June 1 deadline does not apply to constitutional amendments, such as Reproductive Freedom for All, Promote the Vote, nor to two other proposals aiming to change election laws. Each would require 400,000 signatures be submitted by July 11.

On Tuesday, May 10, the Michigan State House and Senate passed House Joint Resolution (HJR) R by the required 2/3 majority vote in the affirmative in both chambers.

HJR R would propose an amendment to the state Constitution to change the term limits of state Representatives and Senators to 12 consecutive years of service in the Legislature, replacing the current term limits of 14 years – three two-year terms in the House and two four-year terms in the Senate.

Additional language in the resolution would require constitutional officers and legislators to disclose assets, liabilities, income, positions held, future employment agreements, gifts, travel reimbursements, and other payments. Language would also require the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and attorney general to submit annual financial disclosures including all of the items above and additionally include any payments made by a lobbyist or lobbyist agent to a charity in lieu of honoraria. All items must be reported to the Department of State and be made available online.

If legislation implementing the financial disclosure section is not enacted by December 31, 2023, residents may initiate legal action against the legislature and governor in the Michigan Supreme Court.

The impetus for the legislative action was a ballot proposal effort led by several stakeholders, including the former heads of the Michigan AFL-CIO and Michigan Chamber of Commerce. To change the Michigan Constitution, a ballot proposal must receive 425,000 signatures or supermajority approval in both the House and the Senate to send the proposal to the ballot. While the language approved by the legislature today is considered weaker than the initial ballot proposal language, some supporters of the ballot initiative ultimately appeared to indicate their support for the action.

This initiative will now head to the ballot in the November General Election and if passed by the majority of Michigan voters, will go into effect starting April 15, 2024.