In November, Michigan voters will decide on a ballot initiative that would prohibit certain organizations and individuals from making campaign contributions.
The campaign supporting the measure, Michiganders Out of Money in Politics, submitted enough valid signatures earlier this year to qualify for the ballot. The initiative was then sent to the legislature to consider—in Michigan, initiatives must go to the state legislature first. The legislature can pass the initiative as law or reject it, sending it to the ballot. While the House of Representatives voted to approve the measure 77-26 on Aug. 25, the Senate did not act on it.
Christy McGillivray, the co-chair of the campaign, said, “Voters in Michigan will get to vote this November to ban the corrupt campaign donations flowing from regulated utilities, like DTE and Consumers, and corporations with contracts with the state of Michigan, like Blue Cross Blue Shield. These are the same companies who are not checked when they raise our utility bills, when they raise our health care premiums, because they are the ones funding the politicians who are supposed to be representing us.”
