Advocacy News – Aug. 26, 2025
What happened: The Board of State Canvassers approved a 100-word summary and petition form Friday, Aug. 22, for the so-called “Michiganders for Money Out of Politics” (MMOP) ballot proposal — giving proponents the green light to begin signature collection.
Why it matters: The sweeping proposal would:
- Strip government contractors and regulated electric and gas utilities of their free speech rights by prohibiting them from making political contributions;
- Add new reporting and donor disclosure requirements on issue advocacy activities, including grassroots activities as simple as asking a lawmaker to vote yes/no on a bill; and
- Require real-time reporting of political expenditures — including detailed donor information.
The MI Chamber provided public comments to the Board as they debated the 100-word summary, arguing that the proposed summary risks misleading voters about what’s really at stake: a broad proposal that, among other things, contains restrictions of free speech that the courts have repeatedly deemed unacceptable.
What’s next: As MMOP spends the next 180 days trying to collect at least 356,958 valid signatures to qualify for the November 2026 ballot, the Chamber will continue defending a level playing field and the rights of all Michiganders to make their voices heard in the legislative and political processes.