Inside208

Supreme Court rules proposals on November ballot

Posted on September 5, 2012 by aweinfeld

The Michigan Supreme Court has ordered 3 of the 4 outstanding ballot proposals on the November election. This includes the 2/3 legislative vote for tax changes, collective bargaining rights and a public vote for new international bridges.

The only remaining proposal the court rejected was the one that would have added eight new casinos.

The ruling could have far reaching impacts into the future, as the court has apparently upheld what is known as the “Ferency” standard. That standard, derived from a 1980 ruling in “Ferency v. Secretary of State” has allowed the Bureau of Elections to allow ballot proposals to move forward unless it is clear that an entire provision of law is being abrogated or otherwise changed.

The League’s annual convention will feature a session with advocates for and against presenting their views on four of the proposals.  Included in the session will be the proposals regarding collective bargainging rights, emergency manager law, renewable energy standards and 2/3 vote for tax changes.

The League is already on record and is part of a coalition opposing the 2/3 vote requirement. League staff will be analyzing other proposals for their impact on local governments. Look for additional information in the future.

Arnold Weinfeld is Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Michigan Municipal League. He can be reached at 517-908-0304 or by e-mail

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