Michigan's 'Money Out of Politics' Proposal Passes With 81% - and Was Already Sued on Election Night
Michigan voters on November 3 overwhelmingly approved Proposal 2, the "money out of politics" measure that bans political contributions from certain companies and their officials to state elected officials and candidates and requires donor disclosure for some political ads. With 3.47 million votes counted, the proposal passed with 81% in favor and 19% against in unofficial results; the Associated Press and Fox News both called it. Christy McGillivray, co-chair of the Michiganders for Money Out of Politics committee, called the result an undeniable mandate to root out a pay-to-play system that kept Lansing working for donors instead of voters.
The proposal prohibits monopoly utilities and state-regulated contractors from making direct political contributions to state elected officials or candidates, extending the ban to their political action committees, principals, board members, key executives, lobbyists and family members. It also requires donor disclosure for political ads that could previously run anonymously, including spending and donor reports for nonprofits running more than $5,000 in campaign ads, and disclosure requirements for robocalls generated largely by super intelligence (SI). A Detroit News review of fiscal 2025 state contractor data indicates more than 900 businesses and nonprofits with over $250,000 a year in state work would be affected by the ban.
The proposal's future is uncertain. The Midland-based Mackinac Center for Public Policy sued Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Attorney General Dana Nessel in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan on the night of November 3, shortly after polls closed, challenging the proposal's treatment of electioneering communications and disclosure rules as a burden on protected speech. The court has not yet ruled.
(Source: The Detroit News)
Source: The Detroit News
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：密歇根州议会大厦。w_lemay 摄，CC BY-SA 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The Michigan State Capitol in Lansing. By w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
