A business-backed group has asked the Michigan Supreme Court to invalidate a petition initiative to ban campaign donations from political committees linked to regulated monopoly utilities and large government contractors.
The Protect MI Free Speech committee argues in the lawsuit that a state elections board did not follow its own procedures when it certified the campaign collected the necessary number of signatures of registered voters.
The challenge says the Michigan Bureau of Elections and the four-member, bipartisan Board of State Canvassers made a best guess on whether Michiganders for Money Out of Politics gathered the required minimum of 356,958 signatures instead of meeting the higher bar required under state law. The Bureau of Elections checked a random sample of signatures to determine the campaign had met the requirement – but just barely.
“The idea of direct democracy for Michigan citizens has to follow the rules, and these people did not follow the rules,” said John Sellek, spokesperson for Protect MI Free Speech. “The board of canvassers shrugged their shoulders and said we don’t really care, it’s close enough, and that’s wrong. So, we’re asking the Supreme Court to force the board of canvassers to follow the rules.”
Christy McGillivray of Michiganders for Money Out of Politics said the lawsuit is simply an effort to do circumvent sending the question to the ballot. She said the lawsuit is no surprise.
“The easiest and cheapest way for our opposition to stop our initiative to get money out of politics before facing Michigan voters at the ballot is by defeating us in court,” she said. “We are confident we are going to prevail and this is expected.”
The lawsuit asks the Supreme Court to rule by August 20. That would leave time for the Legislature to decide whether to take up the question during the 40-day window set in the Michigan Constitution or let it go on the November ballot if the legal challenge fails.
