A variety of special interests, including business and environmental groups, organized labor and — who can forget him — billionaire Manuel “Matty” Moroun have raised and spent more than $100 million in their attempts to either pass or defeat six proposals on Michigan’s November ballot. Campaign finance records through Oct. 26 show that ballot committees […]
Ballot Mania
Posted inGuest Commentary
Final arguments on Proposal 3
Proposal 3 would create an amendment to the Michigan Constitution a requirement that 25 percent of the state’s electrical power come from renewable sources by 2025, with certain caveats. The primary proponent group for Prop 3 is Michigan Energy, Michigan Jobs. As of Oct. 26, it had raised nearly $13 million, most of it from […]
Posted inGuest Commentary
Final arguments on Proposal 2
Proposal 2 would “grant public and private employees the constitutional right to organize and bargain collectively through labor unions.” According to a report by the independent, nonpartisan Citizens Research Council of Michigan, Proposal 2 is an effort to combat recent actions taken by the governor and Legislature to restrict the bargaining power and costs of […]
Posted inGuest Commentary
Final arguments on Proposal 5
Proposal 5 is a constitutional amendment to require supermajorities of members of each legislative chamber to approve state tax increases or seek approval from the voters. Tax increases would require the votes of at least 25 members of the 38-member Senate and 73 members of the 110-member House of Representatives. If a tax matter went to […]
Posted inGuest Commentary
Final arguments on Proposal 4
Proposal 4 would amend the state constitution to create the Michigan Quality Home Care Council, and allow home health-care workers limited collective-bargaining rights. For full Bridge coverage of Proposal 4 — and the other statewide ballot proposals this year — visit our Ballot Mania page. For an analysis of the proposal by the nonpartisan Citizens […]
Posted inGuest Commentary
Final arguments on Proposal 6
Proposal 6 is a constitutional amendment to require a public vote before the state of Michigan could participate in an international bridge or tunnel project. The proposal is aimed at the Next International Trade Crossing, a bridge between Detroit and Windsor that will compete with Manuel Moroun’s Ambassador Bridge for freight and passenger traffic. For […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Ballot props 'terrible,' 'devastating,' governor says
Gov. Rick Snyder is at the center of the debate in at least half of Michigan’s six ballot proposals this year. He pushed for – and signed – the 2011 rewrite of the emergency manager law that voters will approve reject Nov. 6 with Proposal 1. He pushed for – and signed – an agreement […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Proposal 2 highlights labor-business divide
Michigan has been the scene of historic, sometimes bloody, battles between organized labor and management. Proposal 2 – the ballot effort to include collective bargaining rights in the Michigan Constitution — has lacked physical confrontation. But there’s plenty of bad blood between labor unions, which put the measure on the November ballot, and business groups […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Prop 3: More renewable power, but at what cost?
Consumers Energy President and CEO John Russell caused a stir last month when he marked the dedication of the utility’s first wind farm near Ludington by declaring that renewable energy is “clean, reliable and affordable for Michigan.” Russell’s comments added fuel to the debate over Proposal 3, a proposed constitutional amendment that would require Michigan’s […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Renewable energy prop could divide communities targeted for wind farms
Mary Straubel vividly remembers the day in 2009 that thrust her into a contentious debate over wind energy that would create a deep rift in the quaint tourist towns of northwest Lower Michigan. “I came home from work one day and someone had put up an anemometer (wind gauge) across the street,” said Straubel, a […]