Money Out of Politics group ‘confident’ proposal will make Michigan ballot

Backers of effort to ban political spending by energy utilities and state contractors express confidence proposal will make ballot
Organizers with Michiganders for Money Out of Politics did not disclose how many signatures they’ve collected
The group has until May 27 to submit petitions for state review

LANSING — Organizers and supporters of a proposal to bar political spending by Michigan’s regulated utilities and large state contractors say they’re “very confident” they have enough petition signatures to survive any challenges and make the November ballot.

Michiganders for Money Out of Politics, also known as Mop Up Michigan, has one week left to submit at least 356,000 valid voter signatures required to put its initiated legislation on the ballot.

The deadline is May 27, after which the Michigan Bureau of Elections would review the signatures and the bipartisan Board of State Canvassers would decide whether to certify them.

In a Wednesday press call with reporters, organizer Sean McBrearty declined to say how many signatures the group thinks it will submit, but “we’re very confident we’re going to be able to hand in what we need to put this on the ballot come November,” he said.

“Right now we are working around the clock to make sure that every signature we turn into the state is valid,” said McBrearty, who is urging anyone who collected signatures to physically return them to the organization — due to time concerns — rather than mail them.

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As those sheets are returned and collected, “we’re validating everything,” McBrearty said, noting the group was “focused on that process right now, and we’ll have a final number when we turn them in.”

McBrearty told Bridge Michigan in April the group had collected around 250,000 signatures at that point, saying the effort was “right on track.”

Should the proposal make the ballot — and voters approve it — it would prohibit DTE Energy and Consumers Energy from “making direct or indirect campaign contributions to those who run for or hold offices that impact them,” according to an initiative summary approved in 2025.

That ban on political giving would also apply to companies with at least $250,000 a year in state government contracts.

Businesses that could be affected by the proposal are pushing back.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and the parent company of Consumers Energy have each donated to a committee opposing the measure. They’ve argued that a ban on spending from their organizations would effectively serve to limit their employees’ freedom of speech.

Michiganders for Money Out of Politics, meanwhile, has received large donations from several out-of-state dark money groups that are not required to disclose donors.

Joining McBrearty on the Wednesday press call were a number of state leaders, including state Rep. Jim DeSana, R-Carlton, and state Rep. Donavan McKinney, D-Detroit.

Both explained why they support the measure, with DeSana bluntly predicting lawmakers will not rein in political spending by utilities or state contractors if left to their own devices.

“We are going to have to trust the people,” he said, “because I don’t believe politicians can fix this.”

McKinney, meanwhile, was bullish, saying that if the effort made the ballot “it’s going to pass. Mark my words.”

“You want to know why? Because both sides of the aisle, and everybody in the middle, agree that enough is enough,” McKinney said. “People are fed up.”